Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-06-01
}, The salaries and expenses of the Surveyor Gene

TO the States in which the lands are situated
The deductions here provided for, 1t cannot iai' 10
be seen, are merely such indispensable 20 Keep
the system oil sales i'll operation, and do not maze any
allowances for the expense Of acquiring the lnoian u
tie, Of defending that te and clearing 1t from the
Indian possessions, and other NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
as necessary to bring the lands into the market Tor
sale, those of the land system itself Such rule
of nett proceeds was to charge upon the common
Treasury, and the revenues OF the country derived
from other sources the cost Of the lands and OF ac
curing their possession, and to divide their aSaiis
among the States discharged from that cost
THIS brought him 10 another and most important po
sition in this discussion. 1t that, upon the lar
rule Of calculating the nett proceeds Of the lands
which he had laid down, there never had yet oecn
any nett procceds either for application to the DEBT OF
the Revolution for dstrIbutInn whether The Whole
public domain the lands cedrd by the States ohy
were taken into the account. THIS proposition might
be startling tn some members of the body, as it would
no ioubt be 10 very large proportion of their common
constituents, and yet he had taken the utmost pans
10 learn the truth from the proper Offices, and ne held
IN his hand the official statements TO verify this posi-
ton lie had procured the data from which he spoke
during the last session Of Congress- and the accounts
were brought up 10 the Both of September, 1e3 but
nothing had transpircd, since that time, which could
materially vary the results then exhibited The facts
were taken from the records in the archives of the coun
try, and must, any thing could, lay the foundation
lot corfecl ana sale conclusions.
lie would first state the account with the whole
public domain, these records presented it, lie would
not detail ITEMS as that would be tedious and un.
profitable but the statement before him showed that
the cost 10 The u. S. of Louisiana, purchased from
France and Florida purchased from SPAN, The pay
nens TO and for the State Of Georgia III conformity
with the terms Of the ccsson, the expenses Of the Gene
raj Land Office, Of the local land Offices, including
ares, commissions and the Ike the expenses Of sur.
vcys, including those of the Surveyor. Generals OF
ices and the five per cent. upon the amount OF sales
10 the new States, had together, up 10 the 3Oth OF Sep
TENDER, 1880, amounted 10 SI90Sl ,l72 90
similar statement from the Indian Oi-
fce, made upon the princp pie OF estl-
mating perpetual annuIties at capl-
tal which, invested al five per cent?
would produce the annuity, annul-
ties for terms of years at their actual
amount, ind llf- anuuities annui-
ties Tor twenty years, and all
other amounts actually paid, or
stipulated BY treaties TO be paid and
yet due showed that The amounts &C
tually paid and liabilities incurred by
the |. 5. for the catnguishment OF
Indian title 10 different portions Of
the public land, and for the removal
OF the Indians thererom, up TO the
Both Of September, 1889, were e3,91I,n'2 ci
Making the whole actual cost of the
public domain, 10 the Treasury of The
nation, up IN the date named Sl55,UoD,S@J w
\ statement from the General Land
Office shows that the gross receipts Of
money from the sale Of lands, up 10
the same date. was but ll6,l9s, l79 Is
Thus leaving balance against the
laDds and in favor Of the Treasury,
upon simple comparison between
the expenses for their account and the
receipts from them, of SlSe57 ,O4o -
THIS the result of the statement OF the account with
the whole public domain. statement applicable 10
the lands ccded BY the States simply, making the num-
Der Of acres land surveyed and sold, and The amount
If purchase money received, the rule OF proportion OF
charge as to the items to be divided, such as the *.
pcnses OF the General Land Office, and the like and
preserving The principles Of the former statement as 10
annnities presents the following result:
Paymenis 10 and for the State of Georgia, the five
pcr cent 10 the States, all the expenses OF the
local land Offices and the proportion OF the expense Of
the General Land Office, Of surveys and the Ike ad-
plcabe to the coded unds, up TO the 3Oth Sept lS,
had amounted to Sl6,4l6,5S9 il
The proportion applicable to these
lands of the expenses of extingnlSil-
ment of The Indian title, including
the annuities and other Liabilities yet
unpaid as nearly as It is possible TO
ascertain the proportion from the
treaties and appropriations, IS o3,4'o'Se@ q
Thus showing the actual cost 10 The
Treasury Of the coded lands up
TO the Both of September, ls3o,
10 be S3',c'5,o'l -
a statement from the General Land
Office shows that the whole gross
receipts from the sales OF The coded
lands, up 10 the date mentioned have
been S'o,'oo'Soo ~
This leaves balance in favor oil The
Treasury and against the ceded
l,nJs alone considered, and SIMPLY
comparnr the expenses for their &C
count with the receipts from their
sales, up to the date named, OF 81, ,2no 81
There might be slight in these calculations,
bu, il would be perfectly apparent to any one VINO
would make himself acquainted with the subject, that
# The results varied from the exact TRUTH that varia
lion would be found TO be in favor OF and not against
the lands in either statement No items OF expend-
turc had been included which had not been incurred,
while It was scarcely possible that some should not
have been overlooked, which should justly have been
embraced. II should also be remarked here, that no.
,bno is included in either of these statements to cover
Tho erpenscs of the various Indian wars which have
out Of the treaties for the purchase OF lands ana
The execution of them by the removal OF the Indians
from the lands sold
There have been, then, no nett proceeds from the
sales of the public lands to apply towards the eS
tinquisbment Of that Revolutionary debt winch the
ccssons If the States are said TO have been made to
Ytnauish and much less to distribute TO the States
over and above that debt So far, therefore, the eqni-
ties are papably in favor of the National treasury m
stead of the cedins or any other States, and would
seem to be in time talk about the Indebtedness OF
this Government The States by reason OF The lands,
when its Treasury shall have been reimbursed, the mo-
new paid, and liabilities incurred on their account
To meet an allegation often made, and which had
been repeated in the course of this debate, that MUS
tice had been done to the States and they had been
made TO suffer in their pecuniay interests, by The re-
fusa Of the late President to sign the bill which passed
both Houses of Congress during his administration,
providing for temporary distribution Of Tue net, pro
cecds of the public lands among the States he wonlo
Law down another position which the facts would sus
tain It was, that the States received from Inc u
more money under the deposlte act OF $780, thnn ,ney
would have received under either OF the SIX lana oIis
which had been introduced into that body oy an no.
norabe Senator from Kentucky, MI Clay! u e'ther
IF those bills had been passed and become laws ana
especially the one which did pass the two Houses
and failed for the want Of the signature OF the fres
dent. ;.
passed the two Houses proposed 10 make the dsrlbu
ion for period of five years, commencing win $50
md ending with 1887, and simply directed that "the
- ~ man