Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-23

Let any man 90 and look at tl,ese Western settle
ments: let him travel through them and minsle will
the people; let him see what sort of people were on this
national domain, and who they were that were actually
benefited by our prescription laws, and they woult
soon have all doubts as to the cxpedency and utility o
the system done away. Men who went into that re
gion on a pack horse, carrying their worldly all upor
his back, had now become respectable farmers, ano
were able TO give their children a good education
Should not the law give a preference TO such men 4:
these over mere land spectators;
Blu. it was said that, if this bin should pass, the squat
tiers would rush out upon the lands, even before they
were surveyed, and take possession Of the best r"r
tons every where. That was true; and that was Jus
what every Western man desired 10 see. Let then
rusE; let them get hold ofihe best and choicest lands
and then, if the Spectator chose to come alter thel
to purchase on speculation, let him take up with Tho
refuse tina: was left. II was true that in some particu
Lar cases the land thus obtained had brought a higf
price. lie knew one case where u man had obtained
tract Of land in exchange for a horse, which he had re
Gently sold for $S,00D; he had then gone further cr
and settled again. Did gentlemen wish TO put stop tc
this' He hoped not; he wanted to see it go on.
And then let it be remembered that the new States
had, themselves, a direct interest in the passage o
such a law; and they had a right TO insist that some
such act should pass. Did gentlemen wish TO hold VI
vast tracts of wild land from sale, and thus keep i
from the reach of the taxation Of the State? Did they
really want TO cran:p and %embarrass the new States?--
Every gentleman knew that the public lands in
State when sold were exempt from State of taxation
five years; did they want to keep hack the termina
ton of this period as late as possible? There was nj
injustice in the enactment of a law Of this kind. |
it did go TO foster the growth and augment the wealth
Of the rising States, was that a result not TO be desired
Very possibly the older States might. in some degree
suffer from the emigration of their population westward
but thy should not endeavor, on that account, 10 pre-
vent their poorer citizens from lettering their condition
and providing q heritage for their children. Under
this system Of proc n,ption Illinois had already attained
n population exceeding that of Kentucky, and surpass
ing by 10000 that OF the Old Dominion. But would
Senators from these States prevent the emigration Of
their poorer neigbbors: He trusted not; he was sure
they never would act from such j motive. On the con,
trary, every facility should be extended to those honest
and enterprising men. What more did gentlemen expec,
TO get for this government landa Was not a dollar ano
a quarter enough for an acre of wild land? Surely i
was, But s%upposing it would bring $40 an acre al
auction, was that a reason that il should be hello
up from the reach of the poor man who wished to cul.
tivate and improve it: And was he to be condemned
to toll all his days on q second or third. rate soil, that
the Treasury might be enriched by selling its land to
wealthy men.
Gentlemen supposed that a reduction of the price
Of the poorer portion of the lands would not lead to
more sales and a larger consequent recent of mo.
ney. He thought they were mistaken. Gradua.
ton was, in fact, the policy Of every State that had
lands OF its own TO sell. Kentucky owned lands
south OF the Tennessee river; had she not gradually
reduced her price until it came down as low as l2i
cents? That was the policy of Illinois. She had sold
at 81 % then at a dollar then at IS cents and was
now selling her lands at 90 cents the acre. Were the
same course pursued in reference 10 the United States
lands, many would be induced to examine with a view
to getting a good bargain, and the consequence would
be e great increase of the amount actually sold. After
this had been continued some time, and The sales grew
slack, then diminish the price again; and so OH, ill not
an acre was left unsold. Mr.. Y. said he did admit that
when poor land lay immediately adjacent to good land,
the owner of the latter was likely TO give a better price
for II than others for convenience sake, because from
its situation it was worth more to him: but this held
only in particular cases, not generally.
He concluded By expressing ais hope that the bill
would pass. It would be seen that, except in wha,
land was subject to private entry, there could be no
delay Of payment. The moment the land on which a
presumption had been granted was advertised for sale,
the settler must pay the money for il, or lose his pre-
~emption. He had no doubt that, should the bill pass,
more money would be brought by i; into the Treasury
than could be obtained in any other mode. The mo-
ney paid at Burlington, in Iowa, on presumption lands
had in a few weeks amounted to half a million of dol.
lars. That Territory had already 10000 inhabitants,
and would shortly be applying to GENE as a State into
the Union.