Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-16


Do. 1922 q do
DO. 1923 30 do
DO. 1924 q do
Do. 1875 30 do
Do. 1896 So do.
Do. 1927 4? do
Do. 1928 % do.
DO. 1899 70 do.
Do. 1850 ] 20 do.
Now (said MIR. CLaYD up TO the 29th OF May, 1881,
there cas no general compton lac. For the two
years preceding Qo2o aud ls29) the average price IN
each but 81 70 per acre. and it continued The same
during the year $780, in only the last hall OF which did
that law operate Here was an excess IN two consecu-
tive years, before the passage oil the act, OF only one
cent per acre. above the minimum price; anG in c fol-
lowing year. during halfof which the first presumption
law was in operation, the price remained the same
Now, (sa;d Mr.. ClayD what has been the result un-
der the presumption policy: The official report will
answer the question Fer the year 1881, during the
first half of which the first presumption law continued
TO operae) the average price 81 Is per acrc-two
cents higher than had been either OF the three pre-
ccding years. In 1889, when presumption law was
in force the average price but 81 u per acre. in
1885, the average price 81 - per acre. In 1881,
when pre- -emption law passed, TO continue IN
force two years. the average price was 81 81 per acre;
and in 1885, Throughout which the same law was IN
torce) the average price 81 - per acre In 1870,
during the last half of which there presumption
law, the average price was but 81 - per acre; and
again in 1887, (still no pre-empon law tue average
price was but 81 q per acre.
1t also appeared (said Mr. c. from the statement of
the Commissioner, made i'm January last, exhibiting
the result of sales from the I'D of June, 1895, (when
another presumption law passed) up 10 the then latest
returns, that the average price received for nearly
millions of acres, was but 81 70 lo-loo per acre
and the part sold al auction exclusively only 81 ~
3S-lo0 per acre.
Now (said Mr. Claw is no apparent that The prices
received for the ten years before the commencement OF
the preempon SYSTEM and those received Tor the nine
years since, during long portion ofwh,c pre-enption
li,,,c have n na
ent If at all: DO not these official statements estab
lsh that we receive as much money from the actual set
tier and cutator would receive from the specu
laor landmonger, And is not the question distinct
ly presented, whether will sell the public domain,
IN small quantities, to of small capital, who will
Immediately occupy, improve, and render it productive,
whether it is better policy 10 sell at auction to
bands ospeculaors and capitalists, in large quantities,
TO lie idle and Improbable till they exor the desr
ed profit from those whose necessities compel them TO
have it? Yes, sir; this is the question for our grave
consideration. And American Congress hest
tate to the shall give by leglsa;on:
He hoped the period when there could be any doubt
upon tins question lad gone BY, and that favor
able response would come from all quarters
He SAID he had omitted TO mention fact connected
with the sales Of the public land which worthy OF
consderation-that was the greater expense incurred
nv the Government, in sales auction, than in tho
under the laws by private entry In the
latter, the Government was nj no expense whatever,
beyond the regular and established salary and
OF the registers and receivers; while the sales at
auction involved additional expenses, in the employ
ment of auctoneers, extra compensation TO registe
and receivers ard expenditure for additional clerk hire
lie had Mt made any precise estimatc-but probably
amounting Ia at least four or five per centum And til is
amount OF additional expense TO be deducted from
the small above the minimum, which MI ht ao-
pear TO be gained By sales at auction.
| But (said MIR. Cay) suppose the Government were
to profit even to double the of the average ex
which may be supposed to appear by the reports,
from the General Land Ogce to which he had referred
would the paltry difference of two or three
ten cents acre, be sufficient nducement with Anne.
rican statesmen to leopard the peace, the safety, and
the interest of the numerous families which are annu-
ally settled the public lands: No, sir the Govern
ment would lose infinitely more by such course, in
para lying the energies, and Gripping the Of
those hardy and enterpsing pioneers, than could be
compensated by any pecunlary gain.
Sir, (said Mr.. Clay,) money is the smallest, and
about the last consideration, that should enter into
influence nur policy in the management of the public
domain. II is consideration which has control
led the policy Of other Governments, over which it is
pride 10 boast superiority 1t not the policy OF
Great Britain, still less, perhaps ofFance and Spain in
the disposition of the land claimed by them at an earlier
period of our history Occupancy, cultivation and i'm
provement of the of the country were the
considerations upon which they granted the land Of the
Crown.
Nor was money the consideration which induced the
original States 10 cede portions Of their territory ex-
cepi perhaps, far 10 aid in the payment of
tona debt contracted in the of Inde pcndence-
They had much more exalted purposes in view; TO put
down controversies about territorial limits to quiet ea
onsies between the different members of the confcde-
racy to build up prosperous communities to create new
States, and thereby add to the bright cos,e
lation Of our glorious Union. These the bright
and audabe motives which operated upon all. the
States which made cessons OF territory; apparent
in all the compacs between those States and the &C.
neral Government especially in that Of Virginia, the
mother Of States and not the sordd consideration of
making money for themselves, or the General Co.
yernment.
lie further remarked that the bill under considera-
ton might be fairly regarded merely measure 10
change the mode of sale from auctions private entry
He thought he had sufficiently shown that it would not
MATERIALLY affect the amount of revenue derived from
this source, even if the quantity sold should be the
But he said the sales would undoubtedly be greatly
augmented and consequently, much money
would be brought into the Treasury within given Pc
rod than under the present system.
This bill, too, free from the objections which had
been urged against the other pre- pton laws Of the last
twelve years 1T had been urged that by those pre-cmp
ton laws, rewards given 10 persons who
passers the public property, who were worthless
character, and who set the law defiance, By settling
upon the public domain, with right than they
had TO seize upon the public Treasury upon vessels
Of war, and forts and arscnuls Now such not
the bill under consideration. Here the bill pros
pecve, unless in respect to those who had become
settlers since the date of the last presumption law
The main object of the bill not 10 protect these
who called trespasscrs and vioators of the
laws, but to say to the hardy cultivaor of the land,
who gave an earnest of being cultiva,or, that he
should be safe in the possession of the ftuts of his la
Dor. Nor it confined, said By another class
of obecors to the inhabitants ofthe valley Of the Mis-
sissppi, to the great West. Heretofore it had been
urged that the bills partia- objected, not
only that they rewardng the volaors of the law,
but that they combining its advantages to them and
the settlers within the limits Of the States and
Territories; but THIS broader in its provisions, and
it held out the inducements 10 the industrious and
enteprsng of the old States, that it held out 10 the
new States. Now, he regarded this an important
feature in this bill, and which, with due Difference
to those who differed from him in opinion, it seemed to
him, should silence all directors, leaving ont of view
the enthusiasm in favor of log cabins and their
pants, which had been prevailing for some time