Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1843-02-18
GAZETTE AND ADVERTISER
REASONS FOR NOT POsTPONlNG
THE LAND SALES.

The LAND SALES.
In the following letter from the Com
missioner OF the Genl. Land Office To
our Delegate. will be found the reasons
Why the memorial Of our Legislature und
the efforts Of Genl. Dodge to obtain a
postponoment Of the Land Sales, have
been unsuccessful.
WASHINGTON CRY, D. c.. Jan. IS, I843
EDlTURs GAzETTE:-
Fo, the information
Of your readers. please publish the en-
closed letter from the Commissioners oil
the Gent. Land Office, and obI.ge,
Your OBJ, ser't.
a. e.. DDDGE.
GeN'L LAND OFFlcE, Jan. 60, ls43.
SIR.
The Memorial Of the Council and
House of Representatives Of the Terri
tory of Iowa, tor the postponement OF the.
land sales in that Territory, which you
submitted to the President. he has referred
to this Office accompanied by an expires
sion al his deep su,citude that it nigh,
bs deemed compatible with the public
interest to grant their request. The rea
sons advanced by the n,emorialis,s have
accordingly received from me, the most
respectful aud careful consideration. l
find nothing in them however presenting
tho subjec: ma different aspect from thai
which is to be found in the numerous ap
,plications already presented u this office
from o,her sections vi the country for
the same object. That the times are
hard must DC admitted. and also that he
scarcity ot none. is confined TO no par
iicular locality. The cons,an, experience
Of the times lcucl, Us that il, is in vain at
ono point 10 calculate upon the resources
OF some other Tor reiiet. This expec,a
ton may be realized by few, bu, |
huinbiy cunce We not to the extent which
the mclnOrlalisls seem 10 anticipate. aud
when this condition 0i affairs IS IL under.
90 y sanitary change in virtue ot the
adoption Of some general measure Of
public policy, IS speculation tina. may
not seem at present 10 cast any cheering
ray upon !. cir prospects.
Aslo the season Of the year when the
Gales arc ~ take place, which il the other
principal ground for poslIonsn,snt ON.
bracsu in the memorial, had supposed
that al things considered the ,in.e was
veil adspied 10 the occasion. The sales
are 10 commence in February aud run
iutu the mouth Of March, season whe,,
in that climate absence from homo cal,
cause no interruption, TO az ,icultMral pur-
suits, aud 10 u new country where there
are no bridges. and but few lerr.es, trAv.
cling about IL make the necessary exu.
limitations previous 10 the sales can ut that
season lie conducted with greater lac ity,
and per haps only then with certainty
Later than this when the spring :reshe,s
eel in, invariably followed by extensive
inundalions, the country cannot be
irvversed and from that time un,il win,er
returns, the farmer knows no respite
from his tolls. You may rrcollccl tina,
amy argument deduc.ble from the dis,anc.
tho citizens oil Iowa would have to travel
from The new settlements IL reach the
Land Office has been superseded by the
order ii the President, shat the Lane!
office shalt be temporarily removed To the
new seltle,nenlfor lheircspeciai accon,n,o
dation :--an order llle more 10 bo aopre.
.ciated rs i, is an isolated case oil such
exercise Of the executive authority.
| now beg leave to request your attention
20 sollle oil tho consequences OF y post
.ponemcnt to the public interest. Il
granted in ono case, ;here would be the
same or equal reason Tor granting It il
.allMhers. a single order would ba .nade
tho railying point Tor precedent. aud in
the same proportion It was fOll0wet
would there be = arrangement Of tho 70
.ceipls into the Treasury from that source
- rxvemue Ii would cause dead los
lsayer hmenl Of heavy sums neces
appended ID the preliminary men
"a. ls ahe sales, II would render vncil
ny herutiye, ind unproduc,iye 4
L Ne menss IN important branch q
- - !: fservics, supported by it at
heavy Expense. Perhaps no evil coule
ali,cl il more pregnant with banetul con
sequences than All instability Of purpose
Those remarks would certainly be les
applicable ut other times than at presen,
when such large bodies Of land are 10 y
brought ,nlo market, and at 80 man.
different points, but the principle il tn
same throughout and il should not be dc
parted from but under circumstances OF
very peculiar and necessitous character
shall therefore deem Il my duty I
submit to the President my op,nlon agains
the posiponcn,ent Of the Land Sales i
lows, aid unless you should again b
advised by me on the subject, in ol=dienc
10 his directions, the desired postpone
ment 10 not 10 be expected.
have the honor 10 b Sir,
Vo.y respectfully
Your obi ser't,
THOMAS H. BLAKE. lommissionf,
Hon. u. G. DnDoE,
Hosso 81 Representatives.