Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-12-04


The mininitiin 'rs,e enthusiastically law. The
settlers on the public lands are, however, bu,
rarely able 10 secure their homes and improve
mcuts u, the public sales-at that rate; becausr
I these combinations, by means oi the capital
they &C mm,ad and their sup rior ability to
purchase. render il Impossible fos.the settler
i 10 compctc with them irthe market. By put
| ling down oil competition, these comhina-
tions oil capitalists and SPECTATORS are usually
enabled to purchase the lands; including the
bnproy >ments of the settlers, at the minimum
price VI the Govenii.ent, and either turn them
out Of their homes. or extort from them, &C.
cortling to their ability 10 pay. double or quad
ripple thc amount paid tor them to the Gov
ernment IL is 10 the enterprise and perscvc-
sInce Of the hardy pioneers of thc West, who
penetrate the Wilderness with their families.
8 iffer the Gang RS, the priyations. and hard
| ships att .nding tho settlement of new coun-
try. and prepare the way for the body Of emf.
! grants who III the course OF few years usual
ly follow them, that we are III great degree
indebted for the rapid extension and aggran-
dizcinent Of our country.
Experience has proved that no portion Of
our population are more patriotic than the
hardy and brave men Of tho frontier. or more
ready to obsy the call ii their country, and to
defend her rights and her honor, whenever
aud by whatever enemy asss,iicd. They should
b. protected from the grasping speculator, and
secured, at the minimum price Ut the public
lands, i'm the humble homes which they have
improved by their labor. With this end In
view, all vexations or unnecessary restrictions
| imposed upon them BY the existing pre-cmp-
iion laws should be repealed or modified. Ii
Is the true policy Of the Government to afford
facilities 10 its citizens To become the owners
oil small portions OF our vast public domain at
| low and moderate rates.
The present system Of managing the miner
al lands of the United States is believed to be
radically defective. More than million of
acres Of the public lands, supposed 10 contain
lead and other minerals, have been reserved
from sale, and numerous leases upon them
have been granted To individuals upon s,i-
pulatcd rent. The system of granting leases
has proved TO be not only improbable 10 the
Gov" rGment, but unsatisfactory TO the citizens
who have gone upon the lands. aud must. If
continued. lay the foundation ef much future
difficulty between the Governmen; and the
lesses.
According 10 the official records, the a.
mount oil rents received BY the Government
for the years I6il, 1912, lSl3 and lSaI, was
S6.354 "a. while the expenses OF the system
duringt the same period, including salaries OF
supcrintendants, agents. clerks, and incident
al expenses. Were s26, IL 1.-THE income
b ing less than one fourth the expenses: To
this pecuniary loss may b. added the injury
sustained BY the public III consequence OF the
destruction OF timber and the careless and
wasteiul manner ot working the mines. The
| system has given risc tn mich litigation be.
tween tn United States and individual CHI
zens, producing irritation and excitement in
| the mineral rgion, and involving the Govern
no N i'm hea he
lieved that similar losses and en- ,arrassm. INT,
will continue 10 occur. while the present
system Of 'asng these lands remains unchsn-
gsd Thes. lanisdrc now IN isr tie sdprrin-
tendance and care of the War ID.parin mt .
with III; ordinary duties of which they hav ;
no natural or proper conncxlon. recommend
n. repeal OF Ia. present system. AMI that
III Sc lands b. placed mid.r the supesintcnd-
ence and manag"m nj OF the General Land Or
ice, as other public Ian Is, and be brought i'll
ID market and sold upon such terms as Con-
| gross in their wisdom may prescribe; rescIv-
my to th' GJvarnm mt al elui'a5l. per cen-.
tage oil the gross amount oi min raj producer,
aid thar the Pra-en1,iinl.principle be extend
ID TO resident min rs anil s.ttlers upon them
al the minimum price which may be cstab ish.
cd BY Congress.
r-ier YOU TO the accompanying report Of
the Secretary OF War for information respect
| ing the present situation of the army, and its
| operations during the past year; the state OF
our detences; the condj ion oi the public
works; and oar relations with the various In.
dian tribes within our limits or upon our
borders. invit: your attention to the sug-
6 'stions contained in that report in relation
10 these prominent objects Of national interest.
When orders were given during the past
SUNNI for conccntratinga military force on
the western frontier of Texas, our troops were
widely dispersed, and in sm Ill detachm rnts
occupying posts r>mDtc from each othr. The
prompt and expeditions mann r in which an
army, embracing NOR than half our peace es.
tablishment. was drawn together OH an emrr.
gency 50 sudden, reflects great CT dit on the
officers who Were entrusted with the execu-
ton oi th'se orders, as well as upon the disci-
pline of the army is,lt.
| To b. IL strength TO protect and defend the
people and territory OF Texas, in the event
| Mexico should commence hosliliics or invade
her territories with a large arm, which she
threatened, authorized the q neral assigned
To the command Of the army oil occupation &c
make acquisitions for additional force from ST.
veral OF the States nearest the Texan territory
aud which could most cxpeditously furnish
them, If. in his opinion, larger force than tina
under his command, and the auxiliary aiC
WHICH, unu'I IKE CIRCUMSTANCES, lie Ndb all
thoriZed 10 receive from Texas. should b. re-
CURED. The contingency upon which the eX
: efcise of this authority depended has not oc
CURED. The circum ,isnc IS under which tvs,
compan of State artillery from the city o
New Orleans were sent into Texas. and mus
tered into the service of the Usicd States, ar
fnlly stated ia the report of the Secretary O
War. rccomm nj to Congress that provis
ion be made ior the payment of these troops
as well as small number of Texan volunteer
whom the commanding General thought it ne
| ccssary to receive or muster into our tryicc
: During the last sumner the first regimen
of dragons made extensive excursions thrC
$ the Indian county on our borders, part q
i them advancing nearly to the possessions G
c the lluJsons Bay Company in the north, an
= part as far as the South Pass OF the Rock
9 Mountains and the head waters Of the tribu
!. tary streams OF the Colorado OF the West -