New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-12-31
y,bc Public I.ppd-,

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~ be TO do So for change is determined on
~ those who have the control of Congress and the
W. practical choice lies between the Graduation
III the Free Land System. If one Of these must
.,o;l we decidedly prefer the latter. But let the
a.o,e zee and decide. Here is the bill submitted
The Senate by Judge Breese in accordance with
y, recommendation of the President:
~, to reduce and graduate the Price of the Public
Lands, and for other purposes
p.esae.ed By tho Senate and House Of Representatives
~, yuied States Of america IN Congress hssTnoAd
%ast from and after the duy oil next al Tue
lands of the United States then subject to private
.ha be arranged into i've classes III the manner
eepn,'e,ns namely lands which have been IN market
Ry, 20 ,riyate entry tive years less shall const
- Inc first class those which have been in market
s;sc, as aforesaid than five years, and not OK
ssa;ne ten years shall constitute the second class
sose Which have been in market subject as aforesaid
cre than ten years. and not exceeding fifteen years
~, constitute the third class; those which have been
market subject aforesaid more than fifteen years
'oa no, exceeding twenty years. shall constitute the
.onrh class; those which have been in market more
IAN twenty years and not exceeding thirty years sha
Constitute the fifth class and which classification Oh lne
d lands shall be made under the direction oil inc sec
-e,sry OF the Treasury. soon aiter inc VI
lis act practicable in the several states anu iei'
res In which the same may be situatea.
Sec Be IL farther enacted, That the min mum price
,se Iands in the first class shall be one dollar and
rsntyyc cents per acre of those IN the second class
edoar per acre of those in the ihird CLASS seventy
sve CENTS per acre; of those IN the iouTlh CLASS MY
,. ner acre; of those in the fifth class twenty-five
sr,s per acre and each and every tract OF pubic anas
rich may have been in market. or may hereafter DC III
market subject to private entry more than thirty years
hereby coded in full property 10 the state IN WHICH
he same may be situated u,,.,; Id
If Inc United States which now are or may nereaet
- brought into market and become subject TO private
entry shall be subjected, the periods seVeraiy arrive
indicated By this act 10 the scale OF graouhon as
herein provided under the direction OF the secretary OF
n. Treasury ard be open entry and purchase agree
ably thereto ~. o.ox., ,o..or ~,
nlyng to make entry aud purchase oil any tract vi
nd IN the fourth fifth classes, RS defined by TINS act
nal hrs make affidavit before the register recelv-
or Of the proper land Office. (eher OF whom is hereby
snthorzed TO administer such oath.) or before some
other person competent to administer an oatn tna saiu
srnlcspt has made entry or purchase OF land IN
ber of said classes and that the tract sought to be en-
,e,ed 10 for his and benefit and for settlement
and cultivation for the OF his adjacent farm OF
n,ntstion: Prouded. howeutr. That no person snail
enter or purchase OF the lands in either the said fourth
or fifth classes than one halt section III such legal
subdivisions he may prefer; ana IN suoolVluins
onsrter section or hafquartcr section 1t is hereby per
mit.ed TO mark the line Of subdivision thereof either
north or SOUTH east west as the purchaser may oil
rect
We believe if there ever was scheme full OF
mischief and injustice, this is one. 1t ought TO be
entitled "A bill TO discourage and prevent all pay
nent for the Public Lands, and enable spectators
70 get them ultimately for song II is a transpar-
en-, cheat this talking of selling land at ten shil-
lings and u dollar when, by simply neglccting
pay for it, it will be in the market at TWEEN
yfve cents and then given away. II will not be
paid for if taken possession Of until the price runs
down and the Government will get but twenty
Eve cents an acre. if any thing AT this price twill
Ia oli1ad in ipg nd
uaors TO be held by them until they sell it for
two to ten dollars per acre The ostensble resrlc
,ions in the last section amount TO nothing at ALL
Each specua,or will have his scores OF Instruments
ready to take single half sections, and hand them
over 10 him for bonus Of five to twenty live dol
lars
II some radical change in our Public Land sys
TEN inevitable we say again that we prefer TO the
above plan that ofpot selling the lands at all but al
lowing each landless man 10 take and hold small
portion Of it for his own use, SO long as he shall
have no other land without paying at all, as is set
forth in the following petition:
MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS.
The undersigned. Citizens of the United States re-
sDecuuly representThat in their opinion. the system
Land Traffic imported TO this country from Europe,
wrong i'll principle that II 10 fast debhslnS US to the
condition oil dependent tenants of which condition
rapid increase OF inequality misery paupcrls vice and
crime are the necessary consequences and that there
fore in the infancy Of the Republic we should take
efectua measures eradicate the evil, and establish
principle more in accordance with our Republican
theory laid down in the Declaration OF independence to
which end propose that the General Government shall
longer traffic permit traffic. in the Public Lands
vet In Its possession and that they shall be laid out in
Farms and Lots for the free OF such citizens (not
possessed Of other and) will occupy them, allowing
the settler the right dispose OF his possession to any
one NOT possessed OF other land and that the jurisdiction
ohe Public Lands be transferred TO States only on con-
dlon that such disposition should be made OF them
Your menorialiss offer the following reasons Tor such
deposition of the lands as they propose
l. would increase the number OF reehoders and de-
crease the antirepubican dependence oil those VINO
might not become freehelders; exactly reversing inc
tase of things now in progress.
2 AS the drain Of the population would gradually be
where land free the price OF all land held Tor
rsac would gradually decrease Ill., ultimately the lana
holders would see greater advantages In an Agrrlan
plan that would make every man freebooter, than IN
system Of lands clng, under which their children
might become dependent tenants.
3. City populations would diminish gradually, hl
sery inhabitant could be the owner Of comfortable
aibiaiion; and the country population would be more
ampacty settled making less roads and ondees neces
Wy, and giving greater facilities of education.
l. There need be Standing Army, for there would
be a chain Of Townships along the frontier settled
independent frcemen, willing and able to deiend the
euntry.
The danger of Indian aggressions would be materi
Lyessened If our people only took possession oil land
saorsh for their use. ,
The strongest motives 10 cncroachments by Whites
nhe rights of the Indians would be done away with BY
Prohibiting speculation in land.
The ambition, enterprise, that would, under the
present system, add TO acre, would be directed
more useiuly to the improvement OF those to which
each mans possession was limited.
There would be no Reputation OF State Debts ;
for lei the people settle the land conpactly, and they
could, md would make all desirable improvements
without going into debt
National prosperity and the prosperity OF the masses
would be cohciden, here again the present order OF
ainss-of which England is notable exampe-wou'd
os happily reversed
10 Great facilities would be afforded to test the va
nous plans Of Association which engage the atten
Son OF SO large proportion OF citizens, aud which
nsse been found work well. tar as the accumu
anon OF wealth and the prevention of crime and psuper
nm are concerned in the established
10; Instance the Zoarites Rarpites and Shakers.
Il The now increasing evil vi office seeking would be
ominshcd both by doing away with the necessity for
many Offices now III existence and by enabling TO
OBTAIN comfortable livelihood, without deg grading them
ees to oscome office beggars Cincinnatus and w ASH
nston could with difficulty be prevailed upon TO take
vice, because they knew there real enjoy
Eens IN the cultivation OF their c@n h0mes,eads.
az. Hwould, in great measure, do away the
sse'sHy evil OF laws and lawyers, there could be
hnnN