Litchfield enquirer., 1846-12-17

upon them above their real value is ,:ot
 o"y to prsvcnI tHeIr sale, and thereby
 deprive ihe Treasury of any inrn5,s
 from that source, but ls in;uAt.ce i'm ,.a
 States in which they lie. hccause !. r,.-
 tards their growth and increase of poD.
 ulat!on, and because they have no novv,.r
 to levy a tax upon them us uoon oah.r
 lands within theT limits, held bv oths.r
 proPrietors than the United Staies. tur
 the support Of their local governments. | The beneficial effects of the graduation min. cIple have been realized by sume of the S,a,ss 1 owning the lands within their limits. in which
 tt has been adopted. They have been demon.
 strated also by the United States acting as inc
 trustee ot the Chickasaw tribe of ind ians in the sale of their lands lying within the StsIes of
 MlssI'slpPI and Alabama. The Chickasa~
 lands. which would not command in the mar
 ket 'iie minimum price established by the laws
 ot ehe United States for the sale O: their lands,
 were, n pursuance of the treaty of Is3l wuh that tube, subsequently, offered for sale at xrs onatsd anu reduced lateS for limited periodS,-L
 The result was, that large quantities of these lands were purchased, which would otherwise
 have remained unsold. The lanis were disno-
 sed ot al their real value, and many persons sf 1 limited means were enabled to purchase small
 tracts upon which they have settled with their
 families. That similar results would be ,.ro- l duc:d by the adoption of the graduation policy
 by the United States. in all the States tn which | they are ihs owners ot large baciies ot landa which have been long in market, cannot ha l doubted. IL cannot be sound policy to with
 hold large quantities st the public lands iron,
 the use and occupation of our citizens, by tix. | ing upon then prices which experience has
 shown they will not command On the con.
 trary, 1t is wise policy to afford facil;ie, to
 our citizens to become the owners, at low and
 moderate rates, of irceholds of their uwn, in.
 stead of being the tenants and dependents ef others. II il be apprehendcd that these lands,
 It reduced in price, would be secured ln large
 quantities by spectators or capiia ialists, the
 sales may be restricted, in limited quantities, to
 actual settlers or persons purchasing for purps- ses of cultivation. ,,. In my last annual message I submitted for the consideration of Congress the present sys. tenn ol managing the mineral lands of the Uni. | ted States, and recommended that they sh ould
 be brought into market and sold, upon such
 terms and under such restrictions as Congress
 m'yht prescribe. By the act of the lO.h ct
 July last, "the reserved lead mines and contie. uous lands in the States of Illinois and Arkan.,
 sas, and Territories of Wisconsin and Iowa"
 were authorized 10 Do sold. The act is confin. ed, m iis operation, to |" lead mines and conti. l guouS lands" -
 4 large portion of the public lands contain. 1 ing copper and other ores is represen,ed to b-
 very valuable, and recommend that provision
 oe made authorizing the safe of these lands, up.
 on such terms and conditions as their supposed value may. in the judgment of Congress, bs l deemed advisable, having due IeKsrd to the in. terests of such of our citizens as may be loc ated upon them.
 will be important. during your present | session. to establish a territorial government | anc to extend the jurisdiction and laws ot tho United States over the Territory of Oregon. .-- our laws regulating trade and intercourse with l the Indian tribes eas: of the Rocky Mountain, l should be extended to the Pacific ocean: and l TOT the purpose of executing them, and preser {. viny friendly relations with the Indian tribe,. within our limits. an additional number of In. alan aYencies will be requireL. and slu.,lsf L,s 1 authorizea py law. The establishment of Cus-
 tom Houses, and of Post Offices and Post Roads
 and provision iur the transportation of the man
 on such routes as the public convenience will
 suggest, require legislative authority It will I bs proper. also. 10 establish Surveyor Gene | rals office in that Territory. and to make the necessary provision for surveying the public lands. and bringing them into market. As our citizens who nov reside in that distant reglnn have been subjected to many hardshps, priya. lions and sacrifices in their emigration, and bv their Improvements have enhanced the value of the public lands in the neghborhood of their SSA'V"vhkhs U bcCOUuunen VeO tnak IlUeYal grants may be made 10 them of such portions of these lands as they may occupy, and that similar grants or rights ot preemption be mahe toall who may e.uigrate thither, within linn. 2 tied period, 10 be prescribed by law.
 The Report of the Secretary of War contains detailed information relative to the several !. branches ot the public service connected with
 that department. The operations of the army
 have been of a satisfactory and highly gratify- l ing character.
 l 1 recommend to your early and favorable
 consideration the measures proposed by the Sc.
 crstaiy of War for speedily filling up the rank
 and file of the regular army, for it's greater efi- ciency in the field, and for raising an addition. al force to serve during the war with Mexico. Embarrassment IS likely to arise for want ne legal provision authorizing compensation iA be made to the agents employed m the several States and Territories tv Iay the revoluiionarv . and other pensioners the amounts allowed then, by law. Your attention is invited to the Sec reiary Of War on this subject. These dUtiss. and no reason exists why they should not be piacfd on the same footing, as t0 compensation. with other dlsbursing officers.
 Our relations with the various Indian tribes continue 10 be of a pacific character. Tho ua-
 happy dssensions which have existed among the Cheroxees for many years past have beeu ! healed, Since my last annual message impor-
 tant treaties have been negotiated with some nf
 the tribes by which the Indian title to large
 tracts of valuable land within the limits of the
 States and Territories has been exiiDguished,
 and arrangements made for removing them ,tot the couairy west of the Mississippi. Between three and four thousand, of different tr,bes. have heen removed 10 the country provided fir , them by treaty stipulatiIns, and arrangements have been made fur others to follow. ...... In our intercourse with the several tribes particular attention has been given ts the i'm. portant subject of education: The number of schools established among them has been in- creased, and additional means provided, net i only tor teaching them the rudments of educa-, tian. but oi ins,ructing them in agriculture aud tn, mechanic arts. gf,.. 1 refer You to the report of the Secretary oc the Navy f"r a satisfactory view of the opera toas O; the department under his charge dsrin& the past year IL isgrstifying to perceive, tha, l while the war with Mexico has rendered it Rs- cessary to employ an unusual nna'ber of ous! ar,ised vessels on her coasts. the protertion du~ to our commerce in other Quarters of the world