Indiana State sentinel., 1846-07-23
Published every Thursday.]
The Public Lands.

Tlae Hubiic Lands.
THE LAND GRADUATION BILL passed the Senate on
thy 9th inst, by vote Of 26to Is 1t provides that
lands which on the 1st of March next, shall have
been 10 years in market without finding purchaser
shall be subject to sale at 81 an acre. until lst Of
March 1850; then 75 cts, if not previously sold
until lst Of March 1854 then at 80 cts if not pre-
viously sold, until lst of March 1856 then at % cts
if not previously sold, until lst of March 1859; pro-
vded that no&ne person shall be at liberty to purchase
more than section (64O acres) at the two lowest
rates mentioned, viz: 30 and % cents. Presumption
rights secured for six months after each reduction
Exemption from taxes for five years is repealed The
clause which provided that lands subject gradua-
ion as above and remaining unsold the lst March
1882 should then be ceded to the States within which
they lie, was stricken out by vote of 81 to 20.
The bill has since been before the House. Sundry
amendments offered and rejected one of which
TO gire to heads of families under certain cond
tions l60 acres of land. On the 10th, pendinga mo-
ton to lay the bill the table, equivalent to defeat
the House adjourned.
The Philadelphia Ledger has some pertinent re-
marks on this subject. If members of Congress will
not attend to the obviously just considerations here
brought to view, perhaps the people viii.
As measure of protection to cultivators, and of
restraint upon spectators, for raising
Independent farmers, their country's PRIDE and pre-
venting the growth of landed nabobs from members
of Congress and bank directors regard this bill
useless as mere mockery. Lands remain unsold du-
ring years, because they worth 81 % for
the acre. and under this bill they will remain unsold
during thirty years. because they are -n0thing
And these lands not worth 81 are reserved for the
poor actual settlers, at various prices from 81 to
D cents, while any speculator may buy any number
of millions Of acres for 81 ,25 which the poor would
gladly buy for the price, for actual settlement,
in quarter or half sections. This bill places the sub
ect irrOng end foremost. We move as an amendment
that, the lands not graduated be sold only actual
settlers, in quantities not exceeding a section, 640
acres to each purchasers that, after lands shall have
renamed unsod during five years. the price shall be
reduced by % cents, and the quantity sold to each
tual settler augmented to two sections and that the
price be reduced by p cents and the number of
tions sold to each actual settler doubled for each
succeeding five years, till the end of twenty five
years. when those remaining unsold shall vest in the
State Under this law, none but actual settlers could
buy any lands, or than $40 acres for 81 % to
the acre, or more than 1880 acres for 81, or more
than 1850 acres for 10 cents, than 5l20 acres
for 30 cents or than 10, $40 acres for % cents
According this law, the rich merchants and bank
ers of the cities could not double or quadruple their
fortunes from the pockets of the poor, merely by
drawing a check on a bank and politicians in the
new States, worth nothing, could not make fortunes
from the sources, by collusion with capitalists
of the Cities the first locating the best lands the
second furnishing the cash, and the two dividing the
spoil But according to this law, a man worth $500
could buy $40 of the best land for 81 % the
acre; and if none such could be obtained in the place
where he wished to settle, he could obtain for his
money 1880 acres of the second quality 2560 acres
of the third or 5l20 acres of the fourth or TO- 240
of the fth, the increase in quantity being an
/ pouivo fnr thp nferOritv i'm
The existing system has created landed nabobs in all
the western States But it has created something much
worse, oyergrown capitalists in the cities. And in
the SAME proportion has it prevented the creation of
independent agricultural population, and augmen-
ted the number of paupers in the Old States. Many
poor laborers and mechanics of the cities would have
gone to the West and become Independent farmers,
could they have bought good land in place contain
ing some inhabitants, for 81 25 But they have
mained in poverty in the Cities because their aerna-
tive good land for 81 % in absolute wilderness
or equally good land in or near settlement for So,
to be paid to some city nabob who had purchased it
of the government for 81 ,25. They were inadequate
to the hardships of the first alternative and had not
money enough for the second But they would have
had money enough to buy good farm in a settlement,
had not the government authorized every oyergrown
mercantile capitalist to double or quadrupe his prop
erty from the pockets of those who cut down the
and hold the plough. The system is scandalous
robbery of the poor by the rch and Congress- by toe
rating it, encourage the most shameful oppression
By far the most important of any consideration
applicable the public lands, is the restriction of
their sale, (at low and graduated rate,) to actual
settlers. No measure which does not comprehend
these indispensable features should receive the sup
port of western men. We are cursed with non-resi-
dent land enough already and by far too many
The evil will increase beyond all calculation, unless
soon checked bv the restriction stated.