The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-07

to develan lbs great resources; and il will i'll
me Of the blessings ofthis great measure that II
Contribute 10 It's increase without npairRg the best
interests OF other portions of the coniederacy. Then
ae would ask IL II was not the grossest injustice 10
adhere 10 system, the direct tendency of which was
70 check. emigration arid settlement in the new
States Was IL not suicidal To the best interests Of
the country
But the new States have another interest at stake
which appeals strongly TO The msgnanimity Of this
government in behalf OF this measure; and that
Is AN interest which almsst as deeply concerns the
whole eonfedeucy as the new States And that
vas their interest IN bringing these lands into gene
raj occupancy and cultivation, 80 that they might
yield revenue In support Of the government. I'm
der the present system The public lands are not
taxed and the States in which they lie, and from
the labor of whose citizens they derive value can
exact no revenue from them In the hands OF indi-
vidnais they would be taxable, and liable to be
made, like other lands, tributary to the support and
Improvement Of the State. Missouri, one of the
richest States in the Union, contains about forty
three millions Of acres, less than one-fourth of
which has been sold, and upon which taxes are
raised for the support Of the whole government
Those that have been sold have to some extent
been culei which lessons the chances of the sale Of
the balance, while rule is continued upon US by
which all must come up 10 the standard ma ximum
OF The best and half century may elapse before
another fourth shall, by becoming individual prop
erty, and productive, be the subject Of taxation for
the support Of the State. This bIl he was perfect
ly aware, did not afford an immediate remedy for
all this but il held out the bright hope Of an ut-
mate remedy, 6y putting the lands in market at a
iair value Wa there anything in this that mil
itated against the sternes principles Of justice Did
not, on the contrary, equal and exact justice i'm
peraivey demand the measure That the soil of
State the true representative OF its wealth, ought
contribute 10 It's support, sound political maxim
which no statesman would controvert. And yet,
a w n fact h.. - L..
States OF this eonfedsracy. A very small portion
OF their soil contributes 20 the support Of their gov
emments This was radically wrong; and il was
wrong likely TO continue, unless relief was found in
the just and equitable principle Of reduction and
graduation.
Having presented the policy and the justice Of this
measure, he would now proceed briefly to examine
the objections usually taken 10 il, and endeavor
expose their fallacy.
In the first place then, il has been objected to as
sre'enue measure, upon the grounds that the rev.
enue arising from the public lands would fall short
under the operation Of this BILL In answer TO this
objection, he might content himself by referring to
the very able report Of the Secretary Of the Treas
ury at the opening Of Congress- where the very re-
verse Is triumphantly maintained. He recommends
this reduction OF the price OF public lands TO actual
Settlers as measure by which s'the public inter
ests would be promoted and the revenue augment
ed" And again, in late able Communication of
his in answer to the Senate resolutions in relation
to the finances, uses the folio wing emphatic LAM
guage upon the subject Of the public lands:
1T believed also that the reduction aud graduation OF
the price Of the public lands in aSor Of settlers and Guilt
vstors In your message Of December last
would make annual addition Of haHs million OF dollars
acres Of the public domain Which wholly 6nsaesSio at
the present minimum price established by law"
A half million Of additional revenue deriyable
from this source. and no man who has taken the
he thala
timacy Of his conclusions.
II is but fair calculation that what you reduce in
price, would be 30 much more augmented by in
creased sales, that the land revenue instead Of be-
ing reduced BY the operation Of this system, would
in reality be enlarged. The best evidence that the
land is held too high, is the limited demand, and
that is an evil not likely TO decrease, but rather
increase under The present system. For as the
lands become more culed, there will be less demand
at this standard unvaIying price. The whole sales
for the last year was less than two millions Of acres
while the amount in market is 1873, 900 900 of acres,
and los, 900 more ready TO be brought into
market--and some seven hundred millions more to
operate upon for the future. Taking the sales of
last year as the criterion for the future, and how
long will it take .. 70 dispose Of the lands al
the other lands to which the Indian title is already
extnguished, (being one hundred and nine millions
more, at the same rate Of sales,) it would take Que
hundred and twenty years. And the sales Of lnsi
year are ABOVE an annual average. In tho mean
time the population is doubling about every twenty
FIVE years. The sales do not Increase with the pop
uation, which Is the creation of natural and legit-
mate demand-but vary with the value of money
being greater to-day and less tomorrow, as money
is plenty or scarce, demonstrating that it is the
price that constitutes the check upon the purchase.
In the last ten years the population has increased
40 per cent, whilst the land sales within the same
period have been constantly decreasing, What il
the cause Of this, if 1t is not in the exorbitant
price And what is the remedy Remove the
evil reduce the price, and the increased sales will
more than compensate for the reduction, and in
crease the actual revenue. No can doubt this
fact who has taken an impartial survey of the past
The population increasing with unexamped rapid
ty, and the land sales decreasing during the same
period, must demonstrate to the most sceptical that
the proportionate number Of land propretors is
daily decreasing in the country. This would be in
comprehensive IN a country which, by regular
process of sales, could scarcely dispose of her pub
he lands IN three centuries TO occupants and cutiva
tors, but for the restraining policy Of the present
system, which, If It does not amount to prohibi-
ton, certainly forms great check upon sales; and
every check upon sales must diminish the revenue
arising from that Open the door to this ar
my of non-proprietors who have been accumualing
for fifty years, by offering to make them free, indie
pendent proprietors of the soil, at price within
their means to command, and it requires no spirit
Of prophecy to foretel the result. They would rush
in millions from their dependant condition tenants
purchase your lands swell your revenues from tina,
source, subdue the forests in their march, make the
wilderness blossom the rose, and free cultiva
tors Of their own soil, would spread wealth, happi-
ness, and prosperity around them. From your
abundance that may lie useless for centuries tell the
hardy citizen, whose energies palsied by power
~, whose snews are taxed to their utmost tension
to secure bread and meat for his family, that forty
dollars would buy him plantation in the rich soil
Of the West that would pour forth abundance as
the reward of his industry and he would acquire i,
pour it into your treasury, and to himself an
independent, prosperous, and happy home. Such,
he believed, would be the happy workings Of the
system Of reduction, even upon the revenue
Mr.. REID inquired if the State of Missouri had
sold her FIVE hundred thousand grant which
she received under the distribution law for price
less than one dollar and quarter per acre.
Mr.. BOWLIN replied that she had done better
with II than sell it. She had by a solemn act other
convention, donated it to the Of public schools
She had consigned i TO the noble and generous pur-
pore ofeducating her youth.
Mr.. VfNTON interposed and said, under the law