Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-19

The 1ncfeese 81 OUT upoet - equsit{ esUns
ssrsd interests ef the tosetry, and tseeiss the
incidental prsssctioa a6cfdsd them " revsnus |
duties; and more than this they cannot justly de.
mand.
! ! In my annual mssssgs Of December last. q ia.
si6 Of revenue dsties bssed spon the principles Of
the existing Law we: recommended: and l have
ssta No sess6n 10 change the opinions then ex.
pressed. In view Of the probable bene6cial cf. |
fsets OF that law, I recommend that the policy
established by II Be maintained. II has but just
con- mnencedt 10 operate; and to abandon or modify
Il wtthost giving Il fair trial. would be inexpe.
dient and unwise. Should defects In aay Of its
details be aseer,ained by aetoai ex perence TO ex.
ist, these may be hereafter ccsrectsd' but until
sue dcfccs shall become manifest, the &C, should
be fhitly tested. "a -sla1sq syaes,' lnou l,iz
II 10 Submitted for your confederation whether
Il may not be proper. - war measure. to i'm.
pose revenue duties on some Of the articles now
embraced in the free list. should Il be deemed
proper 10 impose such duties, with . view 10
raise revenue TO meet the expenses Of the wat
with Mexico, or 10 avoid to that extent the crea.
! tion Of public debt, they may be repealed when
| the emergency which gave riae TO them shall
cease to exist and constitute no part Ct the per.
manent policy Of the country. lge
The act Of the sixth Of August last, ITO pro.
vide for the better organization Of the treasury,
and for the collection, safekeepng. transfer, and
1
carried into execution as rapidly a. the delay ne.
] cessarily arising out Of the appointment Of new
/ officers, taking aud approving their bonds, and
preparing and securing proper places for the
safekeeping Of the public money, would permit.
II 10 not proposed TO depart in any respect from
the principles 81 policy on which this great mes'
sure 10 founded ess f51af
| There are, however. defects in the details Of
| the measure. developed by its practical opera
! tion. which are fully set forth in the report Of
the Secretary Of the Treasury. to which the ct.
tention Of Congress 10 invited. These defects
would impair to some extent the successful orera.
toa Of The law at all times, but are espec 10 iy
/ embarrassing when the country 10 engaged in q
war, when the expenditures ere greatly increa.
sed. when loans are 10 be effected, and the dis.
| bursements are TO be made at points many hun.
drrd miles distant. in some cases, from any de-
positoIy, and large portion Of them in for.ign
country. :'he notifications suggested in the re-.
port Of the Secretary Of the Treasury are recon.
| mended TO your favorabls cons liberation.
In connection with this subject, ! invite your
attention TO the importance Of establishing q
branch Of the mint Of the United States at New
York. Two thirds Of the revenues derived frcu,
customs being collected at that point the demand
for specie 10 ray the duties will be large; and q
branch mint. where foreign coin and bullion
could be immediately converted into American
coin, would greatly facilitate the Transaction oi
4
gold and silver. and be, At the same time, q safe
depository Of the psbe money. .s rss
The imroitaDee Of graduating and redue ing the
price Of such Of the public lands - have beer
} long offered in the market. at the minimum
rate authorized BY existing laws, and remain nm
sold, induces me again to recommend the subject
to your favorable consideration. Many milloni
Of acres Of these lands have been offered in ,bs
market for more than thirty years, and larger
quantities for more than ten or twenty years
and being Of IN inferior quality, they must re-
main unsalesble for IN indefinite period, unles,
The price at which they may be purchased shsl
he reduced. To place price upon them above
their real value 10 not only 10 prevent their sale
and thereby deprive the Treasury ofany income
from ibst source, but il 10 unjust TO the States il
which they lie. because u retsrds their growth
end increase Of population, and because they havs
: no power 10 levy tax upon them a. npon othe
lands within ihrir limits, held by other proprie
tors than the United States. for the support o
their local governments. 9..1a 7re rt -.s q
} The beneficial effects Of the graduaton prinei
ple have been realized by some Of the Stats,
ow ming the lands in their limits. in which it bsl
. been adopted. They have been demonstrated
slso by the United States. aeting - the trnste,
: Of the Chiekataw tribe Of Indians in the sale o
their lands lying within the States Of Mississip
pi and Alabama. The Chickassw lands, whcl
would not command in the market the minimum
/, price established by the laws Of the Unite,
States for the sale OF their lands were, in rnisn
anee Of The trsaty OF 1884 with that tribe snbse
quenily offered for sale a. graduated and reduce,
o rates for limited periods. The result wss, ths
large quantities OF fihrse lands we're purchased
}. which would Otherwise have remained unsold
d The lsnds were disposed Of at their real value
y and many persons Of limited means were enable,
j. 10 purchase snail trseis, upon which they hsv
d ssitled with their families. ..,.' ...
l. That similar results would be rrodue ed by th
o adoption Of the graduation policy by the Unite,
}. States. in ell the States in which they are tn
q owners OF large bodies OF lands which have beel
J. | long in the market, cannot be doubted. II can
not be . sound policy 10 withhold large qusnti
e ties If the public lands from the use and eeenrs
y ion OF ouI eitisens. by fixing upon them price
= which experience hss shown they will no, com
!; msnd On the contrary, II 10 q wise policy 10 ai
. ford facilities 10 our citizens 10 become the own
y ers. ~ low snd moderate rates, Of frseholds O
;. their own, instead Of being the tenants snd de
!. pendants Of o'heTs. II il be spprehsnded tha
:hese lands, IL reduced in price, would be secu
n red in large quantities by srecuators or capita
:, lists, the tales may be restricted, In limite
quantities. 10 setnsl s-it!eIs or persons pn:ehs
!. sing for pnr pose Of cultivation.
]. In my last annual message I submitted for ib
. consideration Of Congress the present system q
}. managing the mineral lands OF the United States
II snc recommended that they should be broash
n into market and seld. upon such terms and unds
;. snch restrictions - Congress might preseribt
By the sei Of the eleventh Of July last. the n
served lrsd mines end contiguous lands in ih
10 States Of Illinois snd AIksnsss. and Terriioris
% OF Wisconsin ard Iowa. /" weie s,thorised to
D. sold. The aet 10 confined. in its operation,
{. lead mines spd rontisuous lsnds."
N A large portion OF the public lands eentsinih
!. copper and other ores 10 represented to BE- vsI