Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-07-29
Graduation Of the Price Of the Public Lands.

son, Atherton, Bagby, Barrow Benton
Breese, Calhoun, Cameron, Cass, Chal-
mers, Dickson, Dix, Fairfield, flanagan,
Houston, Johnson, of Maryland, Lewis,
Pennvbacker. Rusk, Sempe. Sewer, Tur-
new, Westcott, and Yulee--26.
NAys-Messers Archer, Cilley, Thomas
CLAYTON, John NJ. Clayton, Corwin, Davis,
DAYTON, Evans, Greene, Huntington, JAR
naGin. MiIIar, Morehead, Pearce, Phelps,
Simmons, Uphan and Woodbridge-ls.
The signs appear in favor of the pas
sage of The bill through the House with
out material amendment. This subject is
so interesting to our readers, that we take
this the earliest opportunity of spreading
the bill before them. 1t is as follows:
A BILL to reduce and graduate the price of the
public lands, and for other purposes, viz:
Be ii enacted by The Senate and House
Of Representatives. ofthe United States of
America an Congress assembled. That all
public lands which shall have been offer
ed for sale ten years or more on the first
day of March, eighteen hundred and forty
seven, shall thereafter be subject to entry
al one dollar per acre until the first day
of March, one thousand eight hundred and
fifty; all then remaining unsold, shall be
subject TO entry at seventy cents per acre
until the first day of March, one thousand
eight hundred and fifty three; and all then
remaining unsold, shlll be sub ect to entry
at fifty cents per acre until the first day of
March, one thousand eight hundred and
fifty.six; when they shall be subject to en-.
try at twenty five cents per acre until the
first day of March, one thousand eight hun
dred and flty.nine.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That
all public lands which, after the first day of
March, one thousand eight hundred and
torty-seven, shall have been offered for
sale ten years or more on the first DAY of
March, one thousand eight hundred aud
fifty, shall then be subject TO graduation,
and entry; in like manner and at like Pc
RODS of three years; and that all public
lands which shall have been offerd for sale
ten years or more at the next succeeding
period or any subsequent one, shall be SUBJ
ject in like manner to graduation, and en-
try, at like periods of three years as they
consecutively occur: Provided, That no
one person, under the provisions of this
act, shall be authorized to purchase more
than one section at the two lowest rates of
fifty and twenty-five cents per acre.
Sec. 3. And be 1t further enacted, That
upon every reduction in the prices of said
lands which shall take place by the gradu-
ating process of this act, the occupants or
settlers upon any of the said lands shall
have the right of presumption at such grad
uated or reduced prices, which right shall
extend to period of six months from and
after the dates at which the respective
graduatons shall take place; and any land
not entered by the respective occupants or
settlers within that period, shall be liable
to be entered or purchased by any other
person until the next graduation or reduc-
ton in price shall take place, when il shall,
if not previously purchased, be again SUBJ
iect to the right of presumption for six
months, as before, and so on from time to
time as said reduction shall take place;
PrOridCd, That nothing in this act CON
tained shall be construed to interfere with
any right which has accrued or may &C.
crue by virtue of any act granting pre-
emptions to actual settlers upon the public
lands.
Sec. 4. And be 1T further enacted, That
all acts and parts of acts as provided for an
exemption from the imposition of taxes up-
on land sold by the United States for five
years from and after the day of sale, be,
and the same are hereby repealed.
This is general law, and its prov.
sions, we do not doubt, will be in the main
satisfactory to the new States. Here in
Mississippi we must still appeal, and hope
for special Legislation to meet the exigen-
cies of our peculiar case. We want a
Jaw to place in market Immediately the
vast unsoId and unsettled public domain
within our limits, al some cheap rate. The
Government might in a few months Tin all
probability realize 25 cents per acre for
the extensive tracts of land ia the piney
woods region of the State, whereas, il
the period of graduation were prOtracted a
hundred years, no greater amount would
in the end be received. The same thing
may be said OF by far the larger part OF the
public lands in the Chickasaw counties
and indeed of the lands in all parts of the
State. The best interests of Mississippi
require that these lands should be speedl-
ly sold. We believe the facts can be placed
before congress in such light (their
true condition) that special act would be
adopted to apply to our case and advance
our welfare. MissiSsPPaGn.
Mr.. BUcHANAN.-TbeW Washington cor
respondent of the Louisville Democrat
has the following remarks respecting Mr.
buchanan and his future Whereabouts:
Buchanan, it is now certain, will re-