Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-12-16

S rapidly as the delay necessarily arising Iof
ut Of the appointment ofnew officers, taxi pc
,g and approving their bonds, and prepar- pc
lg and securing proper places for the safe pl
eeping of the public money, would permit. lie
t is not proposed to depart in any respect SC
rom the principles or policy on which this in
reat measure is founded. There are, how SO
yer, defects in the details of the measure, la
eyeloped by its practical operation, which Of
re fully set forth in the report Of the Sec re
etary Of the Treasury, to which the atten- 81
ion Of Congress is invited. These defects ie
would impair to some extent the successful o.
operation of the law at all times, but are tt
especially embarrassing when the country r'
IS engaged in war, when the expenditures tc
are greatly increased, when loans are to be IL
effected and the disbursements are to be r
made at points many hundred miles dis n
tant, in some cases, from any depository, o
and a large portion of them in foreign
country. The notifications suggested in t
the report Of the Secretary Of the Treasury S
are recommended to your favorable con- n
sideration. t
In connection with this subject, l inv ite
your attention to the Importance of estab-
fishing branch of the mint Of the United {
States at New York. Two-thirds Of the
revenue derived from customs being collect
ed at that point, the demand for specie to
pay the duties will be large; and branh
mint, where foreign coin and bullion could
be Immediately converted into American
coin, would greatly facilitate the transac-
ton of public business, enlarge the circula-
, ton Of gold and silver, and be, at the same
time, safe depository of the public money.
) The Importance of graduating and re-
ducing the price of such Of the public lands
as have been long offered in the market,
: at the minimum rate authorized by the ex-
y isting laws, and remain unsold, induces me
n again to recommend the subject to your
II favorable consideration. Many millions
ofacres ofthese lands have been offered in
: the market for more than thirty years, and
u larger quantities for more than ten or TWEEN
Il ty years,& being Of an inferior quality, they
IS must remain unsaleable for an indefinite
u period, unless the price at which they may
II be purchased shall be reduced. To oplace q
n price upon them above their real value is
o not only to prevent their sale, and thereby
deprive the Treasury of any income from
q that source, but is unjust to the States ir
}. which they lie, because it retards theil
d growth and increase Of population, and be-
!, cause they have no power to levy tax
IL upon them as upon other lands within their
II limits, held by other proprietors than the
J. United States, for the support Of their local
IS governments.
: The beneficial effects of the graduation
:, principle have been realized by some OF
the States owning the lands within their
: limits, in which it has been adopted. They
have been demonstrated also by the United
: State acting as the trustee of the Chickasaw
, tribe of Indians in the sale of their lands
lying within the States of Mississippi and
Alabama. The Chickasaw lands, which
would not command in the market the
, minimum price established by the laws of
, the United States for the sale of their lands,
were in pursuance of the treaty Of 1884
with that tribe, subsequently offered for sale
at graduated and reduced rates for limited
periods. The result was, that large quantities
+, ofthese lands were purchased, which would
, otherwise have remained unsold The lands
were disposed Of at their real value, and
, many persons oflimited means were enabled
e to purchase small tracts, upon which they
Q have settled with their families. That sim.
liar results would be produced by the adop-
II ton Of the graduation policy by the United
J, States, in all the States in which they are
/ the owners Of large bodies of lands which
I have been long in the Market cannot be
I; doubted.
S 1t cannot be sound policy 10 withhold
y large quantities of public lands from the
!. use and occupation of our citizens, by fix
. ing upon them prices which experience has
t shown they will not command On the con-
trary, it is wise policy to afford facilities
to our citizens to become the owners, at low
and moderate rates, of freeholds of their
own, instead Of being the tenants and depen-
: dants Of others. If it be apprehended that
t these lands, if reduced in price, would be
S secured in large quantities by spectators
or capitalists, the sales may be restricted,
in limited quantities, to actual settlers or
persons purchasing for the purposes of
cultivation.
In my last annual message | submitted
for the consideration Of Congress the pres
ent system of managing the mineral lands
, of the Uuited States, and recommended that
3 they should be brought into market and
: sold, upon such terms and under such re-
0 strictions as Congress might prescribe. By
' the act of the eleventh of July last, the re-
It served lead mines and contiguous lands
l. in the States of Illinois and Arkansas, and
l. Territories Of Wisconsin and Iowa. were
authorized to be sold. The act is confined
d in its operation, to lead mines and contig-
IS GUS lands
i A large portion Of the public lands con-
;, tanning copper and other ores is represent
Il ed to be very valuable, and recommend
y that provision be made authorizing the sale
Of these lands, upon such terms and condi-
n tons as their supposed value may, in the
y Judgment of Congress, be deemed advisable,
9 having due regard to the interests of such
n ri h,1a i p.