Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-12-15

,,;o.d Ly mis- derartmeni oi imp'siiioh ~ i'aou
ml.n, invoices or false Valuations. II Is iuiy w
,;eyed iha, a system ottalr ana hohesl '",o"'.o'
ran and will be established, by increased ''sf
lance at home and abroad, by making one e"
TOM house and one gel of appraisers cheek upon
,bs .. hsr-,hns establishing uniformity through
on. The Union. and finally subjecling me whoss
10 sup.ryision here, under The immaculate eitec-
ton ana saperncfdence o. th;s departments. II
is believed that the aggregate revenue unuei 'ne
new taliE. exceeding i!a, under he uid, WIZ oe-
mons,ra,e that The government has not ios' ~
,raudulcp, invoices or false valuations uhcel Tue
system o dulics ad yaloruln, aud lhat Tue ui'ies
w,, be collec ed according 10 the actual value I'll
l5s impous; wIich il IS not Preieneed, nor Was u
i signed thai they shou d be under system OF
minimum or specific dulles. IL IS Respectfully
submitted that the new system, SO ust ana tqua'
in a It's PURPOSES should have lair trial. Even
those who oppose ii, from sincere conVielvn
that il is erroneous, ought to desire that il should
be fairly tried. lii tails as they believe, IL can
then b. aband med and The old system restored,
but II the new Tariff succeeds as is The confident
belief OF this depa rt,nent il will be triumph OF
Justice and of equal rights, rejecting the hisnes'
honor on our free institutions.
IL is remarkable that all the able and ph'ioso-
pnical writers OH this great question, bolh III Eu-
fore and America uEconnected WIN parry OF Po-
litics aud Influenced only by regard Tor rum
and the bes, interests of all nations, have long and
faithfully advocated the great doctrine OF Tree
exchanges, even when the practice Of government
was opposed 10 their views; and lhey now envy
the high satisfaction OF seeing what they regarded
as automatic truths Incorporated INTO the pocy o
the TWO greatest powers of the world, and moving
onward 10 The great and final Victory ol uh'Se'Sa'
peace and unrestricted commerce.
A COPY OF the instructions Tor carrying INTO
effect The new tariff is hereto annexed, marked
In connection with the finances, the suggestions
mace in my last animal report, in regard 70 'ns
reduction and graduation Of the prices OF The pup
lie lands in favor OF settlers and cutivaors, are
again respectfully submitted ~ the consideration
Il Congress, as a certain means OF augnenllns
the revenue. The public lands now subject 10
sale at private entry exceed one hundred ana ioi-
" millions OF acres Il vast poriion OF which long
in market is wholly unsaleable al existing rates,
bur would, if reduced and graduated, hnd many
purchasers al lower rates. The sales in The Chick
asaw cessiun in the States OF Alabama, Mlssls-
sippi and Tennessee, establish the fact, that The
application of the principle OF reduction and 8ra-
dualion rapidly augmens The proceeds OF The sales
The addition 10 the wealth OF the nation in the
augmented value OF these lands, as we'll as The
crops that have been already raised upon them
cannot be less than lhiiiy millions oil dollars
This district having been sold for The benefit oil
The Chickasaws, is the only one Of the land dis
,rcts in The new States 10 which The principle q!
reduction and graduation has been applied anu
the result has proved The beneficial effects Of mrs
great measure both as a means ol augmentihS
the revenue and increasing the public welfare
Bya communication from the General Land
Office, hereto annexed (marked K) i, appears tina!
the quantity OF public lands in that cesslon is !,
3I6.925 acres, Of which 1851 300 have been sold.
The average price realized in less than nine years,
up 10 the Both oil June, 1915 was ninely-one cents
per acre; the lands being subject 10 sale BY the
reay The first year al 81 Is per acre, the second
year at 81 per acre. The third ear al fifty cents
per acre. the fourth year al twenty-five cents per
acre, and he fifth and all succeeding years at
twelve and a halt cents per acre. Thus is low
er price, and much more rapid reduction, than
was proposed in regard 10 the public lands; AMI
vet this district in which the sales We re made III
The same manner (excepl the gradualion,) by tie
United States, as other public lands has comman-
lied larger proportional sum in the same period
than any other lard district in the United States
II also appears by the official report from The Com
missioner Of the General Land Office, that u me
whole OF The public lands in each oil The land dis
trc,s. Of the several new States OF The Union hal
been sold within The same period al the same rates,
there would have been saving 10 this govern
men including interest at six per cent. on lis rev.
enne from public lands, of Sol 990,657 But few
ot these lands were purchased for speculation,
tut (as The entries show chiefly BY settlers and
cutivalors, distinguished for enterprise and indus
try, as vel as Tor moral worth and intelligence;
aud whilst contributing largely in money from
The sales, have added many millions OF dollars 10
the aggregate wealth OF the nation, in the improve
ment and cultivation OF those lands. ii gradu
alton BILL in the form in which il passed the Sen
ate on its return from the House, during last sts-
SION should become Il law, il would increase The
revenue from the public lands from hall mil
lion 10 a million OF dollars per annun and, il
adopted, together with The proposed duty on lea
and coffee, The loan might be safely reduced IL
eighteen millions OF dol!aro IT. however, Wr
principle of graduation applied 10 The Chickasaw
cession were adopted as regards all The public
lar t., il would increase Tor many years The rev.
enue from that source, as proved by The dala pre-
seDled in The table before referred 10, several mil
lions of dollars per annnn.
/, is believed that the sales, at the prices redu
ced and graduates, should be confined 10 limited
quantities, sold only icr settlement and culiiva-
lion. In this manner, whilst The aggregate wealth
OF the nation and revenue Of the government are
cap.ly augmented The wages OF labor must be
er anced by aft riding To our working classes and
the Industrious POOR certain means, whenever d
chasing homes for themselves and families, al The
reduced rates 10 be established in relation 10 the
public lands, by The graduation bill.
Some Augmentation OF The revenue might be
produced by removing several onerous reslric
lions in the pre- empton law, and especially by
extending its just and salulary provisions TO The
unsurveyed lands TO which the Indian title has
been exiinguished. BY returns from the General
Land Office up TO The Isl OF November last, il ap-
pears that willis, the surveyed lands not yet OF
tered al public sale, 10 which The presumption
principle now e1ierds, amounted 10 1865. AL
acres the nnsurveyed TO which the Indian title
has been exlinguished, amounted TO 9206O,5I2
acres the opening Of which 10 prc-emplion could
no, fail TO augment The revenue. II would carry
thousands Of settlers upon these lands, in advance
OF the surveys as well as the sales who would de-
sire 10 purchase the farms occupied by them, the
existence of which would give increased value
TO ,ha remaining lands, and largely augment The
proceeds of The sales Whilst The measure would
thus increase the revenue, il would secure homes
10 those enlerprisioS and patriotic settlers who
move in advance into tie wilderness, extending
the blessings OF cigilz iion, diffusing The inin-
ence and advancing the progress OF republican
principles, and soon adding State after State 10
The American Union.
No inconsderable addition could also be made
portion of The public lands containing copper and
other ores, whilst the measure would more rapid
ly Gevelope the resources Ui this valuable Ie-
gion and al the same lime convert into owners
and proprielors those who now occupy The rela-
lion OF tenants 10 the Federal Government as
landlord.
II Congress, al an early period Of The present
session. would impose the proposed duty on lea
and coffee, reduce and graduate The price of the
public lands in favor Of settlers and eul,iva,ors,
extend the presumption system to The unsutveyed
lands 10 which The Indian title has been exlin-
guished, and authorize the sale of that portion
OF the public lands containing copper and other
valuable ores, the loan might safely be reduced
from twealy-;hiee 10 seventeen millions Of dollars
Annexed are copies (marked L OF inslruc-
tons, issued by this department, 10 carry into
efec, The acl OF The 9th OF August last, establish
ing the warehouse system. The large majority
by which this law was passed, and the beneficial
results already accomplished, clearly indicate
that il may be regarded as par, Of the seuled
policy OF the country. That it would have been
more advantageous ii there had been no limit to
a. 49, 80, ro0,lc in he 10