Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-01-14

rate account ofihe school land in the Chick.
asaw counties, and be used for that pur-
pose, and no other.
J Whether the State should grant pre-
empuons TO settlers on the five hundred
thousand acres Of her lands. is question
on which defer TO the superior judgment
of the Legislature; and whilst do not re-
commend il, | shall not feel at liberty to
withhold my asseniy il the Legislature, on
mature consideration, deem it right, espe-
cially if proper estimate is placed on the
value of the land, and care is taken to
exact prompt and rigid payments from pre-
emptors. The State should adhere as
closely as possible TO the cash system =
My experience has been that the less she
deals with the citizens on credit, the
better for both parties.
The acquisition oil Texas, and the tide
Of emigration to that country, together
with prevailing mania among planters
to embark in the production of sugar,
must of necessity depress the value OF
the cotton lands in this State for years to
come. Should the Legislature contrary
to what / think is the policy of the State
determine TO hurry these lands into mar
ket, | recommend that they be classed in
to first, second, third and fourth classes,
and offered at public sale on due notice,
at minimum of two, four, six and eight
dollars per acre, for cash; or else, that the
whole be offered at a minimum of eight
dollars the acre, and the price be reduced
to seven dollars the first year thereafter, to
six the second, and so on, down to one dol
lar and twenty five cents per acre.
When 1t is recolIected that these lands
have been selected in small bodies and
with great care. and that they are now the
best uncnltiVated cotton lands east of The
Mississippi river, it will appear, think,
that these prices are not too high. 1t is
certain that they will command such pri-
ces alter few years. The sales being
over, an office should be opened, and the
lands not disposed of at the general bid.
ding, should be offered at private entry.
and at thesPfices just stated At whatev-
er;ime ane at whatever price the lands
are sold, letrenuousIy urge upon the LIE.
gisiatuEe 3 order them sold for cash only
and thai the frst proceeds ia reimbursing
to the The treasury the amonnt of money
expendek in locating them.
SeIliAg on a credit will encourage com
binatons 20 buy on speculation, and if the
speculalions fail, as they most liksly will
the State will find herself harrassed l"i'h
muItitudes of perplexing law suits, in most
Of which she will be unsuccessful: aud III
the end the good debrs will be sunk IN
frutless efforts to collect those which are
bad. AS familiar examples may cite the
sinking fund, The seminary fund, and the
Jackson town LOT fund.
LRvnH on MrssIssIrrr RIVER
The projected levee on The east bank OF
the Mississippi river, commencing at the
Tennessee line, and terminating at the
mouth OF The YaZOO, is a work % which
invite your attention. The question Of It's
practIcabilIty is placed beyond question by
the report of the Typographical Engineer.
submitted to the Legislature in 1914 -
He estimated the cost at S9S,6S3 H.
This will be found, apprehend, too small
sum; but if the cost should be twice
even thrice that amount, the sum would
then not be commensurate with the value
and importance oil the improvement. When
two or more parties are jointly interested
in the completion of work. it should be
constructed by their joint effprts The
State of Mississippi has five hundred thou
sand acres of land small portion OF which
is now subject to overflow, and would be
protected by the levee. She has macI
larger quantity which would be appreciate
ed IN value by its construction, because i
would render access to The Mississippi ri
yer easy, safe and expeditions.
The United States has about one mil
lion of acres in like condition, except tha
much larger proportion is subject 10 in
undation; much OF it TO great depth, ant
always at the season of the year which I,
the planter is Indispensable. The land
are therefore without value. 1t is scarcely
10 be donbted, if Congress was accuralel
informed as to the present condition 4
these lands, and what would be their w0rtI
if rescued from overflow, liberal and en-
Iightened policy would be pursued 1t
therefore advisable to lay the facts in a
authentic form before Congress, and as
her to relinqnish for that special object a
ternates sections.of all unsold lands On tn
east side of The Mississippi river, as f.
back as the hills. and between the Chick
asaw line and the mouth of the Yazoo r
yer. This may occasion some delay
commencing the work, but il is vastl
more important that works like this shol
be properly done, and b, the proper pa
ties, than that they should be done expo
ditiously. The benefits which individual
owning lands on the margin of the rive
will derive from the completion Of tn
work, will justify the State in calling G
them to make contribution.