The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-12-17

all revenue receipts.
In some of its details, not involving its
general principles, the system is defect.
tive, and it will require modification
These defects, and such amendments as
are deemed important, were set forth in
the last annual report Of the Secretary Of
the Treasury. These amendments are
again recommended TO the early and ia.
vorable consideration Of Congress.
During the past year. the coinage at
the mint and its branches has exceeded
twenty millions Of dollars. This has con-
sisted chiefly in converting the coins Of
foreign countries into American coin.
The largest amount of foreign coin i'm.
ported has been received at New York;
and if a branch mint were established at
that city, all the foreign coin received at
that port could at once be converted into
our own coin, without the expense, risk
and delay Of transporting it to the mint
for that purpose, and the amount recoin-
ed would be much larger.
Experience has proved that foreign
coin, and especially foreigngold coin, will
not circulate extensively as currency a.
mong the people. The important meas
ure Of extending our specie circulation,
both Of gold and silver, and Of diffusing it
among the people, can only be effected
by converting such foreign coin into A.
merican coin. lrepeat the recommends.
ton contained in my last annual mess,
age for the establishment of branch OF
the mint of the United States at the city
of New York.
All the public lands which had been
surveyed and were ready for market
have been proclaimed for sale during the
past year. The quantity offered and to
be offered for sale, under proclamalions
issued since the first of January last, a
mounts to nine million one hundred and
thirty-eight thousand FIVE hundred and
thirty.one acres. The prosperity of the
Western States and territories in which
these lands lie will be advanced by theil
speedy sale. By Withholding them from
market, their growth and increase Of
population would be retarded, while
thousands of our enterprising frontier
population would be deprived of the OPP
portunity of securing freeholds for them
selves and their families. But in addi-
tion to the general considerations which
rendered the early sale of these lands
proper, it was leading object at this
time to derive as large sum as possible
from this source, and thus diminish, by
that amount, the public loan rendered
necessary by the existaace of foreign
war.
1t is estimated that not less than ter
millions OF acres of the public lands vii
be surveyed and be in a condition TO be
proclaimed for sale during the year 1918
In my last annual message I presented
the reasons which, in my Judgment, rem
dered it proper to graduate and reduce
the price of such Of the public lands al
have remained unsold for long periods
after they had been offered for sale a
public auction.
Many millions of acres of public land
lying within the limits of several Of the
western States have been offered in tht
market, and been subject to sale at pri
vaie entry for more than twenty years
and large quantities for more than thirt
years, at the lowest price prescribed b.
the existing laws, and it has been foun'
that they will not command that price
They must remain unsold and uncultiva
ted for an indeinate period, unless the
price demanded for them by the govern
ment shall be reduced No satisfactor,
reason is perceived why they should b'
longer held at rates above their real val
ue. At the present period an additiona
reason exists for adopting the measur,
recommended. When the country i
engaged in foreign war, and we mus
necessarily resort to loans, it would seen
to be the dictate of wisdomthat we shoulc
avail ourselves Of all our resources, ant
thus limit the amount of public in
debtedness to the lowest possible sum
recommend that the existing laws OIL
the subject of pre-empuon rights b.
amended and modifedso as to operat,
prospectively, and to embrace all VIII
may settle upon the public lands ant
make Improvements upon them before
they are surveyed, as we'll as afterwards
in all cases where such settlements ma,
be made after the Indian title shall have
been oxtinguished.
If the right of pre-emption be thu
extended, it will embrace large ant
meritorious class of our citizens. 1t will
increase the number ofsmal freeholder
upon our borders, who will be enabled
thereby to educate their children ant
otherwise improve their condition, Will,
they will be found at all times, as the,
have ever proved themselves to be, ii
the hour of danger to their country, a
mong our hardest and best volunteer sol
diers, ever ready to tender their service
in cases of emergency, among the last t
leave the fields as long as an enemy re
mains 10 be encountered. Such polio
will also impress these patriotic pionee
emigrants with deeper feelings of graft
tudefor the parental care of their gov
enment, when they find their dearest in
terests secured to them by the permaner
laws of the land, and that they are II
longer in danger of losing their home
and hard-earned improvements by beinl
brou0ht info cornnetition with n NOR