Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-12-17

agent not absolutely required for the puOhc
service by curtailing the expenses of the rev,
enue marine; by introducing more rigid and
perfect system of accountability by classify
ing the expenditures, and arranging them IN
tables under distinct heads; and, above all by
subJectlng them to tie same checks unuer Tue
supervision of the accounting o1hcers OF the
Treasury, as apply to appropriations maze M by
law in regard to which, Congress Will, no
doubt be Guided by that wise and enlightened
economy so important at this time TO the main
tenance of the public credit
The recommendations in my first, as we'll
as nv second annual report, of the reduction
of the price of the public lands in favor of
settlers ane cultivators, together with the re-
moval of onerous restrictions upon the pre-
emption laws, are again respectfully presented
to the consideration of Congress- Sales at the
reduced price, it is thought, should be confin-
ed to settlers and cultivators, in limited guam
titles, sufficient for farms and plantations, and
the pre- emption privilege extended TO every
bona fde settler, and embrace all lands, wheth-
er surveyed or unsurveyed, to which the In
dian title may be extinguished. The lands
remaining subject to entry, at private sale, on
the first of this month, were 1872 101 ,00l acres;
and the unsurveyed lands, to which the Indian
tItlC UGCIl uISlISu. ,UtO3 %4t CClSo,
(per table ~ The adoption of these two
measures, for the reasons stated in my prevl-
Gus reports, would augment the revenue mil
lion and a half OF dollars per annum, operating
as they would on 223, 149 ,215 acres. 1t would
at the same time increase the wages of labor,
by enabling a much larger number of the
working classes TO purchase farms at the low
price, whilst it would at the same time aug
| tho 1roo1tb &c bo W bol n
country. When the public lands have been
offered long time for price they will not
bring, the failure to reduce the price is equiv
alent in its effects to an enactment by Congress
that these lands shall not be sold and settled
for an unlimited period. The case is still,
stronger as to unsurveyed lands, there being
an act of Congress forbidding their sale or
settlement, and denouncing as criminals and
tIespassers the American pioneers who would
desire to enter in advance into the wilderness,
cover itwith farms and towns, with the church
and the ol-house, extend over it the bless
ings of our free institutions, and enlarge by
| the axe and the plough the cultivated area OF
the American Union.
Should the system proposed be now adop-
ted, the surveyed as well as the unsurveyed
lands opened to pre- emption, and the Indian
title extinguished within the coming year, OF
that which succeeds it, in addition to Iowa
and Wisconsin, we should soon have two
new States-Minesota and ltasca-in the
great valley of the west, adjoining Wisconsin
ard Iowa. Instead of draining the old States
of their population, the graduation and pre-.
emptlon system will, in series of years, In
crease their prosperity, by giving them Gus.
toners in the west, who will carry to them
their products, and receive their imports Of
fabrics in exchange, increasing the Transport
tation upon our railroads and canals, and aug
menting our foreign as veil as coastwise ton,
mage. The distribution of the proceeds Of the
sales of these lands Is prevented for at least
90 years, by the act OF the 28th January, 1917
setting apart and pledging these proceeds tC
the extlnguishment of the public debt. Sc
far, also, as distribution may have been advo-
Gated with view to favor protective tariff
II is now proved that a tariff for revenue moi
only yields larger income than the protective
system, but also advances more rapidly in g
series of years the prosperity of the manufac-
turers, by the augmentation of their foreign
and domestic market. Every reason, there.
fore, which has heretofore opposed the reno.
val of all restrictions from the presumption
system, or the reduction and graduation OF
the price of the public lands, having ceased tc
exist, ii is hoped that these measures may re-
ceive, during the present session, the favora
BILE consideration of Congress-
The mineral lands were transferred by Con
gress to this department, by acts of 1st and 81
March, 1847. After obtaining all the infor
nation in my power, the law was carried into
effect by the appointment by me of DR.. G. I
) Jackson, of Boston, to make the geological
survey of the Lake Superior land district il
Michigan, and of DR.. D. D. Owen, of Indiana
to make a similar survey of the Chippewa dis
trict in Wisconsin and northern Iowa. Thu
appointment of agent to collect the rents. &c,
/ by those acts, was conferred by me upon Col
7 onel D. r. NlcNar, of Kentucky, with whom
: was associated General +. J. Roberts, of Mich
5 igan, as assistant. Copies of the nstruc
=, tons which were given by me in April last Il
Z, Messrs. Jackson and Owen, as we'll as to Mr.
t McNair, the agent, and General Roberts, hi
Y assistant, are hereto annexed; and these fou
S gentlemen have all zealously performed thei
= duties. 1t will be perceived that the instruc
e tons given by this department to Messrs Jack
i son and Owen contemplate complete geologi
= cal & Typographical description of this. great re
y gion, together with the barometrical and hygro
# metrical observations,& series of observation
y on the dip & intensity of the needle, as intimate
+ ~ connected with the geological & mineralogi
: cal character of the country, and as leading t
d results interesting to the cause of general sci
: ence. From the preliminary reports alread
e made by Drs. Jackson and Owen, this depart
: ment feels we'll assured that both those ger
d tlemen will fully sustain that high reputatio
: for perilous and laborious exploration of neN
S regions, as we'll as for high scientific attain
II ments, which induced this department to cor
II Ter those appointments upon them. 1t wa
}. my pleasing duty to direct all the geologics
II and neurological specimens obtained in cor
: formity with the act of 10th August, 1916, es
e tablishing the Smithsonian Institution, to b
e deposited with a view to their transfer to Pre-
II fessor Joseph Henry, the secretary thereo
whose great discoveries have contributed S
n large and important an addition to the caus
+ of science, conferred so much honor on th
R his native country, and attracted the admire
r ton and applause of the distinguished men en-
d gagged in scientific pursuits in every portion {
Y the globe. The country being surveyed a
: bounds in mineral wealth, and especially i
# copper; and when the mines shall become tn
: property of Individuals and the adjacent land
II settled and cultivated so as to unite ther
:, cheaper subsistence with more abundant IL
. Dor, it is believed that this great region. occu
It plying position nearly central between tn
II Atlantic and the Pacific, must become an in
d portant portion of our country. Much tim
S and labor were devoted to the preparation {
+ these instructions, calling to my aid the yer
: able and efficient Commissioner of the Gene