Democratic banner., 1847-12-27
TcoNcIupED FROM 4rH rAcE.1

reyed and were ready for market, have
been proclaimed for sale during the past
year. The quantity offered and TO be offer
ed for sale, under the proclamation issued
since the first OF January last, amounts to
9,l3S, 53l acres.
The prosperity Of the western states and
territories in which thos- lands lie, will bc
enhanced by their speedy sales~By withhold
ing them from the market. their growth and III
crease of population would be retarded, and
thousands OF our enterprising and meritnrion>
frontier population would be deprived Of Tie OF
portunity OF securing ireehOlis fur themselves
and families. But in addition TO the general
considerations which render tie really S.ie Of
these Lanls proper, it is a leadins object. al thu
time, to realize as large 4 sum as possible ircnnI,
this source, and thus diminish, By that amouni
the public loans, rendered necessary BY the cx-
istence of a foreign war.
1t is estimated that not less than ten mill
ions of acres Of public lands viii be sur
veyed andbe in a conditional he-roclaiih-
ed for sale during the year 1918.
In my last annual message | presented
the reasons which, in my Judgment, rem
dered it proper {" graduate and reduce the
price of such Of the public lands as have
remained unsold for a long period after
thew have been offered for sale at public
auction.
Many millions of acres Of public lands,
lying within the limits of several of the
western states, have been offered in the
market and have been subject TO sale a!
private entry fer more than twenty years,
and large quantities for more than thirty
years, at the lowest price prescribed by the
existing laws, and as it has been found that
they will not command that price, they
must remain unsold for thirty years, and un-
cultivated for an indefinite period, unless
the price demanded by the government
Shall be reduced. No satisfactory reason
is perceived why they should longer be
held at rates above their real value. At
this period an additional reason exists for
adopting the measure recommended
When the country is engaged in q foreign
war, and we must necessarily resort TO
loans, it would seem 10 be the dictate Of
wisdom that we should avail ourselves of
all our resources, and thus limit the amount
of the public Indebtedness to the lowest
possible suIn.
Recommend that the existing laws on
the subjectof p~re-emption rights be amend
ed so as TO operate p,ospcctirely, and TO
embrace all who may settle upon the pub
lie lands and make improvements upon
them before they are surveyed, as vel! as
lands in all cases where such settlement
may be made after the Indian title shall
have been extinguished.
If the right Of pre-emption be thus ex-
tended, it will embrace a large and r~nerito-
riouS class of our citizens-it will increase
the number of small free holders upon our
borders, who will be enabled thereby TO
educate their children, and otherwise i'm
prove their condition, while they will al
ways be found, in the hour Of danger 70
our country, among the best Of our v0lun-
teer soldiers, ever ready to tender their
services in cases of emergency, and the
last to leave the field as long as an enemy
remains to Ue encountered. Such a policy
will also impress these pioneer cmigrants
with deeper feelings If gratitude 10 the
parental care Of their goreI"~ont. when
they fad their dearest interest secr-'a'iu,
them by the permanent, L'-h danger oil
- e. H.. and hard earned i'm.
an. 40 BY being brought into compe-I
tition with a more wealthy class of pur-
chaSers at the land sales.
The attention of Congress was invited at
their last, and ia again at their present ses-
sion, to the Importance OF establishing al
territorial government over our posscssionsi
in Oregon, and it is to be regretted that
there was no Legislation upon the subject.
Oar citizens who inhabit ilat distant re-
gion Of country, are still left without the
protection of our laws or any regular or
gauized government. Before the question
of limits and boundaries Of the Territory
Of Oregon was definitely settled, from the
necessity Of tl.eir condition, the citizens Of
that territory had erected a temporary gov
ernnent Of their own. Besides the want
Of legal authority for continuing such a
government: it is wholly inadequate TO pro-
tect them in their rights OF person and
property, or TO secure TO them the ~privile- {
ees and eujnymeats Of Other citizens, TO
which either are entitled under tie Consti-
tuition of the United States. They should
have the right of suffrage-be represented &
in a territorial Legislature, and by q dele
gate lis Congress, possess the rights and f
which citizens of the ULited q,
States have heretofore enjoyed, or may now,
enjoy. Oar judicial system, revenue, laws. !