The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-03-30

man TO find permanent home upon his own soil, and its
nstce IN grading the price to the quality were principles
that rendered much deaer TO him than It's mere revenue
quality. As a revenue measure il might change, and
probably would change with the varying condition of the
treasury that called IT into eyistence but, as system
founded IN mmutabe principles OF right and justice, once
begun ITS progress was onward and perpetual Its bene-
hcal results would so rapidly develop its entire utility,
both as to revenue and sound national policy that he
confidently believed that statesman would for mo-
ment contemp late returning to the old system.
But before he proceeded to closer investigation oil
the principles involved in the bill, he desired to call the
attention OF the committee to provision of the bill
which should be amended he alluded to the limitation of
the graduation principle The bill provides that it is to
ring the lear, and months thereafter The effect Of
this provislon fixing uncertain limitation upon the
operation OF the bill, would be destroy confidence in
man, he presumed who voted for this b and advanced
the standard of the liberal principles contained in it,
contemplated turning back to an exploded sysems and
IN the success OF the experiment. that he had but little
apprehension of its being effected by limitations. He
therefore p regarded it. in that aspect as useless append
age But there was something in the very idea of such
limitations that was calculated to destroy the public
dence as to thepeanency OF the SYSTEM and he hoped
1t would be stricken out The amount of public lands
which by this bill would be brought under the graduation
principle would in all probability be exhausted long be-
lore the limitation applied but whether not he thought
it would be sound policy risk the reduction on that
much without restrictions tme in ord er to give the
operation of this principle fair test
The Secretary of the Treasury, in his finance report,
revenue measure opens that branch of the argument with
the following beautiful picture of Its probable conse-
quences. He says:
SIN with the finances the suggestions made
in my last annual report in regard 10 the reduction and
graduation Of the prices OF the public land in favor of SET
consideration of Congress, a certain augment
ing the The public lands subject to sale at
acres portion of which, long in market, wholly
unsaleabe NJ existing rates. but would if reduced and
graduated find many purchasers at lower rates Tue sales
in the Chickasaw cession, in the States of Alabama Mis-
sssppi and Tennessee, establish the fact that the a,pca
augmens the proceeds of the sales. The addition ) the
wealth of the nation in the augmented value of these la nd
as well as the crops that have been already raised pom
Them cannot be less than thirty millions Of dollars THIS
district having been sold for the benefit of the Chckaaw
the only one OF the land districts in the new States %
which the principle oil reduction and graduation has been
applied and the result has proved the beneficial effects
this great measure both OF augmenting the
nue. and increasing the public welfare"
And again, in another part Of his able report, he not
only reeraes the assertion that the operation of the
graduation principle would increase the revenue but fol-
lows it up with an estimate OF the probable amount from
half to million OF dollars, the increased income
| He again says:
"fa graduation bin, in the form in which passed the
Senate its return from the House during the last
should become law Il would increase the revenue from
per and if adopted together with the proposed du
eighteen millions Of dollars IT. However, the principle Of
graduation applied to the Chckasaw adopted
regards all the public lands il would increase for many
years the from that source, proved by the
presented in the table before referred several millions OF
dollars per annuln' w. as.-.ta
These, sir the views of the able Secretary of the
Treasury, whose peculiar province it look to the
finances OF the country 1t was not only the opinion OF
statesman high in the confidence OF his country but the
official avowa of the officer whose position enabled him
to survey the whole ground It was not merely opn
ion based upon abstract principles of political science,
but fortified and sustained by facts and figures derived
frop actual experience He had here told Them in Ian
guage not TO be mistaken that the lands long market
would not sell at existing prices; that upon reduction
they would and invited their attention precedent that
sustained him fully He had here further told them that
the effect would be an increase OF revenue from half to
a million OF dollars-a small estimate, compared with
the results produced from the sale of the Chickasaw
son. to which he had successfully referred to sustain
his position
The advocates OF the graduation system have had, here
tofOre, to discuss If upon mere principles OF political sci
ence, without the lights of actual experience, and rely
upon and justice alone to support their cause But
he congratulated the friends of the measure with the
assurance that its principles had been tested by system
of reduction five times rapid that contemplated In
this BILL and with the most glorious results The Chick
cesson, alluded to by the Secretary OF the Treas
ury, was brought into market for the benefit OF the lnd
ans, upon the principle OF reduction and graduation and
the terms which it was sold was, for the first year.
81 IS for the second year, 81 for the third year, so
cents for the fourth year, i2l cents. The amount
thus brought into market was 43lG,920 acres, near
y seven thousand square miles-an amount of territory
larger than of the States OF this Union The ag-
gregate sales of ten years under this rapid standard
of graduation 1851 300 acres; purchase money 49,
25i,449 general average prce IS 25 cents Here they
behed in the short space OF ten years, nearly the whole
tract sold, and at fair and liberal average price. Now
he called upon gentlemen TO contrast this rapid sale with
the sales under the old system and whether the bal
is not, in naked money point of view largely
in favor of the graduation system The sales of this
| cession averaged about ten per cent per annum
upon the gross amount. They had in market, sur
veyed and ready for entry under the old SYSTEM about
one hundred and forty millions of Out of this, the
annual average sales did not exceed three millions of dol
lars, about two per cent upon the aggregate amount
showing difference of from two to ten per cent upon
sales under the different systems Here the facts in
figures that would not lie Under the present system, at
similar rates, it would have taken fifty years to dis
pose of the Chickasaw cesslon. Let any gentleman en-
ter into calculation upon this basis OF the effect OF the
system upon the revenue, and If he was IN favor OF de-
irving the largest from that source, he would
come out of the investigation advocate OF the system
But he would give the results extract from letter
of the acting commissioner of the General Land Office
(hir Pper) who had made these calculations from
abshed facts; and let gentlemen the mighty probable
effects He says:
In answer the 9Th inquiry To whether any
land district counting loss interest per cent has
realized large OF money have state, that
taking test the aggregate sales OF the land districts in
the State Illinois, after deducting the loss of at
per cent per annum, they have produced such
large of money and that, comparison Instituted
between the Chickaaw up 3h June 1916 and those
market up that date, and computing interest at six per
per the estimated average of extra time
qued for the sale OF equal quantity under the present
SYSTEM it appears that the gain OF the graduating system
would amount, in the whole public domain, to upwards OF
sixty millions of dollars"
| No evidence could be more conclusive Here was a
test of the two systems fairly tried, and the result not
only conclusive measure OF revenue but triumph
anty victorious in favor OF The graduation system With
these lixts before them who was prepared to conrove