Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1850-12-26
From the New York Tribune,
The Pub,s. Lands.

nals-the Annual Report OF the
Commissioner of the U. S. Genera
Land Office, embodying facts of great
public interest and suggesting consid
eraiions of the gravest moment
To some of these facts and consider
ations we will now invite the atten.
ton OF our readers.
The total area of the Public Do
main of the United States is at this
moment over One Thousand Million:
of Acres. The States and Terrific
ries which embrace this Domain
/ have an aggregate area Of over Six
teen Hundred Millions OF Acres,
but much Of this area is covered by
grants Of former Governments TO in
dividuaIs or missions, and still more
by sterile mountains, lakes and irre-
claimabIe deserts. We think One
thousand Millions of Acres fair es-
innate for the aggregate Of arabic
lands this day belonging TO the Uni
ted States. The Government has
paid for such Lands little over
Sixty Millions in all, and has expen-
ded in surveying and selling them
about Fifteen Millions more, leaving
net profit on Land Accounts OF
Sixty Millions Of dollars received
and disbursed for general uses up 10
this date. Beside this, il has parted
with some Millions of Acres for
Military Bounties, &C., and granted
some Millions more in aid Of Canals,
Railroads, Schools, &C., &c. But,
beyond all these, it has wrung Sixty
Millions of Dollars from the neces-
sites of the mainly poor men who
have cleared away the forests, broken
up the prairies and encountered the
fevers Of pioneer life--or rather, il
has taken that sum 10 itself, while
enabling spectators who bought in
advance of settlement to wiring prob
ably One Hundred and Fifty
Millions from the actual settlers who
chose 10 buy of them rather than
plunge deeper into the trackless will
derness. And of the Thousand
Million Acres which it has still un-
sold, some Hundred and Fifty Mil
lions are now surveyed, mapped and
ready for sale. while still larger
area has been cleared of the Abort
ginal title.
Hitherto the Public Lands have
been sold at a dollar and a quarter,
while the entire cost OF buying off
the Indians, surveying and selling,
has been less than twenty-five cents
per acre. But a new corner has
been turned since the Mexican War.
The prodigal grants Of quarter-sec-
tions to all the soldiers in that War
land the number of claimants Of such
grants already exceeds seventy-6ve
thousand-nay, over seventy-five
thousand warrants have already is
sued to such claimants, leaving still
more to come e)-with the correspon-
ding grants in furtherance of every
description Of good and bad project,
have compelled the Land Commis-
sioner 10 send in a Flemish account
OF the recent operations Of his Bu-
reau-or rather, OF their Financial
results. Five Millions Of Acres
we're disposed of in lS4S, but the
Treasury received only Two Mil
ions Six Hundred Thousand Dollars
therefor, or a little over fifty cents
or each acre alienated, from which
leduct twenty cents per acre for
and The balance is meager
indeed. In IS49, over Five Millions
IF Acres were disposed Of. but the
Treasury received from all but One
Million Seven Hundred and Fifty
Thousand Dollars, or little over
thirty cents per acre; and in the
irst three quarters of 1850, nearly
Three Millions of Acres have been
and only Eleven Hundred
Dollars realized, or prob
lbly less than fifteen cents per acre
or all the land disposed of, after the
cost of our Land-selling system shall
lave been fully subtracted. And
he prospect to-day is that this very
Congress, which passed the most
Pension Act ever heard
IF at its former session, will now
its work by exposing all
hese Pensions, as well in the form
If Warrants as afterward, 10 the
:lutch Of Speculation and Monopoly.
The Commissioner forcibly remon-
'trates against this, but he will not
be needed. The Members have
pleased a considerable portion OF
their respective constituencies by
granting them Land Bounties in con-
sideration of former Military SER
vice; but not one-tenth Of them want
the Lands to settle on and cultivate;
they want to sell their claim, war
rant, certificate, or whatever it may
be, for instant cash, and as much as
possible. What do they think or
care about Land Monopolyi They
are oreedv for tspoils. .,whiia the ras;.