The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-12-04

Oh the pubic domain:
4erss.
!. The sales Of public lands 10 the year 1919 ~
amount 20, 1929 sa2 II
Msxisaa war bounty land warrants s.4os.52o 90
Improvsu,snts Of rivers, 40. isSaa6 II
Choctaw certificates 5S.9J5 33
Total acres thus disposed Of 5.Isa4lo 81
Daring the three quarters Of 1859, there have n.
LocaIed by Mexican bounty land warrants
during the l.t and Ill and part OF the 81 - X
State selections under the act OF 1871 s7sso5 So
Choctaw certificates 1850 %
Aggregate thus disposed OF in the Ist "a, and
PAT Of the 81 quarters OF 1850 2.si5. s6s l2'
Titles to lands in California are uncertain and compile
Gated and he suggests the establishment Of board Of
commissioners to determine the matter, subject to such
restrictions as Congress may deem requisite.
He recommends the sale OF all the mineral lands of the
government in small tracts, at public auction alter
erring TO and reviewing the various modes OF dsposng
Of them With all proper Difference to his judgment and
experience, think this is by the best method
to adopt II will throw at once, in short time, all
the public mineral lands of value into the hands OF spec
ulatos, and deprive the of the benefit re-
sung from the daily discoveries and increase of their
value. There will be scramble for these vast desposites
poor will be unable compete with them, and in the end
the government will relinquish them for mere nominal
far better TO lease them for the present. and
to sell them hereafter il deemed advisable Meantime,
they ought 10 be surveyed by competent mneraogists
the qualities OF the several tested; the quantities Of
the precious metals investigated as far as possble the
land titles, when claimed, should all be strictly scru-
nized and moderate rents, perhaps required Of
yhod in liz No hon
will take this whole matter into consideration.
He thinks the annexation Of Texas and the acqusi-
ton Of territory from Mexico have added about
24 900 Indians to our former NUMBER and suggests tina,
something should be done promptly control Them and
TO prevent their depredaons the Mexicans and our
own population This is undoubtedly subec, OF great
and pressing necessity Congress should spare no time
in providing for it,
He suggests that highway TO the Pacific is becoming
daily more important and invites the attention OF Con.
gress to that subject Herecommends the establishment
OF agricultural bureau" foster and encourage that
essential branch Of industry, and adds this sugges-
ton
metropolis, be titled and managed under the direction of
the bureau, has been suggested as an important auxiliary
be favoraby received, would respectfully add that Mount
Vernon, whose soil titled by the hands and is
3
should properly belong TO the nation, and might with
propeiy become under its auspices, model farm il.
the OF that pursuit to which he was
much devoted" s4
This, we believe, is going somewhat further than any
of his predecessors and good deal further than is either
wise or practicable We doubt whether Virginia would
consent to yield this place 10 the federal government
and If she did, it would be OF little value. The
agricultural productions and experiments could only suit
this latitude and climate. ami would be Of small value to
the people Of Maine. Texas. or California. II would
constitute eternal drain the treasury, without
responding benefit and would ultimately fall into neglect
and be abandoned Why not leave this agricultural
affair 10 the Patent Office, 1t has hitherto. we imagine.
proved adequate to the purposes required. We beg
leave to assure our worthy FRIEND the Secretary of the
Interior, that he will have his hands full Of the
duties OF his Office wihou, turning farmer aud talking
OF "bulocks and oxen There are spirit and intelligence
enough among the agricultural class Of our country
do more for their own advancement than dozen bu-
reaus at Washington and model farms into the bargain.
The federal government has abundant legitimate func-
tons TO discharges without running OFT into matters Of
btful constitutional powers The constitution specifies
that Congress shall exercise like authority Exclusive
usdctonl over all places purchased BY the consent Of
the Legislature Of the State in which the shall be,
for the erecu0n oil 1Ofs, mh&dLihes aSenaie, VIVA
wards, and other needful buildings" Now, we see
nothing here OF model farms One would not suppose
that they were among those things which should be done
by the general government We hear Of magazines,
arsenals and necessary buildings &c. but we hear moth
ing OF model farms and fam-pens The species OF labor
too. that would be necessary to cultivate them might,
without too much refinement Of the imagination, become
hereafter the nest egg Of further difficulties We really
think therefore, that the Secretary had better content
himself with leaving this whole agricultural matter in
the hands of the Commissioner OF the Patent Once.
Uncle Sam is becoming too busy in his schemes and too
ex,rayagant in his expenses his operations
rather too much like the frogs Of Egypt. in ovens
and our kneading oughs Some strict constructioniss
have even doubted the right 10 deyolye this power,
already exercised upon the Patent Office. Had we not
better stop therei Power is naturally ambitious oil FUR
Their accommodations and il woud be better, on the whole,
for the federal government TO mind its own appropriate
duties We must take leave also to remark that we
have never been any particular friend Of this Depart
ment OF the Interior itself The very day that Mr. Polk
signed the bill for its establishment, tvz ID March,
is4s at the last moment Of expiring administration,
he declared he had never signed bill with more re-
luctance and predicted that il not arrested, might lead
to vast accumulation Of power and the augmentation oil
expensive schemes In fact, we have put helve to the
axe and il we do not take il will cut down every