Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-07

whole amount received from the sale OF the public lands IN
1884, which, for the foy-sx years nearly
hal the United States have had possession Of that country
would be average Of $685. 745 per annum, just about
equal to the usual annual expenses of the land system IN
Louisiana And TO this add the expenses incurred BY
the Government for the adjustment of land claims in that
State under the act of 1884, which included n the
above estimates because they paid of the aPproP
atoms for the expenses of the Judiciary Of the United States
which have Of estimating with certainty, but
which know, from having been District Attorney Tor part
Of the time very considerable and have not yet all
been paid there great to doubt whether the Gov
eminent has received dollar for lands sold in the State
beyond the expenses incurred But If any doubt exists on
that subject be all in the mind Of any per-
who will take the trouble to investigate the matter as
have that for the future there be Of receipts over
expenditures but the contrary the balance against the
will from year to year increase. a.
But Why's may be asked If the land is ofso little value,
and il likely be expense the United States do you
desire that it should be coded the State The question
proper one and yet may be easily answered The OK
70 the State for surveys and resuvey and for the adj
usmsnt OF the large amount OF private land claims an
decided in that State may and probably will DO much less
the State than to the United States esurvey OF the
surveys might be dispensed with by the State and
for land of little vauesuch marsh deep Overlooked
land Of which there still remains unsuveyed l0,695,24
cheaper mode Of surveying might be adopted and
the survey Of much Of might be dispensed with altogether
Besides these lands which will sell the present minimum
pcs, would some of them sell at lower rate. which the
State would adopt but which, seems the United States
mot likely 70 do. Again. though the proceeds OF these
lands to the Stale may not be much end be very made
quate furnish the to protect her against nundation,
still they will afford some aid. 81
But, if they should bring dollar into the treasury
of the State her interests would be greatly promoted by
sessng them for other There many private land
claims in that State based titles derived from the Spanish
Government which granted by the treaty OF cesson but
which have yet been recognised confirmed by the
General Government II is not the habit Of Louisiana 10
complain lightly Of the National Government but certainly
she has just for complaint this subject She has
been forysix years part Of the United States, and
years State in the Union, and yet large por
ton of these private land claims remain unadusted in her
borders, while in Of the other Sates similarly stu
aed and much younger than she they have most Of them
been long since disposed Of From the valuable reports from
the land officer before referred appears that the quantity
Of land claims in the different States where any
ist 10 In Alabama 1921 acres; in Mississippi ll6,
Arkansas 00l Louisiana 4, 72l,
More than in the last State, and at all in
Missouri and Florida though both younger States and one Of
them acquired by the treaty and the other long after
903 Of only Of these private claims less than
third, have been confirmed To show how these claims have
been treated, may mention that there two Of them in
the quarter Of the State where reside the Basop and Mai
Rouge claims comprising together than million of
Reports of Boards of Commissioners and committees
of both Houses of Congress have been made in their
and patent issued for league square of of them, and
sometimes bills for their confirmation have passed or
the other House of Congress- but both repeated de-
cons Of the District and Circuit Courts of the United States
have been rendered in their favor and ns them and
in of these claims at last decided by the Su
preme Courtof the United States March ls49 by majority
of one of the Court against the claim many others
yet pending, to be brought before that tribunal when,
there should happen to be change Of member of the
Court the decision might be different from the first
dered If the land coded the State all these ques
tons could be satisfactorily and speedily settled at home for
the bill imposes this duty the State All too admit that
the public lands in the States ought be disposed Of
possible; that the holding Of them by the General Govern
anomaly and in derogation Of legitimate State
thor;tv ha dov
necessary.
find myself fully sustained in this position by the
report from the Committee Public Lands of the Senate,
haI deem il necessary to say no more on It than to quote
their reasonings and conclusions. The report states:
The committee fully that there is large guam
y Of land which, from its being low wampy and unproduc-
tive subject to nundaton, other is not only
inviting for settlement, but often injurious the health
comfort Of the neghborng settlers Much Of this may be
ditched and drained secured by over
ow and thus be rendered desirable for cultivation These
the make and i q I'D s
ing system of es and different prices depending upon
criterion least very uncertain, reasonable
for the Government dves itself entirely Of this class OF
lands and confer them the States in which they e With
view in part to this object the committee have reported
BILL the session Of Congress- cedng to the States
lands These originally reported amounted in the twelve
land States twenty millions of and although
have been heretofore sold or granted to the States the
quantity yet remaining large In several of the States where
these lands the necessity adopting general
system reclaim them has long been urged upon Congress-
the lower Mississippi the health Of the community and the
safety of their property require it, and Congress has already
granted the oyerowed lands the States in which they lie to
aid the work. Many these lands when reclaimed become
fertile and valuable but the hands ofhe
of importance Apportoned among individuals in small
quantities they would be Of sufficient value to secure the
necessary improvements The States the only safe depo
STORY Of the having the power to adopt such measures
in regard to their sale, Improvement and reclamation
regard the best interest Of all concerned dictate
aThs portion the public domain, not valuable for settle
and therefore sought by purchasers be retained
the Government only the derment Of others and bet
accords with the relations existing between the land States
and the citizens thereof the part and the General Gov
other cede these lands the former than
dispose of them for nominal amounts individuals The
duty Of the General to promote by grants of land
these States the of and Transports
ton for the benefit settlers and for the increase OF the sales
of the public domain, recognised by appropria
tons for that purpose and there the table Of the Senate
bill for additional for that purpose to several OF the
States making equal others which had received larger
grants in proportion to their several These bills to-
geher with others that have passed the Senate granting alter
nate sections specific works. will they become laws cede
to the States large portion Of the land Of which the price
would be reduced under the graduation BILL
The principles which, in the opinion of the committee
should the action Congress this important subject
are few and simple, and may be thus stated:
All lands which cannot be well administered by the
useful which, from of fertility any cause cannot
or should not command the minimum price fixed by law
should be granted the respective States in which they
located to be disposed Of by them and the proceeds
be applied to useful purposes
sGrants Of land aid in constructing the improvements
necessary for internal communication the land States should
from time to me be made the States the exigency Of
the and ths dictates Of sound policy may require
think, then, Mr. President have succeeded in show
ing
l. That the devastation Of these nundaons are immense,
and entirely beyond the of the State prevent
q YNl~k knrk e.. k1,,- spI