Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-01
Military and volunteers in the
last war with Great Britain,

Regular army, after the Of ...-
1919, and before the Mexican 3.
waynes army, (i7si, i7osj =. ......:..... s.sa;
$685. eos
This statement believed embrace all who can BY posi-
bity within the law.
In order ascertain the quantity Of land requred under
the law determine, first, the number Of bene6ca-
es who may be entitled to The benefit of the provisions and
secondly, the number in the several classes entitled respec
vey to hundred and sixty, eighty and forty acres
the average quantity Of all.
The militia and volunteers in the warof constitute by
far the largest class in the above table, amounting to
than five sixhs of the whole number
Fortunately not without authentic sources Of in
formation in regard the services Of this large class An
official and detailed report this subject will be found in
House document No. 20 ID session, 24h Congress This
document have examined with and have caused the
several classes be asceraed heefom and the quantity
Of land which they would bo entitled under the law ac-
cordng to the length of service nG that the whole
Der mustered into service in that 62& Of these
served less than month"; and therefore not
entitled by the law bounty Ofthe remainder only 943l
served nine months and That number then, only
would be entitled to l60 Of land each giving 50s
to all OF those who served four months and less than
nine there 278 and who being entitled to 80
each, would receive, in all 77S2 240 acres The number
who served month"; and less than four months,
2l9466 and entitled 40 acres EACH and nm aggre-
gate Of 77s $40 The whole number Of thus
required for all would be S069 $40 This average
each man entitled to land of 55 acres
Thus far, and in relation to ve-sixths of the whole
ber of bene6ciaes have data The ratio
applied to those the list engaged in other service would
not vary far from this In regard to most Of the Others also
we have official information, not definite the above but
sufficiently accurate for practical purposes Thus, Of the
soldiers in the Seminole war of 1917 and 1919 appears
by report in the American State Papers military Affairs
vol 2 page l04 that part Indians, part would be
titled to bounty land, and that of them served less
than four months In House Doc. No. All, 25th Cong,
I'd session, returns made Of service in the Black Hawk
and Florida wars and the disturbances among the Greeks in
1886, the southwestern frontier in 1886, and in the Che
rokee country in 1886 and 1897 These returns show the
service to have been from three to six months
We cannot, apprehend, be far from the truth sup
pose the ratio OF So average to each found
to be correct in the volunteer and militia service Of 1872
apply to the service in all the embraced by the Of
the act. . .a:
Applying this average to the whole list in the table, find
that the whole number Of engaged in all the
meraed was have stated, 559, ,203 from which number
we to deduct who not entitled to bounty
land and the remainder, 4l3, 756 men, being entitled
fifty five each, would require %, $50 Of land
But this calculation b based the supposion that all whose
services might ene them to the land yet alive to receive
It at the hands OF the Government Wemust remember that
thirty years have elapsed since the close OF the last
war with Great Britain, and ffy-6ve years since
Waynes expedition. The soldiers Of the former could
now be less than sixty nor Of the latter less than
years of age The casualties Of the service, and the great
length of time since elapsed, have left but small
alive to enjoy the bounty, and their widows and minor heirs
entitled to it few. The proportion Of all mustered into
service who will claim and receive their land has been
estimated from oneouh to onehalf Of the original num-
ber oneha of these apply for their land they would
receive 290 but only one-fourh living
receive it. then only 5,6s9 las would be required, in
stead Of OO0 estimated by the Secretary of the
Treasury The in the estimate referred has been
made by basng the calculation the supposon that all
receive 100 Of land each whle in truth,
have shown, only small proportion Of them entitled to
that quantity The Secretary estimates the number Of
entifl IN land RI af wet he he
average amount which have shown to be correct, Of fifty
five acres to each man, the whole amount will be only
l6500, 900 Whatever estimate may Make based
the facts and documents in the case apprehend will be
found that than eight ten millions OF acres be
requrd under the act. .. .
Making deductions from the official estimate above mention
ed corresponding with these views the result is materially
changed In the single item of bountes under the law Of
September last than half Of the whole quantity Of
yet TO be located estimated in the report is to be
deducted Instead Of supplying the entire demand for six
teen years come and thus cutting off all income in cash
for saes have believe the cash receipts will
fall below those of some former years. There has always
been strong competition for supplying the market IN land
by those holding under Government grants The table above
referred to shows that within the last three years eleven
millions Of acres have been located under such grants
adsing most of the old donation rights yet the sales for
cash, although diminished, have not been nconsdeabe II
probable that there will be yet further dminuon Of the
amount Of cash receipts but legislation remains in its pre-
state, do believe the amount will be very materially
to the amount required from that estimated by the Secre
ary Of the Treasury. s. .,.
would be understood to doubt that large quantities Of
land thrown into the market under grants for bounes other
purposes will affect the sales by the Government This
know be its legitimate effect Grants Of this character may
be excessive prevent nearly all sales by the public
authorities. do not doubt this tendency Of such grants
but the question presented is whether The grants out
standing and INDICATED to produce this
consequence The substance Of the argument urged upon
h that the lands ae already egsated away and further
proceeds from the sales into the Treasury that the
subject is the control OF Congress- and plans for
grautous distribution Of the public domain may be adopted
without detiment do spprehend sir that this is true
condition. The subject yet within the control Of Govern
men and yet Free by wise legislation to exercise
discriminating judgment, and carry udcious system
in our administration Of this great subject There 10 nothing
in the present state Of things require TO abandon we'll
tried SYSTEM and rush into and experiment.
II should rather caution to return to ancient prudence
Legislation, Is true, has been liberal to the States in
the public lands located and the soldiers who
have fought the baes Of the country has been liberal in
fostering the ex,ensioR Of knowledge and the settlement Of
territory, and carrying out the just designs Of all
ernmeut rejoice at this lberaly neither do believe it
hes yet gone beyond those bounds within which we
abed 10 act according to the best dictates OF our Judgment
We are yet free to adopt the plan recommended by
tor from Wisconsin, pursue the even tenor Of our way
under tbs system, which adopted early
and upon which the wisdom Of long experience has
grated But the consequences Of granting the public domain
without compensaion would not be felt alone by Trea-
y Of the United States II would have an influence abroad
property Of individuals who anhoders by purchase
Tho