Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-01

suggested by experience has stood the test OF sixty
II has built up States it has aroused the energies of
this nations has entered the wilderness and fouaded repub
lies throughout the western country has peoped the States
with yeomany more independent industrious,
prosperous, and more liberty loving than any other people
isiDg on the face Of the earth.
few years ago. the subject Of the public lands in her
provinces received the careful attention of the British Gov
ernment. The system Of dposng Of the public domain in
Canada, In Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick under the
colonial relation, bad become complicated contradictory and
unwiedy commissioner appointed by the British
Government in the person of Lord Durham, who proceeded
to the provinces for the purpose Of investigating the subject Of
land titles oi ascertanng the extent of the evils growing out
of their SYSTEM and recommending method by which
avoid them in future His examination most thorough
II was made with the aid Of official documents, and the
animation under OATH of the surveyors and others who had
in any way connected with the management OF the pub
lie domain, examination person of the country granted
and repeated interviews with the settlers. To his report
published among the Parliamentary documents of 1889,
have had occasion before aude. It is instructive
volume, both regards the views presented by the commits
sione and In reference the facts developed by the es
mony, and the documents therein referred to. II exhibits
however, state Of things disastrous in the the
interests Of settlers and of the Government growing of
vicious system Of disposng of the public domain. With all
the inducements to settlers which had been offered by Gov
ernmen by the grauitous grants of ands and in in
stances, OF the money Of settling hem the fact that
the system has been total failure is evident.
Lord Durham pursued his examination further, and has
presented comparison between the prosperity which has
tended the policy Of this Government in regard its public
lands and the failure Of under efforts of his
Muitudes who settle lands offered grsuitously in
the province, deserving their became purchasers of pub
lie lands within jurisdiction and worthy settlers upon
them stronger contrast could not be presented than that
which exhibited between the settlements of
country and those Of the nsshborng provinces.
Now, sir not unaware that disaection with the laws
and policy of the mother country has had something do
with this result Neither am calous to the fact that the
blessings Of Government such afford inducements
to the emgans to prefer this to their any other SOIL
would that the different systems of dsposng of the public
lands have had most important bearing in bringing about
the contrast between the two desire to take Of
time for the purpose Of reading from the report referred
terse and comprehensive language The following
| bis words #a1~
The system of the United States appears combine all
the chief requisites of the greatest efficiency 1t uniform
throughout the federation it Interchangeable by
Congress- and has been materially altered it renders
the acquon Of land easy and yet by of price,
restricts appropriation 70 the actual wants Of the settler is
simple be readily understood it provides for
surveys and against needless delays gives instant
and title and admits Of avortism but distributes
the public property among all classes and persons upon
equal terms That system has an amount
immigration and settlement of which the history Of the world
affords other example; and it has produced the United
States which has averaged about halt million
ling per and has amounted in twevemonth
about four million: sterling than the whole expend
| ture of the Federal Government"
These the expressions of who suspected
partiality behalf upon this subject They the
views of competent to judge, who from distance
well in proximity has watched the practical opera
ton of the system in its effect upon the veal of the country
end the prosperity of the community They the results
Of careful examination, made in official capacity for the
purpose of obtaining knowledge the practical
reorganization Of the system country
When this bill before under consideration near the
close Of the last session. the honorable Senator from Wscon
sin (Mr. WALKER) proclaimed that danger of fall
ing into the condition of the countries of the Old World
where and classes elevated and the
aon degraded that the real estate of the country would
evtaby fall into the hands few the exclusion and con-
sequen poverty and degradation of the many In order
avoid this consequence the Senator proposes limit every
/ andholder to l60 acres
Mr. President have little confidence in the efficiency of
special restrictions Of this character and much less in their
beneficial influence For my own part look in another
direction for immunity from the evil referred expect it
legitimate result from the spirit and genius of free
Government from the nature of free institutions, from the
enepng character Of population and from the general
legislation Of Government affecting the public veal.
Looking the the countries of the eastern
hemisphere, where the evils which the Senator depicts exist
having their foundaonsn early and ages and
sustained by system Of Government institutions and laws
the opposite of own he sounds the if the calam
y had fixed itself upon If the causes existed here
that operate in those countries, making the results in
evitable among U.S. might well be alarmed, and
would further than would efforts to resist the destroyer
But let false alarm prevent dur examining the facts and
nquring whether the of these evils exist among
Most Of the countries Of the Old World poroned out
at an early period among the nobty with extended terrific
rial limits and under condition Of rendering service of various
kinds to the sovereign. The grant usually carried with the
control of the lord the tenants the estate and estab
shed perfect system Of power the side, and abb
ject seryitude on the other.
Added these the enament Of these estates and the
perpeuity Of the Inheritance with all its incidents of power
in the heirs of the possessor forever Under this system
taes possessed which have remained unbroken for
centuries In country such state of things exists
The commencement Of the Government itself is in modern
tmesamost in our day-and grants of large tracts
of land have been made by it, entamen is recognised
subservency of others to the purchaser attaches an in
cident to his tenure #...
In the countries which reference has been made
cay in England large portions of territory accumulated in
the hands of ecclesiastical corporations which under their
system never ded-where in the quaint language OF the
times, they were held by death-clch forever An anne
ioraon of this evil after great struggle was obtained, but
its consequences not eradicated.
But nothing the kind exists here The corporations of
this country the offspring of Legislative action, and
limited to term of years-tweny This limit IL usually
SO short as scarcely equal the average life Of
In holding real estate they restricted to small quanti
y, usually only such indispensable for prosecuting the
siness for which their organization is allowed; and at the
termination of their corporate existence ii must revert TO the
original grantor, or pass into other hands.
Thus we have safeguard against this fruitful source Of
evil existing 10 Of the countries of Europe We
only happily free from these causes operating power
fully abroad but the action of all the authorities Of Gov
eminent has rpudated every thing tending to such result
and has established principles conducting to the general distr
button of property and to the equal privileges Of ALL We
become purchasers and every may divide his property