The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-26

Dut IeJeCtHK al thoBe from one COnsldcratOn, and
looking only To- the receipts in cash into the treasury
exhl0ed by ofcIal reports, find them average more
han two and half millions Of dollars annually and TO
constitute at least one-tenth of the entire receipts
II we look At the aggregate amount OF these receipts
rom the hrs sales 70 the present year we shall find
exhibit equally striking From 1857 January L. $780,
The total amount thus received $la5. .aa9.osa II.
During the same time there have been granted for
schools, universities, internal Improvements and other
purposes. over twenty millions OF which, at
- per acre. would amounto over twenty-sx millions
lis pretended that the above is the ne, income Of
The sales OF these lands but the books the department
10 January. 1850 835, ,33oo93 II, the cost TO the
government was follows:
Cost OF purchase $8ll21,7l7 IL
Cost OF surveying {, 1869, ,S3S OF
Cost of selling, and expense OF land
system to January /, 1856 7,466,324 10
Making total of cost and expense to
Deductng this amount from the aggregate received
from the sales above stated, have $50 2I3 10
as the net proceeds Of the public land received into the
went into operation.
This statement clearly exhibits the importance, in
financial point OF view. OF the sale OF the lands and the
receipt OF the proceeds into the public treasury We have
relied upon il for its annual aid in paying the expenses
Of the government.
II we are now abandon the present system, under
which the amount above indicated is received annually
as regular income into the treasury, s evident that
we deficit to precisely the amount in the
annual receipts. That deficit must be supplied from
some other source. There Is no possibility Of with
drawing the income from this source and supplying it
by similar amount from any other. As the financial
system OF the government is now arranged there lies at
its foundation the principle OF receiving into the treasury
only the amount which may be necessary TO carry the
operations of the government in the simplest form. and
OF drawing no more from the people by taxation, direct
or indirect, than is necessary for that purpose.
IL, then this Is TO be relinquished, we compelled
to seek other from which the treasury
be replenshed. What other source is there from which
fhA hp luaIi In..k
ports OF the Secretary OF the Treasury from early times
the present year, lind standing side by side the pro-
eeeds from customs and those from the public lands
These two items, always present and nseParabe exhibit
the true source and the only source OF income to the
treasury of the United States. Other items may
sonaly appear in the statement, but they small in
amount ami incidental in their character These two
the customs and the public andsae the only fountains
pouring their perennial streams into the public Golfers Ii
increase of supply from the former To accomplish this
an increase OF the larh OF duties would be unavoidable
The proposition would open before Congress and the
country one OF those great subjects which have hereto.
which is derived from the customs is obtained by taxa
tion OF the people themselves and II is assessment
which we IN the lar "es! feel as senoy az those who
imported and subject to duties which duties pay with
the price OF the article We the articles manufactured
in other portions OF our own country the prices OF which
sustained by mposts similar articles man ed
abroad However distant their Localities, aud however
variant their pursuits may be, the citizens of the whole
country are subject TO this effect and 10 draw money from
this is 10 draw ii from the pockets OF the people
themselves.
The amount now paid by the purchasers OF the public
land will. under the proposed sysem longer be paid
by them the burden OF Its payment will be transferred to
another class of citizens 1t will longer be received
equivalent for property transferred to the payer; il
will become simply tax on the consumers OF dutlable
ticles.
II will not be the question who will buy land, but the
inquiry will be, who consumes the articles subject TO
duies. While the public lands will be granted without
coat IN hOaa hn rand who m The
foreign articles will be compelled to supply the deficit
the treasury This will be the necessary effect OF the
system proposed to be adopted Under the present ar
angement the settler who pays his hundred dollars for
eghy lot OF lands receives by perfect tte prop
erly which full equivalent for his money, and which
he may dispose OF, no, only at COST but usually al an
enhanced price.
In property of this kind. the purchaser may also add
improvements to the capital invested thereby securing
rich reward for his labor in its annual production, al
the time greatly increasing its value. For small
consideration In the original purchase, the settler soon
becomes the occupant and owner OF valuable, culuva
ted farm. II he desires TO make a change in his cnnd
tion, the sale OF his property not only brings him
turn OF the capital invested IN the purchase, but full
compensation Tor his toll in changing il from its wilder
state to the product'veness and beauty OF the we'll
cultivated homestead.
The man who pays money into the treasury, collected
through the imposition OF duties, nothing in
turn while he who purchases land Is richly conpen;
tax demanded by the exlgencies OF the government,
and enforced by the power OF legal enactnens the other
the voluntary payment by purchaser 1of property
which he desires TO possess and to which the
gives him title.
Upon which OF the two classes thus situated should
the burden Of supplying to the treasury the amount in
question fall Should the future grantees oil the public
domain be released from all payments of purchase money,
and the amount be assessed upon others to make good
Should the citizens OF the whole country, receiving no
benefit in return, be called upon to pay two and half
millions OF money annually 10 enable the government
gratutously to distribute the public domain But II
would be narrow view OF this subject to regard this
a. the only effect OF the principle ngraed upon this bill
which il 10 now proposed to adopt
II must not be supposed that the public domain, now
heretofore possessed by the government OF the United
Staee has cost nothing Il il not possession obtained
by gratuitous grant, which may be given away without
return and without expense II has been obtained at
price by the government which holds the title as an
BY purchase and not by gift or by the naked right
OF sovereignty and which cannot dives itself OF II under
the operation OF this bill without sacrifice OF the amount
expended upon it,
In order TO show how expensive to the United States
the grant OF the public domain without consideration or
price would be- wish 10 refer the Senate 10 aome sta
iiscs upon this subject
In the twelve land States there are still remaining
sold 2s3 acres This quantity at the average rate
acre for purchase and survey Of the land by the gov
By reference to the report OF the Commissioner OF
the General Land Office, this amount has all been paia
from the treasury excepting for the survey OF li661323
the cost OF the survey OF which, being So
yet be paid before the land coud be distributed IN gra
tutous grants settlers There must, therefore, De sx
the land into position be occupied by those who would
be entitled 10 the benefit OF this new system OF dstrou
tons. There also portions OF this domain to which
the Indian title ia not yet extngushsd, which none but
the general government purchase The imPortance
oil this item will be seen when il is stated that such
ahrnnn .hvn0