The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-02-01


when you come to Western lakes and rivers-to the
region Of agriculture and abor-where the producer
is Interested in facilities for shipping his products,
and in receiving with facility safety, and cheap
ness imported articles and home manufactures for
there you would have it unconstitai-
tional to expend dollar for the protection OF COM
merce. You have established institutions for the
education Of your military and naval officers at
Governn,snt expense, while you have but grudging.
y doled out the sizteenth section for the educa
ton Of laborng multitudes. Millions upon mil
lions Of the public domain have been expended
chiefly for the benefit of capital and corporations
in the construction Of railroads and canals but not
one acre has been appropriated to promote the
direct interests Of agriculture or the mechanic
arts.
In close connection follow these startling facts
in, regard to the Commerce of the West:
/ have SO far used general arguments only to
prove the interest which the old States have in the
measure before us. But let US try figures The
net proceeds of the public land sales, for 1S49,
were 1888 343. If this were distributed directly
to the States according to population, New York
population Of that State to be $50 000 and of the
Union %, 500, 600 Now. assuming the freight on
the Erie Canal for the same year to have been no
greater than for the year 1916, the down freight
from Lake Erie was SOC, $50 tons, and the up
freight AZ, 900 tons, making aggregate Of $685.
v
State toll was twenty -four cents per hundred lbs,
yielding to the State So 667 1884 in tolls only. The
freight on this tonnage, over and above the toll,
was fifteen cents per hundred pounds, making
81 ,667, 400 more, paid to the citizens Of New York
for freight The whole amount Of tolls on the Erie
Canal for 1S47 was 90, 1913, BAT, and on the other
canals Of the State $500, 033-total SO, $50, $50.
To show that have not over estimated the relative
proportion Of western commerce to the aggregate
will state that ,431 ,252 tons were forwarded in
the same year from Lake Erie alone and reached
tide.water; while only ,03l tons reached tide
water in New York from all other quarters. No
one can fail to perceive the immense importance Of
this trade to the State of New York, notwihstand
ing the West is yet in her infancy. What further
New York and her people received from the throng-
ing travel to arise from the West what more from
the, manufacture of Western products, and what
still more from the barter trade connected with
them here and in foreign markets cannot be known;
but the amount must have been immense indeed.
Immense as it may have been, however, it would
be doubled in future by doubling the production
and population of the West
Neac Orleans is our natural mart uny hon., By
reason of tile d0ac,s-streGna navigation, avithout
toll or storms, to her gerry actarves.
He shows the effect which the gift of the lands
in limited quantities to actual possessors, would
have on The national resources. He has condensed
the argument, and we borrow his own phrase
ology
Noe will deny, presume, that the measure
would establish, as producers, within the next ten
years, at least five hundred thousand persons
Now, supposing that by the tenth year the ability
Of these persons to purchase and dutiable
articles would be increased but $50 each here
would be an increased consumption in value OF
$25, 100000 The increase of revenue from this
source alone, at the present tariff of 30 per cent
would be 500 900 for the year 1861. Add to this
1886, 152-the annual expense of the present land
system, which would be saved to- the Government
and you have an aggregate increase of revenue
for that year alone, without estimating the inter.
mediate increase and saving. OF $S, 1876, l52. The
saving alone for this whole period would be
%, 1851 $50. This is an increase of revenue, as
Burke would say, through the political secretions
OF the country;" but the Senator from Michigan
says it is but part of the community paying for
what is enjoyed by the other 1t looks to me a
good deal like an ample remuneration for liberal
treatment and just policy.
Now, sir, keep your lands, and what will they
net you for the whole ten years! Let US As
before stated the net money proceeds for 1549 were
1885, 34S. This ia greater than they WIFI ever be
again, particularly if you make the last issue Of the
bounty land warrants negotiable But take this
and you have but S9833, 43s for the entire period
to o. 1886 5l2 the increase and saving Of
one year alone under the measure proposed, and
the additional saving for the time. 81 1926 ,36S-
making an aggregate of SIS ,S6l $40.
Such would be the comparative results under
your present revenue system; but if resort be had
to direct taxation, the advantages Of this measure
to the Government over the policy Of keeping the
lands unproductive and uEtaxable would still be
great. The extent cannot be calculated with GER
tainty, but may be approximated. Then assuming
that the amount Of land which would becomeindi-
vidual property and subject to taxation would be
only three times the amount that would become SO
under your present policy, and the amount in ten
years would be about 150,000,000 Of acres. Sup
posing this to be worth, settled $40 per acre, an
ad UaI0ren tax Of only mill to the dollar,
cents to the hundred dollars, would yield revenue
Of 81 500. 900, increasing annually in amount, but
in rate; and which, added to the ex-
pense saved, 1886, 152, makes an aggregate of
81, 1886, l52, to be compared again with $685., 343
only, and that continually decreasing in amount to
the Government. Add to all this the vast national
wealth which would be created by the encourage
ment and impetus given to agricultural production
and the pecuniary and revenue advantages of the
measure we are discussing will appear incaleula-
BILE. Let item suffice as example Sup
pose but one fourth of the land have mentioned
to be cultivated in wheat in 1861, and to produce
but ten bushels per acre, (t will produce from
twenty to forty)-the value Of this, at eighty cents
per bushel, would be three hundred and tscenty
millions of dollars! And yet we have said moth
ing of horses, cattle, sheep, beef, pork, WOOL cot
various other products of labor and agriculture, all
oil which constitute vast source of revenue as we'll
as Of individual comfort.
This calculation, to us, seems unanswerable
Inc mere purchase money is Of no importance to
the government. The great source of wealth and
power is from the application of labor to the SOIL
The wild uncultvated land is Of no more value to
the nation, than to the farmer. Weknow planter
who owns lands running back six miles, and con-
sdered it quite an infringement on his rights for
squatters to settle back Of his line though he did
not cultivate one mile in depth But this insa.
tate hunger for land keeps him embarrassed. 4,
is dead capital. The same rule operate, aya;ns,
the great and-holder, the United States Bv al,
means give the ands-convert them into farms
which shall pay rent by their production
Both as matter Of social progress, of the eleya
ton of the people, and Of political economy. w.
advocate this great measure. Patriotism is init
lnately connected with the possession of property
this gives tangible substance to an abstract ide,
The ownership Of land particularly develops an
strengthens this feeling. The man who has
early youth explored the wilderness by help Of h
compass, and the Indian or buffalo trails who h
, found the choice spot, and hewn road for his ca
which brings his wife and plumber to their ne
home who has spent the active part of his life
= clearing his land, and converting it into cultivat
: heids; whose rude log cabin has given way to t
comfortable mansion; whose children have grow
up In THIS ned oil his struggle and his victory-su
!, man enjoys luxury Of sentiment unknown to t
% merchant, who each year changes his resident
er eihef from house to house, from city to city,
3 his fortune increases and his ambition enlarg,
l Doubtless great cause of tho cor,n.rat;ys