The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-09

y
which, including the Texas stock, not yet Issued,
is s74, 900 900, and the interest thereon the en-
suing year, sl,2lOOOO. BY the year 1865, the
principal and interest of the debt would be
sl3I 100000.
Up to the present time, sales of the public lands
have been source of revenue to the Government
but, hereafter they will cease to be such. lie
quoted here from the report of Mr.. COrwin, show.
ing that the grants of lands by Congress, under
the Bounty Land Laws of the last session,
and former ones and the grants to the States
would make the remaining public lands unavail-
able for an indefinite period TO come.
Mr. Benton showed further, that the manage
ment of the lands would, in fact, be burden
upon the Treasury to the amount Of about
500 600 The whole burden of the grant then
would be thrown upon the customs. The esti-
mates of the Secretary of the Treasury embraced
a total expenditure for the ensuing year Of
$40 S0O.&5O; but, as the actual appropriations
generally exceed the estimates, they may be set
down at $4,000, 900, and this sum includes moth
ing for sinking fund, no provision for the grad
ual extinction of the new debt.
The estimates contemplate $4,000 600 as reve-
nue. from the customs. Suppose this realized
still there would be deficit Of s. 900 600
Mr.. Benton agreed with Mr.. Corwin, that
sl5,OOO,0O0 from the customs could not long be
expected. The last three years have been excep.
tional years decrease in the revenue from
customs will Of course increase the deficit far be.
yond 100000.
While concurring with Mr.. Corwn in the opin-
ion that mportations, and course customs, would
diminish he agreed with him only in one Of the
remedies he recommended, viz: that the present
da rdlorenr system should be changed so as to i'm
pose specific duties wherever they were applicable
rre 'uSrShreG Sn-Secretary for omies4gto propose
any scheme for securing to the Government the
benefit Of the public lands
Now, il was necessary to secure this benefit, and
his scheme proposed to do it, by accelerating the
sales of the lands or, rather, by reviving them.
Acceleration could result only from reduction Of
prices, which would bring them into competition
with the eight million acres of military bounty
lands now flooding the country
"The present ordinary price Of those lands is
eighty cents to the acre, with the certainty of
| further large reductions as the quantity of war
rants prepared for market can get into circula-
ton, and the picking and culling of the lands
shall leave residuum less and less valuable, for
their satisfaction. In all probability they will be
at twenty or thirty cents to the acre before the
eighty millions are exhausted Congress, In
making a few small grants for objects of internal
Improvement in the new States, have been very
careful to provide against their being sold below
| nUrna 10 ham, frn,
getting any advantage in the market But when
il came to wholesale work-when il came to Civ
ing away whole broadside of the country Mt
once-when hesuperfcial contents of three such
States as Ohio, and four such as Massachusetts
to boot, for the whole quantity granted for
military services is Of that enormous extent)
were granted at two strokes of the pen to the
old soldiers, sand their assignS,o then no care
was necessary-no precaution taken to prevent
the warrants from being sold at less than Sl25
per acre and now the consequence is, that they
are already selling at forty five cents in the acre
below that price, and that the United States, as
land-seler, is now entirely driven out Of her own
market and is keeping up a machinery Of land
offices, ut an expense Of 300 900 per annum, for
the benefit of those who expel her from the mar
ketp
The second great object of the bill was to re-
lieve the States of the proprictorship of the Fed
eral Government, as landholder.
After ALL Mr.. Benton explained that the reve.
nue. he expected from the operation Of the bill
would not result 80 much from the sale of the
lands as from their rapid settlement and cultiva-
ton, the final effect of which would be increased
revenue from the customs
The President laid before the Senate copies of
the correspondence between Mr.. Hulsemann, Min
lister from Austria, and the American Govern
ment, in relation to the affairs of Hungary.
Mr.. Hulsemann, in note dated September
30tb, 1850, apprizes Mr. Fillmore that the Aus
trian Government, so soon ms it learned that the
late Administration had despatched an agent to
Europe to await favorable moment for the re-
cognition of Hungary directed earnest representa-
tons to be made against this step that the reply of
Mr.. Clayton was, that Mr.. Mann's mission had
no other object in view than to obtain reliable
information of the true state of affairs in Hunga-
ry. Mr.. Hulsemann proceeds to say that the
language of Mr.. Msnn's instructions signifed
more than this, and was deemed offensive by the
Austrian Government. The disclosure of the
correspondence to the Senate made II proper that
the subject should be again noticed and hence his
present note, which concludes as follows:
ain view of all these circumstances, the under
signed has been instructed to declare that the
Imperial Government totally disapprovcs, and
will always continue to disapprove, Of those pro-
cecdings 30 offensive TO the laws Of propriety
and that it protests against all interference in the
| internal affairs of its Government. Having thus
fulfilled his duty, the undersigned considers il n
IL tL.tk L. IA
err to assure the Secretary Of State that the I'm.
perial Government Is disposed 10 cultivate rcla-
tions of friendship and good understanding with
the United States, relations which may have been
momentarily weakened, but which could not again
be seriously disturbed without placing the cardi-
nal interests Of the two countries in jeopardy.
"The instructions for addressing this commu-
nication to Mr. Clayton reached Washington at
the time of General Taylor's death. In compli-
ance with the acquisitions Of propriety, the nm
dersigned deemed II his duty 20 defer the task
until the new Administration had been complete
ly organisei; a delay which he now rejoices at,
AS 1t has given him the opportunity Of ascertain
ing from the new President himself, on the oees-
sion Of the reception Of the diplomatic corps that
| the fundamental policy OF the United States, 40
| frequently proclaimed would guide the relations
Of the American Government with the other
| Powers Even ~ the Government OF the United
States were To think " proper TO take an indirect
part In the political movements Of Europe, Amer
lean policy would be exposed to acts OF retaliation
and to certain inconvenience, which could not
fail to affect the commerce and the industry OF
the two hemispheres All countries are obliged,
ut some period or other, 10 struggle against inter-
nal difficulties all forms Of Government are ex.
posed to such disagreeable episodes the United
States have had some experience In this very
recently Civil war Is a possible occurrence every
where, and the encouragement which Is given to
the spirit of insurrection and Of disorder mos,
frequently falls back upon those who seek TO aid
it in it's developments, In spite Of justice and wise
policy
Mr. Webster replies nj length and with great