Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-01

seeking home among U.s. The burning Of steamer on
the lakes, explosion the river always operate as
check to immigration. Oppression in the Governments Of
Europe, wars famine and heavy axaton always increase
immigration TO this country. thousand operating
throughout the world with little apparent connsxion with the
subject exert their influences upon the immigration, upon
which the demand for land greatly depends
The general uniformity Of this demand Of land for settle
ment exhibited by the annual returns Of the Department
when large quantities in market, under grants to The
states or for bounes other purposes the annual sales by
government are diminished when these absorbed it
turns TO Its original amount The demand gradually increased
year by year but with the data at our command the uni
o'mty OF the demand for actual settlement s apparent.
Inc causes which produce this uniform and nepressible
uue OF settlers on the public domain and
among which the price of the land but the dust
~ .ne balance. Whether diminished, abolished, retained
Ns present sum- its effect will scarcely be pcrcepbe the
Government has heretofore made partial expermen, Of
me system Of granting portions the public domain hoping
hereby TO facilitate its settlement would be an interest
ing aoo 'ne ne.scoud be asceaRed, to determine how
lar the set1ement OF the country promoted thereby
To the soldiers in the of lasds were grant,
ed under terms which required the title be taken in the
OF the soldier himself and valuable lands were assigned
them II was ths design of the Government NOT merely
bestow reward for services but carry out the object Of
this bill by giving him homo in the new portion Of the
country II is not possible ascertain how mapy Of
them settled on their lands Il is part Of the history Of the
country, however, that the lands assigned for this purpose
We're ardy in their settlements that the soldier in many in
stances refused to migrate and settle upon hem and sold his
right for tiAe that many Of the lost by sales for
uPs taxes and few Of the grantees became occupants
of Them
In the Mexican war, bounty land sufficient for farm Of
l6o acres was ganeito each soldier In this case in the
other it was the design Of the Government TO afford those
who fought in Mexico opportunity Of becoming settlers
without cost the public domain well bestow re-
ward Tor their patriocservces The right this case was
made asgnable before the issue of the patent Now Ihave
taken the pains ascertain as in how many
llv al land In
patents had been .sued for lands granted bounty
to the soldiers of the Mexican OF these,
ssued to assgnees and only 64 the soldiers themselves
or l64 OS0 acres OF land to the soldiers themselves and
$40 $50 acres to assgnees And Of this small guam
y entered in the of the sodiers part only will ever
be occupied by hem while the large by assgnees are
In the hands of ohers and this exhibition Of GUAM
titles entered by the soldiers and by the assgnees does not
show the just proportions of each when oil the shall
beloeaied The soldier who designed to settle his land
made bis selection IN early day. while the warrants which
sed passed into The hands of specuto and have be-
come subject of traffic Government scrip, and will be
tady coming to thu Office for land II has been estimated
that al least oneha of all the lands which will ever be- en-
tered by the soldiers themselves under these warrants were
presaned early the date the above statement II this
he Of the whole quantity of land granted for these
bountes-l3 ST. 400 acresony $685. 100 will be
tered BY the soldiers and these entries would be made by
3sS individuals Of about 80 900 who entitled
bounty land.
The experience Of the British Government in disposing Of
their public lands in Canada is also instructive this sub
sct Among the parliamentary documents is report made
by Lord Durham in 1885, in which he gives history Of the
disposition of the public domain in the British Provinces,
and exhibits very striking instances Of neecua efforts
to promote immigration and settlement by giving away the
land In Upper Gansda Of 450,0O0 granted
the soldiers of l775, and of the last with the United
States under condition Of settlement scarcely
settled by the soldier In 1888 land in Upper Canada
given to discharged soldiers who also received from the
Government gJauiy in moneyons half paid in England
and the other half arrival in Anenca-to aid them in
making settlement The money received BY them
pended while very few established themselves settlers
the land These instances where more favorable oppor-
tunity presented than is presented by this bill
Numerous gJatuOus grants in the fertile portions Of that
Province made condition Of settlement: but the in
ducement found to be Intellectual and the plan failure.
In provisions and implements of husbandry
furnished TO the poor In 1882, in Bathurst District
tlemen under these auspices commenced and many set
tiers induced to in. In advances made them
the Government spent ESQ 0O0 but the effort ultimately
failed, andthe settlement abandoned
The sseond object which this proposed change is designed
to accomplish is the prevention Of speculation by nonres
dents n the public lands In 1885, 49, and an evil Of
this knawas sorey felt by ecouny Large quantities Of
the public lands purchased by capitalists speculation
and for rasah These remained unsettled for many years.
and subsequently brought into market conpete with
the sales of Government lands Where the purchaser
particularly fortunate in his sslecon and found early sale
while prices high, he made money his investment
but in most instances whase the property remained in the
bands Of the purchaser the advance Of Price less than
the interest the investment II has therefore proved
disastrous speculation those who did not make sale
of the domain which heyhad purchased. Indeed doubt
m whether at this day the land thus purchased specuia
ion and ranedby the purchasers the pressntme would
bring in the aggregate he amount originally paid for IL to-
sether with return Of taxes interest," agencies and other
expenses. sM.a.. + 4 ..
Recent legislation extends the provision Of law in favor Of
the actual settler to the exclusion of the specuator The
act OF Congress passed in S4 made material changes in tho
disposition Of the public domain, far the interests and
rights of these two classes f purchasers concerned
This act abolished to very great exten-I may almes
fully abogatedevsy inducemen to the kind OF speculation
which is here deprecated This authorizes citizen TO
go on the public domain whenever is surveyed, and to
make his settlement upon it. As tie surveys progress in
district of country, and from the time they made up 10 the
time when the land is offered under proclamation at pabc
sa he has the exclusive right to presumption Tbs whole
region thrown open the actual settler, and within he
may make his choice Of homestead If there valu
able power it, he has the privilege of securing it.
If there vaaabs location for village Or city, the po
settler select it. If there gold, silver cop
per mines any thing giving peculiar value to location,
is in the power of the settler to it. From all these
privileges in the time the resident speculato
cluded. To him it is forbidden territory, in which he
make purchase and right. And after the
offer Of land at the public Sales the law still extends its dis
eliminating benefits to the settler. He may occupy por
ion Of land selected by himself and, with the exclusive right
Of possession, may complete his purchase any time within
year. e@. ..s, .ss.s...
These simple provisions Of the law have done
to check the spirit Of speculation and encourage settlements
than any thing else The fact that land b subject
tion entered has made to hold it in its
unprOductiye condition The ;nliyidna bnys uncult-