The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-06-19
r., ILL.,, SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1852.

X
al character of the lands selected, whether prai.
fie or timber, and the probability Of drainage, il
will be easy to form some general estimate Of
their value and the purposes fer which they may
be used. Having no sufficient fund at my disposal
TO meet the expenses Of selection and survey they
have been made in the confidence and under the
assurance that the subject would be brought be-.
lore the legislature, the earliest OCCASION that
provision may be made to meet the expenses at
tending the came. hope therefore that this
subject may receive the early and favorable &C.
tion Of the general assembly. The returns as they
have been received have been regularly for.
warded 70 the surveyor general, that the title to
these lands may be finally Confirmed to the
state Mt the earliest practical day. that they may
be brought into the possession and under the
control Of the state. It consequently becomes a
subject for mature consideration in what man.
ner these lands shall be disposed Of so rs to se.
cure the largest ultimate benefit to the state. II
they are properly and jud'ciously managed they
ought to yield the state an avefsge Of not less
Than siIiy five Or seventy cents an acre and it is
not unlikely that it may even exceeded that sum,
After much deliberatioD | am still Of opinion
that the suggestions made in my last message to
the legislature upon the manner Of disposng Of
these lands, is correct. By making it the duty
OF the auditor Of state to sell them in the same
manner as other state lands have bsen sold in.
stead Of providing for snle in eoch county, hun,
dred agencies may be properly dispensed with,
at an annual saving to the fund Of at least from
fifteen to twenty thousand dollars The expense
attending such mode Of sale by the auditor " i'll
be nothing. or nearly so, when compared with
almost amy other which occurs 10 ihe. Tbefe
seems to me to be no other way Of selling them
without the risk OF absobing large portion Of
their avails in useless and expensive agencies
Will here make an additional suggestion in re.
gard 10 the inyesmant Of the fnnd as it may ac-
cumulate from sales which seems to me to De
worthy Of consideration in its connection with the
general system of state finance. As the money
shal be received into the treasury let it regular
ly cIedted to the fund to be called the drain.
age fund" and then at once invested 10 interest
paying state bonds ut their current market value.
The bonds when purchased may be deposited in
the treasury, and if considered good policy the in
terest accralDg upon them can also be credited to
the sam fund. To replace this tund thus invested
Tor purposes as 1t may be required, make it n di.
rect charge upon the common treasury fund,
which charge can be met nt any time from the
steadily accumulating surplusin the treasury over
the demand for current expenditures. As often
as 1t secs Fl, the legislature can appropriate the
amount appearing due upon the books Of the
treasury to the drainage fund" to such purpose
and under such conditions and responsibilities as
the circumstances may require. Such a process
Of dealing with this fund will incur no expense
while 1t indirectly operate large saving to tie
state, by redeeming IN It's progress large amount
OF Indebtedness at reduced value, besides retain.
ing within the state interest which is now sent
abroad Ii will not escape attention that by treat
ing the fund in this way not less than twenty or
twenty-five per cert may be made upon every
dollar receive on sale Of the swamp pnd over
flowed lands" which may be invested in bonds
The lands granted the state by congress as "over.
flowed aud swamp lands will hardly fall short, it
is supposed. Of one millio- aetcs u becomes
US all times to apply our means and direct our
means and direct our resources to the extinguish.
nIent OF our large state debt and not allow ,heri
to be diverted from this purpose to incidental or
subordinate objects. The ability and means are
within our control by the employment, Of which
we may soon commence q rapid reduction Of this
debt, If We preseve an economical ADMINISTRATION OF
our affairs, aud we shall eventually be uble to
meet it without resort 20 increased taxation.
have frequently taken occasion in nv com.
munications 10 .he general assembly 20 invite az.
tention to the appropriate disposition Of the col.
lcge and seminary funds. The amount in the ng.
gregate TO $l4967s which is held in trust by the
state, to be applied to purposes specifically re-
cited IN the grant from the general government
1t will be admitted that it is the duty Of the state
70 make such use Of it as shall be in substantial
accordance with the terms upon which il was re
ceived. This the honor Of the state requires. No
argument is needed to prove that this fund ought
TO be employed and its benefits enjoyed at an
eaily day, when oil proper means should be
brought into requsiiion to promote the generally
prosperous condition Of all our citizens, instead OF
pos,poning the advantages which might be made
to accrue to time when there would a less ne.
ccssity in the greater abundance of means which
might supply its place 1t is plain likewise tina,
IN whatever way it may be used, or to whatever
purpose applied it should be SO employed as to
conicr the mos, general and uniform benefit upon
all. Ours is peculiarly an agricultural state, and
the interests Of this great and prevailing source
of our present wealth and future prosperity will
continue for n long time to invite an increasing
share OF the attention. Of the legislature. From
the peculiar nature Of the circumstances which
surround the agricultural interests of a state, i,
does not often happen that legislative action car
be made to confer any direct and positive aid tc
Its encouragement, as its success depends so much
upon the skill an ingenuity with which labor i,
directed aud applied. The most that is to b, ex
pected by the farmer follows rather incidentally
than directly, and generally the more prominent
object Of his desire is an open field, unshacklec
by intrusive legislative restraints, and that he b,
not harrassed or oppressed by greater taxation
than the actual exigencies Of the state impera
lively demand, Whenever opportunities occu,
that this interest can te encouraged and pro
NOTED, just requires that they should not be neg
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