Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-01-29
THE TRIBUNE.
Mineral Point, January go, 1852.

That portion of Governor Farwells
Message. which treats Of the granting of
public lands to private companies or cor
porations, in the construction of works Of
internal improvements, is deserving of
particular attention. The reasons given
hy the Governor for Disappearing the pol
icy, are entitled to much weight, and
should be duly considered BY all interes-
ted 1t Is a well known fact, that tie
land selected BY such companies, are gen
orally Of the best quality They are thus
taken out of Market, or offered at a much
higher rate than government lands, aud
must tend to retard the settlement of
those sections Of the State IL which they
are located 1t is true, that Internal I'M
provemcnts are very desirable aud much
needed, but not to the exclusion of sctt-
lcrs. We add here an extract from the
Message, which is ali We have room for at
present.
8 IF these lands should at once be sur
vcyed, brought into market and sold to
actual settlers at low price by the Gen
eral Government, that vast region Of the
State, now a wilderness. would very soon
bcc0nesas much cultivated and improved
as the older settlements are at the present
time The products Of the North and
Northwest would have to. Of necessity.
come to. or pass through the avenues Of
the Central, Southern and Eastern p0r-
tions Of the State, on their way to market
thereby creating a fi0urishing and profta-
bic iaterHal commerce and interchange of
immense advantage to all parts Of the
State, and that part now occupied would
not long remain, as at present the out
post and limit, but be situated unOu' the
very line Of trade and travel When we
shall have developed the agricultural re
sources Of our State and made our
products an object to the buyer and the
carrier, we shall doubtless be furnished
with all the requisite facilities for taking
them to the best and quickest market Ii
cur true interests as a State ar. properly
regarded, our farmers, IN a short time
WI have surplus capital. like the farm
crs IN the older States to invest in Rail
Road and other profitable stock improve
ments, within our own State and that
too perhaps long before the public works
sought to be benefited by these govern
ment grants shall have been Conpleted.
or some OF them commenced II would
be a better and wiser policy for as. if
practicable, to ask of Congress a grant %
the State of a portion Of these lands to
ald IA tue Improvement Of our Rivers III 4
Harb0Ts, and make these natural conmu-
nications we already have. aud in which
the whole State are alike interested. A.
valuable, and render our immense Lake
coast on the North and East. secure to
life and property. This State has already
committed to its supervision, important
trusts by the General Government. for
tie benefit ofschools and for the improve
meut of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. for
TIE proper management and security Of
which requires much legislation and con
slant vigilance We should demonstrate
our abilities to take care Of these hencf-
cent grants before seeking others Of less
general benefit. l would much prefer
that the General Government would re-
duce tie price Of our vacant lands to sim
Ply cover the cost Of their survey and sale.
and bring them at once into market as an
lnducemcnt 10 emigration from the more
densely populated parts Of our own couu-
try. and from foreign countries aud ia
this way, add to the population, wealth.
and productive labor Of the State, and
subdue and cultivate the rich domain, than
that they should be granted to companies
IN large parcels, to build up sectional in
tcrest5 and subserye private purposes