Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-04-21


| Missouri 26,635 ,5S9 3.
Alabama l5iS6s49 ~
Mississippi s,si9l65 |
Louisiana 1859 3s4 "a
| Michigan 0llli3 n
| Arkansas 22 3037 ~
Florida 81 S63.5lS.66
Iowa 2566l $50 -
| Wisconsin 2i,5o629f s3
! California l:0,447, $40 90
Minnesota Territory ao,O75S3l s5
Oregon Territory 20G,3 Q ,333.0
Ne. Mexico Territory l27 3s3.o4O 90
Utah Territory ll3.5s9.0l3.00
| Northwest Territory 5000 $50 90
Nebraska Territory 81 s',o"o.Oo
Indian Territory II9,7S9,Si0 90
Total l,4OO, ,632 3O5 4S
The aggregate cos, Of the public lands,
10 lhe l>t u January. 1850, the date ot
I The la>, computation, was as follows, VIZ {:
Cost Of purchasing SOL i2l7l7l2
/ .urseying $500 s3s OF
| selling & managing 7466 32l.l9
! 81. .957 S79 80
The aggregate 'ecrrpts iiom sales o
:
Ist Of January, 1850, amounted 10 III.
sum OF Sl35 339, 1913 II.
No estimate has We, been made for the
newly acquired TrrrrorIrs, or for Cali.
loruIa, and can not he made until The land
system has been extended 10 The Pac fc,
a-ceriaiEtd,
Deduct. ,hcn, the actual or aggregate
cos; rom the aggregate receipts. aud II
leaves ner b,iince-a Gear pr"hr-in
favor o! The Government OF SCI, ,3Sl, ,2l3 70.
In this computation OF cos, is included
he fifteen millions paid 10 France, under
the treaty tf 1903, lor Louisiana, and The
five millions pad to SPAN, under The treaty
of 1919, for the Finridas. By deduciing
lhis amount (S2o, 900, 900 from the cost,
the actual profit TO The Government would
be $50, ,3sl2l3 70.
propose 10 make this deduction for the
reason that, in the purchase OF Louisiana
the value of the land ~iihn its ilInlls
formed no part al lie consideration What
ever. The Government OF The nlted
States found i, 10 be their true policy an
ldis, cnsa bic poicy-to yet possession aud
command of the mouth ofIhc Mississippi and
the Cuff Of Mexico.a policy dictated b, rv'r.
consideration Of commercial interest, rs vel
a. by every conSidera ION, in a military
point Of view, pertaining TO the defence OF
the country.
The same policy governed in the pur
chase of the F;oridas. This, then, is sIhe
most favorable EXHIBIT that can bs made
# the land system. as source OF profit
and revenue Ia the Government. in a
period Of six,y-four yeals, from 1877 to
1850.
Il also sppears that, within fraction,
the one half OF the abn.e sum was the re.
,uI, of the receipts f,r The Two years Of
1885 and 1886. 10 1898. The receI pts
amounted 10 Sl4,7s7 600 15, and in
1896, TO S24.s77.i73 s6.
These extraordinary recei PTS were the
result OF reckless speculation, created and
stimulated by deprecated paper currency,
which al that lime was receivable for pub
lie dues, and the evil was only arrested by
The issuing Of the specie ctrcular by Presl.
dent Jackson.
TO such an extend had the national
Treasury become burdened from the pro.
ceeds of the land, that distribution was
resorted to, and Congress, by the act OF
23d OF Iune. 1886. concluded to deposit
with the several States Of the Union the
sum of $37, 46s, ,s59 81. of which sum
actual deposi, Was made Of $27 1868 430S0
As a mere question. then, of invesmen,
in the abstract, the Government might here
rest, for il has been more than reimbursed.
But in this view of the subject, the question
of prof, as connected with and forming u
part Of our political economy, presents IL
self in another light. Commerce is the
life and support Of every nation. Its
foundation is 10 be traced 10 the cultivation
of the soil, and its prosperity reckoned BY
the ex,en, Of lis agricultural productions.
In ancient times, il was commerce Thai
gave wealth and power and grandeur 10
Carthage. and Tyre, and Alexandria. and
in modern times. wealth and empire 10
Holland and 10 Venice. The loss OF their
commerce was the decay Of their prosperl
~ and the loss of empire. Should i, not,
then. be our policy TO exlerd far and wide
the basis Of our agricultural interest, and
thus lay broad and deep the foundation ol
our commercial prosperity.
l nigh. here inquire to what extent,
then, would the passage Of this bill Induce
settlement and increase production. The
most liberal estimate Of those who could
avail themselves Of the provisions of the
bill would not exceed million Of persons
One hundred and sixty millions Of acres
of wild land, settled, improved. and cult
valed. as the resuI, Of a policy. shadowed
forth and guaranteed by the passage of
this bill. would no, only extend far and
wide The basis Of our agricultural interests,
bu, i, would extend far and wide, and sc.
cure our commercial! supremacy.