The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-02-14
Getting their Eyes open.

Getting their Eyes Open.
We nptice in our exchanges, a long series Of
regnlu;iona. passed a. meeting Of the citizens Of
Marion county, held at S.lem, a short time since
u wl.i.h ih,y urge upon all the counties along
,hs line If tue Illinois Central Railroad, to hold
,sii,sg meetings and instruct our Representa-
lives il congress, and request our Senators, 10
u'eail honorable means to procure the passas
Of a law graati'g PIE empticn to actual settlers
Along he lite Of sid road so tlat they may be
able to secure the divisions and subdivisions o.
land uPon which their Improvements may be 10,
Gated, 10 preference to all others
We have been looking for a move ofIhis kind
il some Of The southern counties along the Cen
,Tal Railroad for some time, and are therefore, rot
Surprised AZ seeing these resolutions coming up
bItwe are a little at seeing some Of the paper.
in henorthern part Of the state here copying then,
without word Of comment, ard tlt,eoy inli.a
TN. tha, they ilycr The movement.
Now, we are by no means opposed TO pre- emp
lion laws, such as will protect the claim Of an
actual settler upon the wild domain before it
is ~ TIE market against the moneyel specGlaioI
with It does come il. Or, as in tie case Of oGr
Canal Lands, upon which the Legislature Of the
fta,e granted a sort Of pre- cn,piicn, or mere phi
s.lcge, at tho time tie sale Of tlscse lands wa.
suspend el, in lsl2, 10 pereoGs sgi,iusupon, aal
improving them, the righk, 90 buy tho qrar
ter section or subdivision 50 IL proved at i,s ap
pfa'eL yA!ac, AFTER Tie canal ,was completed and
tie lands came into market % We are opposed
TO congress granting prc.eG Mons to settlers on
lands Nlieh have been ia market for the last
tweA.y years, merely because Tie Central Rail.
road happens TO come within their vicinity we
want 10 see these Lands sold to men " 10 are viii.
ling to pay tax's upon them to the state to cna.
be her to Pay her debts; and the first man,
therefore, who ishes to buy is the right man to
s>ll to, as FIR as the government lands are con.
cemod. a. for hose which are embraced in the
railroad grant, congress his nothing any more to
do with them; they have been transferred to tie
SAFE Of Illinois, and she has abandoned all her
jurisdiction over them to the Illinois Central Rail
N'P"uy upon 'o"u'Hoh 'hat they VIII
'"'' ',' 'o''u "a a'eo'0,'ice WIN The -pee'hea'
tons Of their charter, and to petition congress to
~ ','"I'o"' - '''''''' uv'n ''e'o lands
- =, ,,''' 49, g',s mum '".'
'1 ''' uses "'''',' go 20 80 'aa'nE oi 'ha ~"
'''''"S ''' ms 81 'ot' IL u '''o F'eaNo'e
m ''''O",
tr,l PairO "' 10 "v P''sS " '''i 1'', NJ C'h'
elias. Of cizsns Of III. staig lied se,t,sJ ana
built improvements upon the public lauds along
'He no" contemplated irs Il said read, as vol
u Il, ~, "''''. ,'1 '"' ''"''S " s".i gran,
,amr." sc '''~
Vow, The facts in tlc matter ore these. In !
nua.b Der If .haso s,u,her, counties and psri,p.
Irly in Marion. jefferson. franklin. 81 ,be fret
settlers senate ! on Tho n,L,i.. lapl. ami have
lived urcn Them ev,, sine, vi,bou, snter;p,, nm
acre. O.her settler, couipy in have done ,he
s.nc. AMI TIM, the iph1bjt,n,, If vb,lo cornfies
nearly have been living u,on the puNi, ,loo,oio
--.oms for twenty Or u.,lfy years witi,oY, nav.
ia! cent 0! real estate tax 10 tho state, anl
Low. because these laals haze been doubled in
vice, or the settlers find their premises transfer
rel to the Central Railroad Company, ,hey call
upon 10, vho,lIayc bought aud paid for our lands.
1nl are annually paying heavy taxes upon them
towards del,ayiuy tia state expepse, and nay.