The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-03-03

\
from ia ration, are in our country, under expires
provisions Of compact, early established, exem
ted from this burden Now, sir, make u
complaint Of this; do not suggest any change
nor do hint any ground Of legal title in tn
States Blu, / do confidently submit that in thi
peculiar, time-honored immunity, original
claimed by the nation and conceded by tn
States with which the public lands lie, Their
is ample ground Of equity, under which thes
States may now appeal to the nation for assis
lance out Of these public lands.
When | listen to comparisons discreditin!
these States by the side of the old States; whel
| hear it said that they have been constant r.
cipients of the national bounty; and when
catch those sharper terms Of condemnation, b,
which they are characterized as "plunderers'
and "robbers' and ''pirates," am forced t.
inquire wheathcr the nation has not already re
ceived from these States more than il has evel
| bestowed, even in its NEST liberal moods
Whether, at this moment, the nation is no
| eguitaLiy the debtor t. these Strtes, and moi
these States the debtors TO the nation. The an.
| swer is clear.
In order to estimate the extent of this equit,
for will call it by no stronger term-w,
must endravor to understand the extent and
value of the franchise or immunity conceded BY
the States
IL. And am now brought t. the second head
of this inquiry that is the extent and value OF
the immunity from taxaiion enjoyed by the ma.
tional domain, after deducing lhrrefrom all res
ervations and grants to the several Sta'es-
Authentic documen s and facts pace these be
yond question.
From the official returns Of the Land Office
in January, 1S49. Exec Doc. Cd session, Goth
Cong II. NJ. IL, p. 225, i, appears that
the areas of the twelve land States-Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Alabama, M ississppi,
louisiana, Michigan, Arkansas, Wisconsin,
Iowa, and Florida-embrace 392 570,2)0 acres
California was not al that time a State o: the
Union. Of this territory, only 259,96l ,954
acres had been, in pursuance Of the laws Of the
United States, surveyed, proclaimed, and put
into the market. In some of the recent States,
more than moiety of the whole domain had
never been brought into this condition. II con-
tnued still unconscious of the surveyor chain
Thus, in Wisconsin, out Of territory of more
than thirty four millions Of acres, only little
more than thirteen millions had been proclaimed
for sale; and in Iowa The very State whose
interests are now particularly in custom, out
Of territory of more than thirty-two millions
of acres, only little more than twenty millions
had been proclaimed for sale. II Is evident
therefore, that, in point of fact, the true extent
If territory, belonging to the United States at
the market. but since it may be said, that the
lands not yet surveyed, proclaimed, and put in
to the market, though nomina!ly under the
jurisdiction of the State, must actually lie out
of the sphere of their influence, not to
derive any appreciable advantage from the local
Governments, and, as desire to hold this ar.
gument above every imputa,ion Of exaggera-
tion-knowing full well that it afford to be
under-stated-I shall torbear to take the larger
sum as the basis of my estimates, but shall
found them upon the extent Of territory actu-
ally proclaimed for sale, from the beginning
down to January, lS49, amounting to 2S9,96I,-
954 acres.
All these lands thus proclaimed have
been exempt from taxation But since they
were proclaimed at different periods, and also
sold at different periods as far the same have
been sold, 1t IS necessary, in order to arrive al
the value of this immunity, to ascertain what
is the average period during which-the lands,
after being put into the market, have been in
the possession of the United States. This we
are able to do from the official returns OF
the Land Office. Here is table, now be
fore me, from which it appears that Of the lands
offered for sale during period IF thirty years,
large quantitles-in some case more than halt
were, at the expiration Of the period, still on
hand. Of the fourteen millions offered in Ohio
during this period, more than two millions re-
NAMED; while, of the nineteen millions offered
in Missouri, more than twelve millions re-
NAMED OF all the lands offered during this
period of thirty years. more than half were
still unsold. Aud out Of the above aggregate Of
all the lands proclaimed from the beginning
down to January, 1S49, notwithstanding the
trend Of our thick-coming population,
only 100, 200 Csc acres had been sold. Now,
without further pursuing these details, shall
l.
clearly within the truth, that The lands proclaim.
I'd are not all sold till after period of fifty
years. This estimate will make the average
period curing which The lands, after being sur
veyed and proclaimed, are actually in the pos
session Of the United States, and free from tax
alton, twenty five years.
According to this estimate, 2S6, 961 .654 acres
proclaimed for sale, have been absolutely free
from taxation, during the space of twenty FIVE
years, and yet during this whole period have,
Without the ordinary consideration therefore,
enjoyed the protection of the State. with the |
advantages and increased value from hi ghways,
bridges, and school houses, all of which are
by the adjoining pfopriet"rs, under the
laws Of The States, without assistance Of any
KIND from the United States.
Such is the extent Of this immunity. But,
n order to determine Its precise value, it is
necessary tn advance step further and ascer- |
lain one other element; that is, the average |
annual tax on land in these States for instance |
On the land Of other nonresidcnis There are
no official documents within my knowledge by
which this can be determined. But after in
luiry of gentlemen, themselves landholders in
hese States, have thought it might be placed,
without chance of contradiction, at one cent an
lcre. Probably it is rather two or even three
cents /; but, desiring to keep within bounds, |
I,,~ ~
IN 269, 76l 954 acres, at the rate Of one cent an
'cre, would be $2,8O9, 619, and the sum total of
his tax for twenty FIVE years would amount to
s72, 490, 47o, being the value Of this immunity
rom taxation already enjoyed by the United
States, or, if We call the annua! tax two cents
III acre instead of one cent, we have the |
enormous sum OF $l44, $50, $50, of which the
United States may now be regarded az trustees
n equity for the benefit Of the land States
Blu. against this large sum may be reminded |
# reservations and grants by the Nation to the
lif1erent States in question. These. however,
when examined, do not materially interfere
With the result. From the official returns Of
he Land Office IN lS48, Executive Coo,
Isl we lean the precise extent of these reserv
lions and grants down to that period. Here is
he exhibit:
Acres.
Common schools 1887 1858
Universities s23,950
Seats Of Government 50,S60 |
Sllnes 422 1875 |
Deaf and dumb asylums 1910
Internal im Per act Of Sept. 4, Al 4l69, 430
Roads, rivers and canals 1895, 1884
2o,625,Oo6
This is all In the whole aggregate, only
little more than twenty millions of acres have
zen granted to these States The value of
his sum total it deducted from the estimated
'alue Of the ffanchsed enjoyed by the Nation.
will still leave very lage balance to the credit
# the land States. Estimating the land at
sl,25 an acre, all the reservation and grants
will amount to no more than $25,755, 257.-
Deductng this SUN from $50, 400 AIS, and We
have $40, 702 2lS to be entered to the credit of
the land States, or, if we place the tax at two
cents an acre, more than double this sum.
This result leaves the nation Sd largely in
debt to the land States, tina. it becomes Of small
Importance to scan closely the character of these
grants and reservations, in order to determine