Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-12-29
Tie Public lands.

The administration and appropria-
tion of the proceeds Of the pubic .
lands, arc now the subjects Of the
first Importance to the people Of the
west Having SKINNED the cream
of them for half century, and de-
spared of deriving to themselves cX-
elusive advantages from them IN the
future, the politicians of the old
States are busy in connecting SC hcmcs
for squnndcriny them in personal in Z
trigurs, or cmptying their own com /.
munitics of all their idle and worth I.
less population and placing them
in our midst. 1t is time for the pco-
pie of the west to awaken to the
cnormitics proposed 10 be perpctra-
ted to their dctrimcnt. andto demand
for themselves Il rccognItlOnut rights
which have been suffered to sleep in
abcynncc for more than thirty years.
The lands east OF the Mississippi
were ccdcd TO the United States pri-
marily for the discharge Of the pub
lie debt, and sccondayily for the com.
mon benefit Of the whole Union
Those who ccdcd them, never, mag
! incd that when new States were ad
dcd to the Union, the sovereignty
over their soil would be reserved to
/ the General Government, in direct
violation of that provision of the Con-
stitution which requires that new
] Slates shall be admitted into the
H Gx.fQzR ti1Qli4g 1IitArfho
=, l8eh tic Old States had en-
I tire dominion over their own soil, and
reserved also Il dominion over the
soil of the new ones, to be exercised
| BY their trustee, the General Govern
mcnt? Nothing can be more evident
than that those who coded the lands
east Of the Mississippi expected the
General Government to rclinQuish
all control over them upon admission
OF New States carved out Of thCm.--
! This would have been done, but for
the existence Of the revolutionary
debt, and for an interest in the old
\ States adverse to the growth of the
new ones. Asto the land west of the
mississippi, there is no shadow Of
q, apology for the retention Of sover-
eighty over it where new states have
been formed.
| The Territory Of Louisiana en-
bracing the broad cXpansc between
ournobIc rivers and the Rocky Noun
ta!ns, WAS purchased for fifteen mil
lions Of dollars. SO soon as The
Government Tas reimbursed for the
outlay Of that sum with liberal
interest thereon, ii Was it's boundcn
duty to ccdc the lands lying within
the States all ready formed in iul
= Sovereignty, and to hold the proceeds
OF those Vet remaining in a territorial
condition in trust to Returned over tc
, the new States, as admitted, to be by
them expended in education and pub
lie ilnproy cments. The United State.
were entitled to the full value Of tn,
land they purchascd---, they were no
entitled to the additional value givcl
to them by the labors of the hard,
:, and cntcrprisiny men who settle,
- them. From the day the oriyin;
, purchase money with interest wa.
- paid the lands and their proceed
y we're lisl.tiully the property of thos,
who had been permitted to organize
communities upon them, and from
that day tolli.---now luIl thirtyyc
I'VE have been llccccd by the Gu,
r puidity OF the north and east
= The true policy Of the west then
f. is Ia Gc.YAuI now, l-t. That the
1 public hands within the new States
: shall be ccdcd to them absolutely and
Internationally. 2nd. That the pro,
cccds Of The public lands yet remain
+ ing in al unsettled condition shall be
/ held in trust for future new States
"a they are formed and Bird. That
. the admission OF State into III,
. Union ahal! Of itself operate as a re-
l liupuishmentoi all title in the United
I States to her soil. .
: If these positions arc assumed anG
G firmly adhered to by the public mel
0 and the people otthe west, our ri ghts
Will soon be ccded and hereafter re
: spcctcd.---St. Louis News.
e SMpWicl ISLANDS. IA letter from
,r al American in Lima, dated Oct
! ~ AMI p,,l VI .LrI !, No Mo Nnr'