Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1853-12-15
Whole Number 7O3.

TWO thousand three hundred and sixty acres
located under certificates nine thousand four
hundred and twcnty.scycn acres; ccdod to the
States as swamp lands, sixteen million six hun.
drcd and cighty-tour thousand two hundred
and fifty three acres selected for railroad and
other objects, under acts Of Congress, one mil.
lion four hundred and twenty-scyen thousand
four hundred and fhy-5evcn acres. The total
amount Of lands disposed Of within the fiscal
year, twenty-five million three hundred and for
ty-siX thousand nine hundred and nincty.two
acres; which is an increase in quantity sold
and located under land warrants and grants, Of
twelve million two hundred and thlry-one
thousand eight hundred and eighteen acres
over the fiscal year Immediately y preceding.
Ihc HuaH''y " '@nn SOFA during the second
anu ,,'!'u 4u'"'oI' Vi lI'S' was Ii''cc nu'lutcu
anu ''''y VnouSo"u 'oul liul'urCu ana MY
ono ac'GS' Inc amount received lheIeior was
SN Iiunufcu ana '"ch'y',hrGc 'nousaild SIX nun
area ana c'S'i,y'ScYG,n. dollars, me quantity
SpIl INC second ana II''Fo quarters Oh 'Hc year
i"'o' was one "'I'Ioh SIN Nu"oIco anu Ii'liG
lnouS''o iINc hunoFGo ana nineteen acres ana
inc amount received 'hcroloF TWO mioh Two
honorCo ana '"ch'%-S'N lhooSahd cI9hl hundred
ana Sc'on'%-SN uoarS'
me "ho'e number OF lana warrants issued
ohocf c%S'l''S Ia"S' prior 10 lhG SUN OF sep
lcmocr IaSt' was TWO hundred ana SiXty-slX
'l'ooSohu ana 4ory-"o; ol "l''c'i ''lcro were
oa'S1hoin9' al ma! oo'c' SIN'y'SIX 'houSanu
nine hundred ana torty-Scvcn. lhc quantity
Of land required to satisfy these Outstanding
warrants, is four million seven hundred and
scycnty-cight thousand ono hundred and twcn-
ty acres.
Warrants have been issued to the Both of
September last, under the act Of | lth Februa-
ry, lS47, calling for twelve million eight hun
drcd and scycnty-nine thousand two hundred
and eighty acres under acts Of September 2S,
1850, and March %, 1852, calling for twelve
million five hundred and five thousand three
hundred and sixty acres; making Il total Of
twenty-five million three hundred and eighty
four thousand six hundred and forty acres.
1t is believed that experience has verified
the wisdom and justice Of the present system,
with regard to the public domain, in most cs-
scntaI particulars.
You will perceive, from the report of the
Secretary Of the Interior, that opinions which
have often been expressed in relation to the
operation Of the land system, as not being a
source of revenue to the federal treasury, were
erroneous, The net profits from the sale of
the public lands to June 3Oth, 1893, amounted
to the sum of tifty-thrcc million two hundred
and eighty nine thousand four hundred and
sINiy-hyc dollars,
recommend the extension ol me Iand system
over the territories OF utah ana New MEXICO,
with such mouIhcauohS rs ther PccuIIarlues
may require
Regarding our PuDlic DOMAIN as chiefly val
liable to provide homes Tor the industrious and
en'erPrShg, am not prepared TO recommend
any essential change IN the land system' cN.
cept by mooihc"tiolS III laVor OF inc actual
Scuct' ana oi' cNlcIS'ol ol INC P'e'ehlPuoh
prlhclPIc IN cCftah cases. lor reasons ana on
grounds mat VIII DC ioIIy developed IN the Ic'
ports 10 DC alo Dcioic you.
Congress- representing inc PfoPFlc'orS Oh me
territorial CONAN, ana charged eSpccaIIy with
power 10 dISPoSe ol leFilloTy ocloH9lhg 10 the
nncd States, has tor long course OF years,
beginning with the administration OF Mr. Jccr-
son, exercised the power to construct roads
within the territories; and there are so many
and obvious distinctions between this exercise
of power aud that of making roads within the
States, that the former has never been con-
sidcrcd subject to such objections as apply to
the latter, and such may now be considered
the settled construction of the power of the
federal government upon the subject
Numerous applications have been, and no
doubt will continue to be made, for grants
of land, in aid of the construction of railways.
1t is not believed to be within the intent and
meaning Of the Constitution, that the power to
dispose of the public domain should be used
otherwise than might be expected from pru-
dent proprietor, and, therefore, that grants OF
land, to aid in the construction of roads, should
be restricted to cases where it would be for
the interest of Il proprietor, under like circum-
stances, thus to contribute to the construction
Of these works. For the practical operation of
such Grants thus far. in advancing the interests