Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-13

r How much truer is this now Tazewell, tn,
patriot sage of the old republican party, (lons
may be survive, an ornament of our STATED il
the same year submitted this resolution:
! RESOLVED, That il is expedient for the Unites
States 10 cede and surrender 10 the several States
within whose limits the same may be situated, al
the right, title, and interest Of the United States
II 10 any lands lying and being within the bounda
res OF such States respectively, upon such terms
and conditions as may be consistent with the due
observance of the public faith, and with the gen
eral interest the United States"
MIR. Calhoun's land bills were founded on the
same principle. AS he said, it is necessary 10
do away with the antagonism Of the new and
the old States and to identify their interests as
to the public lands. To this end it is neces.
sary ITO dispose of the public lands to the
States within the limits Of which they respec-
lively lie, on such terms, and under such con.
dltions, as shall at the same time be Just and
liberal to the new States, and safe to the old .
Mr.. Hunter himself in his Iowa land bill
speech, in February, 1852, to which we before
referred, after arguing that the revenue from
lands should be applied to the payment of the
debts and expenses of government, and not
distributed, according to the old wing project,
among the States, because in so doing it goes
to relieve the burdens of taxation, and benefits
| every one In the exact ratio of his contribution
to the federal expenses, added;
" But in doing this, we should not lose sight of
what IS Just TO the new States within whose bor-
| ders these lands lie You must look, not merely
to the profit which the general government NAV
oerive from the lands, but also you must have
| reference TO the just settlement and increase of
population within these States. And in order 10
| effect both these ends, would be willing 10 adj
vertlse the lands at the present price for certain
number OF years. and after that time would d.
/ M nIsh fha sNrs.,a L. L
ale the price afterwards, and cede them 10 the
| states, upon liberal TERMS such terms as would
compensate them fairly and generously for admin.
istering them
Now the lands may be disposed of to the
States, either as purchasers, or agents.
l. Mr.. Calhoun's bill proposed an absolute
sale to the new States of the lands within their
respective limits at the government price. to be
paid monthly, as they were sold out to private
persons, but the-States were to retain for their
own use thirtyhve per cent. of the gross amount
OF Sales at the same time surrendering the five
per cent. fund they receive under existing
laws, anu assuming all the expenses of man
agement.
| 1t was objected to this scheme. with some
show OF reason, that it created the relation of
debtor and creditor between the State and
federal governments-parties who should never
stand to each other in such relation, if posi-.
| BILE to be ayoided that it was doubtful whether
these debts, so created, would be faithfully
paid; and that thirty-fye per cent. was too
large compensation.
2. But Hunters bill disposes Of the lands to
the States as agents, and thus avoids all these
objections. For, while the State sells the land.
the purchaser only gets his title, when he paws
over the price, not to the State. but directly to
the federal officers. And the State finds her
interest and compensation as agent not in a
part, however small, of the United States price,
but In selling the lands for as much more as
she can, and retaining theexcess. She equally
surrenders the present five per cent. fund.
While this scheme guards the public re.
venue more efiectually, it has the further ad-
vantage OF leaving every State to regulate the
pnce OF lands within its limits, at its own
pleasure, provided it does not reduce them be-
low the government minimum. Thus the land
States acquire direct interest in the increase
OF the revenue from lands, and in preserving
them from all schemes of spoation.
1t has been said that this bill is inferior to
Mr.. Calhoun's, because the latter gives up the
whole management of the public lands to the
several States within which they lie, and by
the substitution Of State officers for federal.
cuts OH large amount of public patronage.
This is TO some extent true, but it is not very
easy TO see how this end can be attained with
due regard to the security of our revenue
and without making the new States perpetual
debtors to the federal government And we
believe the same result viii follow, not so spec
Oily, but very soon, from another provision of
the Hunter bill, common to Mr.. Calhoun's-we
mean the graduation clause.
When we consider the great length of time
that some of the States have been organized.
an tha - L. !
for instance, Louisiana, Indiana, and Ohio, ii
is remarkable to find large bodies of public
lands, within their limits, still unsold. The
reason is simple the best lands are first taken
at the government price; the inferior are not
worth 1T and perhaps never viii be, and conse-
quently they remain unsold. Is it not then the
plainest thing in the world, that the price of
such lands should be reduced, if merely with
view to the increase of our revenue? When
lands are in market for ten or twenty years at
81 20 per acre, and cannot find purchasers,
any prudent owner would reduce the price to
what could be had. All the public lands are
first offered at public auction to the highest
bidder; if they do not then find purchaser,
over the minimum price Of 81 rs, they are
subject to private entry at that rate, and vast
amounts have remained so for ten and twenty
and thirty years, and are still unsold.
plauua'e anu reuuce the price OF lneSe landS,
according to the length of time they have re.
NAMED in market unsold, and the revenue will
be largely increased. Emigration has hitherto
selected only the best, there being one fixed
price for all, both the good and the bad and
when one State was thus culled over, popula.
ton passed on westward TO repeat the same
process, ever seeking new lands, and dspers-
ing through new territories But, when these
lands are graduated, and sold at prices differ
ing with their quality, this tendency Of popula-
ton will be somewhat reversed. It will con-
centrate itself more in the Oldest of the land
States; their surfaces will be rescued from the
wilderness, and an increased population will
increase their resources and strength. This
will be especially advantageous to the southern
land States, for they contained much larger |
proportion Of poor land than the northern land
States, and consequently a larger part has re- |
NAMED unsold. In the six northwestern States, |
about 30 per cent. Of their area il still federal
property, while, in the southern land States, |
the proportion reaches 81 per cent. II will be |
found that the unsold lands in these southern |