Washington sentinel., 1854-07-25

that lands which have been subject to-private
entry for a period of five and less than ten
years. shall be sold at one dollar per acre; if
they have been so subject for ten years and
less than fifteen, at seyenty-ive centsper acre !;
il for fifteen and less than twenty years, for
fifty cents per acre; il for twenty and less than
twenty-five years, attwenty-iye cents per acre;
and if for the twenty-five years and more, for
twelve and-a.half cents per acre.
These are the stages which have been usual
in most Of the graduation bills, and such are
the terms upon which individuals may enter
the public lands, unless the States shall avail
themselves of the privilege which this bill
gives to them of taking, as pre-emptors, the
graduated lands within their borders, provided,
they take the whole of the lands so graduated,
or the whole of any one class. This they may
do without creating the relation OF debtor and
creditor between the United States and the
several States. To avert that condition OF
affairs, the bill reserves the title from the in
dividual purchaser until he pays to the United
States the price charged in this bill for such
lands as he may take. The United States are
thus secured, while yet the States may take, as
pre-emptors, without raising money or incuring
q debt. Should State choose to place an ad-
vanced price on the lands, it can do SO, or it
can dispose Of them at the moderate rate OF Its
own pre-emption price.
Thus each State can consult its own policy,
and hasten or delay settlement within it's bor-
ders, as it may judge best for its interest. The
United States sell the lands for small pecuni
ary price, but substantial consideration, and
the States have secured to themselves the right
to regulate the policy and process of settle
ment within their own borders. This is the
application of the nonintervention principle to
the policy of the public lands, reserving to the
United States its pecuniary interests, but ex-
cluding the irritating policy of intrusion by the
Federal government. The fair presumption is,
that the States will allow the lands to be taken
by actual settlers at the low graduated prices,
and probably charge an advanced price to
those who take larger quantities for speculation
and future settlement nor can any one COM
plain should they do SO. The State cannot,
because the advanced price may compensate
her for postponement of the period of taxation.
So much for the first object of the bill.
The second series Of provisions has reference
to that settled idea in the public mind, that the
United States, as landholder, should contri-
butte something 10 the enterprises of the States
by which the value of their property is en-
hanced. The practical form in which this idea
has been expressed has much seeming force.
Alternate sections along the railroad have been
given to the company, the others reserved to
the United States, to be sold at double price;
this being designed to secure to the United
States the original value Of the whole land, and
TO give TO the State the increased value which
her enterprise had created.
But experience has shown that this practice
is liable to great abuses. The grant OF lands
has not always been confined to the neighbor-
hood of the road The double price on the al
ternate sections has not always been preserved;
and grants have been sometimes sought, not so
much to satisfy any real necessity for rail-
road as to promote land speculation. The
grant being made by Congress to the roads
and not to the States in which they lie, prac-
tice is thus adopted by which the railroads Of
the new States will be established, not accord
ing to Just considerations of internal improve
ments, but for the mere purpose of obtaining
the lands. To obviate all these difficulties,
this bill proposes to let the State take as pre-
emptor twelve sections of land for each mile OF
railroad within twelve miles on either side, at
prices graduated upon somewhat newer scale
than that established for the general purposes OF
graduation. The State may take this quantity OF
land for such purposes as pre-emptor wherever
the railroad may run, whether the lands be sub
iect to private entry or not the price is to be
one dollar per acre for lands not yet offered for
public sale or offered for period of less than
five years; if offered for five, and less than ten
years, then at seventy-6ve cents per acre, and
so on, reducing at the rate of twenty-five cents
per acre for every Eve years, until the lands fall
to twenty-five cents per acre.
The State may have ten years during which
it can, at its pleasure, pay either the whole sum
in cash, or allow individuals to enter at such
price as it may fix, the purchaser paying hrst
the United States its part whose title is re-
served until the price is paid.
These lands are thus allowed to be taken by
the States upon condition that they are to be
applied to the roads and canals for which they
are taken. According to this system, the
United States reserves to itself the original
price, moderate one it is true, and allow the
States to take all the enhanced value, which
their enterprise may give. In this way, the
system of internal improvements, not by Con
gress and the accidental success Of railroad
companies petitioning for lands, but by States
themselves and upon considerations germair
| TO the subject. Nor will the States be tempted
to make railroads merely to get the lands, be
o,,,o tbo,, NAV ohta;n tharn rnder tho oenera