The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-12

the blessings, but the malls 0ns OF q deceived
and injured people.
A FREE FARM FOR EvERYBoDY-Our read
ers are aware that Congress passed bill at
its last session, under the provisions of which
any person who has ever been engaged in any
war in this country, or who has been present at
any engagement-including clerks, wagon
drivers, mule men, and SO forth-their widows
or minor children are entitled to one hundred
and sixty acres Of the public domain. II they
have previously received forty or eighty acre
land warrants dssHed for service in the war of
1s12-'15) they are entitled to quantity suf-
fcient to make up one hundred and sixty acres.
Hardly three months have elapsed since this
bill became the law Of the land and we find
that one hundred and seventy-nine thousand
three hundred and eighty-two applications have
been received, and that the number is soon ex-
pected to reach two hundred and eighty thou
sand. To satisfy these, thirty-ive millions of
acres, or nearly fifty-fve thousand square miles,
Of land will be required-that is to say: 60
vernment will give into the hands Of specula-
tors q territory somewhat larger than the State
Of New York, and equal in area to the four
principal New England States. It is expected
that one third Of this extensive farm will be
given away this year, and land warrants will
be issued at the rate of five hundred per day.
Under acts passed within the last eight years,
twenty five millions of acres had been given
away for actual service in Mexico, making
total of seventy millions of acres donated
during little less than ten years The area
Of public land which may be put in the market
at any time-less the quantity above stated-is
estimated at five hundred millions Of acres
and thus it seems that one acre out of every
seven has been given away.
People with pastoral ideas may imagine that
the old soldiers take their warrants, locate
them, and, like so many Cincinnati, devote them
selves to the tillage Of the soil until they shall
hear summons to serve their grateful country
Y. more and get another warrant. But this
al mistake. The old soldiers do not do any
sCcn a.Qe The warrants pass at once into the
hand 81 arokers and from them they 90 TO
land spectators, no can erord to hold on for
wise ons] aTth 'vtv Il housand) of the
.,go- 44lants issued rs, of the Mexi-
.a II hase never Sed ehey are ly-
iuelai8 L'rG The poor
te.logs res tn leroy
of the brl5 h otas Is acs-
sible, Ven ~ lS. assty
or seventy d. 2Es Who f pFsh twp
hundred at the MINIMUM a arl1sns
land.
At present, we learn, J., gs better f3y
xna IL Worr 70
dollar and ten cents an acre in WASH agtog ri
one of the correspondents wisely rem. = thst
Chubb Brothers find it difficult to fill tho
ders at that price. We should think so, for 20
land is worth, and will bring at any time, flu.
fifteen cents more an acre than they are willing
to pay for it. The brokers buy in the warrants
at this discount, and sell them at the govern
ment price, and thus they will make out Of the
old soldiers some two or three millions Of dol
lars. What the spectators, who can afford to
hold on to the land for 6ve or ten years, will
realize, we could not venture to guess. But the
brokers and spectators, not the old soldiers,
have thus far received the benefit of this bene-
VIOLENT act of Congress.
These facts require no comment. They may
serve to open the eyes of persons who will here
after receive land warrants, or who have not
yet sold them. They should obstinately refuse
to part with them for a less consideration than
the government price--one dollar and twenty
five cents an acre. That is low enough.
DECREASE OF EMGRATIoN.-The official re-
ports Of the Commissioners Of Emigration shows
that there is decrease of over one.half in the
number of emigrants landed here this year, as
compared with last. The figures are =
Arrived TO 3oth June, ..1os ,9A
Do. d. 1885. 1854
decrease 6O,b9O
An attempt is being made in certain quarters
to ascribe this falling off to the agency of the
Know Nothing movement; the object being of
course to brighten the Know Nothings by hold
ing out the prospect of serious dimiuution in
our supply Of raw labor from Europe. The
facts warrant no such inference. Our immigra-
ton proceeds mainly from two fountains-Ire
land and Germany. or these two countries,
the former is at present in the enjoyment of
tranquility and well-being that have been
strangers to her soil for over century.
This arises from the working Of the Eacumbered
Estates Court. Most of the large estates have
been parcelled out, have fallen into the hands
of resident owners, and have obtained-what
they sadly needed-a moderate outlay of CAPT.
tai to complete their development and ensure