The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-08-18

WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST IL, 1855
This last act of the National Administra-
ton. the setting up at auction Of the homes
Of thousands Of the hardy pioneer settlers Of
THIS Territory-is viewed every where with
CONSERVATION and establishment. Probably
nine-teuths Of the settlers have not the means
to enter their homcstcads this Fall, and if the
sale Is persisted in, viii be compelled to either
abandon their homes, or throw themselves
into the arms Of the soullcss money lender.
Aswe stated few days ago, numerous pc
titions are in circulation throughout the Ter.
rirory to the President of the U. S. to withdraw
the lands from market recently offered for sale;
ana II there is any efficacy in sincere, earnest.
reasonable prayer, it must be Gone A large
majority Of these settlers hare only been on
their lands about three or four months-many
OF chem have not been able to raise particle
OF produce, while Others have raised but
small portion of wha. their necessities will re-
quire during the coming Winter-all have ex-
pended what little money they have been able
to save from their tedious journey, in neces-
sary improvements on their new homes No
one supposed that those lands were to be forced
into market so soon
Some of the land which has recently been
proclaimed for sale at auction has been sur-
veyed but short time, and the place just re-
turned to the Office, SO that pre-emptors have
not had ON opportunity to prove up their
claims and enter their homes, and will not,
there being so many of them, prior to the time
fixed by the proclamation for Uncle Sans
Auctioneer to commence his work.
OF the policy of selling the public lands at
auction, we have ever been of one opinion, and
have reiterated it so often that the readers of
the Minnesotian, if they have paid attention to
the subject are fully aware Off. A year ago,
when small portion of the now advertised
lands was withdrawn from market, in order
that the contemplated Railroad might be loca-
ted, we took occasion to say, while commenting
and approving the act that "the Withholding the
public lands from sale was regarded by the set
tiers as the next best thing to the passage of
the Homestead bill" And although our Ian
guage was commented upon pretty freely by
two OF our contemporaries at the time. who took
different view Of the matter, yet they now
both acknowledge the truth and justice of the
matter and are doing their utmost to have the
contemplated sale put stop to.
Who docs not know that speculation in the
public lands is the most blighting curse that
ever afflicted the western country? One does not
have to travel very far to see the effects of it.
Three fourths of the entered land in circle Of
twenty miles of this place, on the east side OF
the Mississippi, are owned by non residents, a
great portion of whom do not even reside in
the Territory. If the land in the vicinity of
st. Paul, st. Anthony and Saltwater, could
not have been entered except by presumption,
there would not now be quarter section
within six miles of either Of those fourshing
towns but what would be under cultivation
and the precincts outside of the city limits Of
st. Paul, instead of containing few hundred
Inhabitants, would now contain as many thou
sands.
In view Of these facts we hope that the
efforts now being made to induce the Presi.
dent to stop the sale will be successful and
we think they will. Though we should not
relax one particle in our zeal in this cause.
Let the petitions be circulated so that every
man in the Territory shall have an opportunity
of signing them, and forwarded with all posi-
bic dispatch to headquarters. Many praise
worthy efforts are being made in this causeby,
some of our citizens who are of the class known
as spectators, and whose private pecuniary
interests would undoubtedly be forwarded by
having the sale 60 on ; but they look further
ahead and see how the growth of the Territory
must be retarded by such course, and with
: commendable disintercstedness, 60 in for the
general good.
For our own part, we hope never to see ano-
Their land sale we should like to see the whole
country settle up by presumption. We would
like to see at least one spot in this broad do
main where the landless who al in search oil
home, could feel that in their peregrinations,
when they have found an unoccupied quarter
section among our fertile prairies, that they
could settle upon it and o,cn it at the minimum
price which the Government has fixed for it
instead of being told that one Land Shark
ESD, of New York, or Canada, or some othe,
place thousand miles hence, has Uncle Sans
title deed for it locked up in his iron-safe.
The DEMoCRAT.-As has been for several
days rumored on the streets, the Democrat has
nominally passed out of the hands Of its late
publisher, and will hereafter be conducted by
Hon. Joseph R. Brown, a member of the Coun
Gil, late editor of the Pioneer; ex-Chief Clerk
of the House of Representatives, also ex-secre
tary of the Council, &c. We wish the new ed
tor all the success pecuniarly and politically
that he can under the circumstances, reasona
bly, expect, except where their accomplish
ment might interfere with our prospects.