White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-12-31

). whist the public lasas a a source Of revenue
are Of great importance, their importance Is far
T greater as furnishing homes for hardy and In
dependent race Of honest and industrious eit-
gems, who desire to subdue and cultivate the
soil. They ought to be administered mainly
18th view Of promoting this wise and beneVo-
lent policy In approprating them for any oth-
er purpose, we ought to use greater economy
than if they had been converted into money ana
the proceeds we're already in the public treasury.
To squander away this richest and neblest inner
isance which any people have ever enjoyed up
on subjects Of doubtful constitutionahty or e1-
pediency, would be to violate one Of the most
important trusts ever committed to any people
whilst do not deny to Congress the power
when acting BONA FIDE as a proprietor, to give
away portions Of them for the purpose ofinsreas-
ing the value of the remainder, yet, considering
the great temptation to abuse this power we
cannot be too cautious in its exercise
Actual settlers under existing laws are pro-
tected against other purchasers at the public
sales, in their right of presumption, to the extent
of a ouarter.section, or I60 acres Of land. The
remainder may then be disposed Of at public or
entered at private sale in unlimited quantities
Speculation has OF late years prevailed to a
great extent in the public lands. The conse-
ouence has been that large portions OF them
Ihave become the property of individuals and
companies, and thus the price is greatly enhan-
eed to those who desire to purchase for actual
settlement. In order to limit-the area Of spec
ulation as much as possible. the e1tinetionof the
Indian title and the extension Of the pnblic sur
; veys ought only to keep pace with the tide OF
emigration.
If Congress should hereafter grant alternate
sections to States or Companies, as they have
done heretofore, recommend that the interme-
date sections retained BY the government should
be subject to presumption by actual settlers.
It ought ever to be our cardinal policy to re-
serve the public lands as much as may be for
actual settlers, and this at moderate prices. We
shall thus not only best promote the prosperity
Of the new States and Territories, and the pow
er Of the Union, but shall secure homes for our
posterity for many generations.
The extension of our limits has bought with
in our Jurisdiction many additional and poPulous
tribes of Indians, large proportion of which
are wild, untractable, and difficult to control
Predatory and warlike in their disposition and
habits, it is impossible altogether to restrain
them from committing aggressions on each 9TH
er, as we'll as upon our frontier citizens and those
emigrating to our distant States and Territories.
Hence expensive military expeditions are fire.
quently necessary to overaWe and chastise the
more lawIess and hostile.
The present system Of making them valuable
presents TO influence them to remain at peace
has proved Intellectual. 1t is believed to be the
better policy to colonize them in suitable locali-
ties, where they can receive the rudiments Of
education and be gradually induced to adopt hab-
its of industry. So far as the experiment has
been tried, it has worked well in practice, and it
will doubtless prove to be less expensive than
the present system.
The whole number Of Indians within our ter
ritorial limits is believed to be, from the best
data in the Interior Department, about 800, 900.
The tribes of Cherokees, ChoctaWs, Chicka-
saws, and Creeks, settled in the Territory set
apart for them west of Arkansas, are rapidly
advancing in education and in all the arts of civ
ilization and elfgoverument; and we may in
dulge the agreeable anticipation that at no very
distant day they will be incorporated into the
UniUn as one of the sovereign States.
1t will be seen from the report of the Post
master General that the Post Office Department
still continues to depend on the Treasury, as it
has been compelled to do for several years past,
for an important portion Of the means of sus-
rapid growth and expansion are shown by de-
cennial statement of the number of post Offices,
and the length of post roads, commencing with
the year 1927. In that year there were 1000
post offices; in 1887, 11,l77; in 1s47. 1916;
and in 1857, they number 1856. III this year
LIDS post Offices have been established, and 7O4
discontinued, leavinga net increase of ,O2l.-
The pos.masters of 96s Offices are appointed by
the President.
The length Of post roads in 1927 was los 1856
miles; in 1887, l4l pa miles; in ls47, Isl ,sls
miles; and in the year 1851, there are "a, sol
miles of post road, including $3.50 miles of
railroad, on which the mails are transported
The expenditures of the department for the
fiscal year ending on the 30th June, 1851, as
adjusted by the Auditor, amount to SIl y507,-
SO. To defray these expenditures there was
to the credit of the department on the Ist July.
1856, the sum of s7s9 ,599; the gross revenue of
the year, including the annual allowances for
the transportation Of free mail matter, produced
$S,053, ISL; and the remainder was supplied by
the appropriation from the treasury Of 50 $780,
600, granted BY the act Of Congress approved
August 1s, 1856, and BY the appropriation Of
$685. made by the act of March 3, 1857,
leaving $247, 1853 to be carried to the credit Of
the department. in the accounts Of the current
year. ! commend to your consideration the re-
port Of the department in relation to the estab-
lishment Of the overland mail route from the
Mississippi river 10 San Francisco, California
The route was selected with ny full concurrence,
as the one, in my judgement, best calculated to
attain the Important objects contemplated BY
Congress. i-Iil ii1 sl-- s.--
The late disastrous monetary revulsions may
have one good effect should R cause both the
government and the people to return to the prac-
tice Of a wise and judiciOus economy both in pub
lie and private expenditures.
An over6oWing treasury has led 10 habits Of
l. L.