Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-05-08
Pins from their own Medicine Box.

Pins from their own Medicine Box.
The Land d istribuiionists make a great
outcry against railroad grants to the new
States. Search the record. and scarcely
"a vote of their own party can be found
registered against these grants. Their
Senator'S and Represents tiyes have ha-
bitually voted for the grants. But even
this is not all. Their own Administers
ton last in power, warmly advocated.
them. We append an uncomfortable ex-
tract from the annual report of the Secre-
tary of the Interior, made TO Congress in
1853:
8. In the Territories and new States
where many of the public lands remain
for long period nnsold, liberal grants
Should be mad e'for those great highways
which,. to a certain extent, may. be consid-
cred local in their character though gene
raj In their influence, and not conflicting
with the interests of the old States. In
this way, without, any expenditure Of mo.
,ney. the general government SAP greatly
increase the value Of the public domain.
has ne8e,:' made such a donation sglthto9at
being fully repaid. The principle OF gran.
ting alternate sections, and selling those
reserved at double the ordinary price. has
been found by experience, to be most
salutary. Byreason Of theimproYements
made with such grants. large tracts OF
land, that has lain waste. have been
brought into market and found a ready
sale; the surrounding country has been
peopled the revenue has been augment
ed by the increased consumption of for
eign merchandise and the States 10
which the Improvements have been thus
made, and not unfrequently the adjacent
States. have been largely benciited.-i
Without these donations, and consequent
improvements. some of the finest portions
Of the States would have continued viii.
derness lands thut had been for fifteen or
tVenty gears in tie market. might haze re-
mained as much longer Wnsold. and thus
the prosperity and advancement of the
whole country been greatly Retarded
The loss to the government would have
been serious, without any corresponding
benefit. The true policy is, TO bring the
lands into market, and, by all legitimate
means, dispose Of them as soon as posi-
BILE.
On the goth Of September. 1850. a
grant of lands was made to the States of
Illinois. Mississippi and Alabama. to aid
in the construction of the great Central
railroad from Chicago to Mobile. TO af-
ford these States an opportunity OF ma
king their selections, the lands along the
proposed route Of the road were. for
short period, Withdrawn from market,
most Of them being of little value to the
S1otoo 81, -,
raj government. until the grants was made
and it was ascertained the road would be
constructed bit then tAey acre brought up
aOiM avi,lity. and are noW considered as most
choice and valuadle.
The Illinois Central Railroad Company
was incorporated, and the route of the
road and its branches within that State
designated by an act OF the Legislature
in February, 1851. During the half
year ending 2lst December. 1850, the
quantity of the land sold and located
with bounty land warrants. in the district
traverscd by the road. was 345, 487 SO, 100
acres. The alternate sections reserved
to the United States were released from
reservation and brought into market in
July, August, and September, 1852, and
during that and the next succeeding quar-.
ter the sales and locations amounted to
1874. 522 90 100 acres showing an in>
crease over the corresponding half year
next preceding the location Of the road /,
of 932, O34 40 100 acres.
The unsolicited lands in the Augusta
and Columbus districts. in the State of
Mississippi, were restored to market
in the month Of September last and
notwithstanding tho sales in those dis.
tricts had for many years been very limi.
ted, the lands thus restored met read
sales at enhunced prices. The quantity
sold at Augusta in the month of Septem-
Der, 1847. was only aga, acres /; and in
the same month in the years, 1850, 1851
aud 1859, much less and yet in five
days in September last, after the route Of
the road had been established, and the al.
ternate sections designated by the States,
10, $50 acres were sold for 80, o56 dollars,
being 9,643 dollars more than the agere-
gate value at the minimum price. In the
Columbus district, in the short space Of
twelve days in the month of September
last, rs, sos acres were disposed Of F.:
whereas. in all the month of September.
l849, the quantity sold was only 1855
acres"
Or, If that be not enough, hear and re.
s2cct Mr.. Filimore's oun Commissioner of
tile Land Office. In his official report Of
1852. that official presents the following
views:
Where grants have been made by, al.
ternate sections, reserving every other
section TO the government, and doubling
the minimum price Of the lands thus re-
served. the government has gained as be-
| fore Statad and oIso d;.oa,I.. L. II