Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-05-22
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

n
LAND SPECULATION is a disease peculiarly
American, raging periodically and destroying
Its thousands where it benefits its hundreds.
There is no reasoning with it, because the cir
cunstances by which we in the United States
are surrounded bring it about and so stimulate
and encourage it, as that to essay to stem its
current would be simply labor thrown away
Nevertheless, it is well that all should view it
now and then as it really is. Finding in a late
number of the New York Times a brief and
excellent essay upon it, replete with information
OF interest to all who reflect to their own preft
on what they read, we transfer it to the Stars
columns, as being likely much more substan-
TALLY to benefit our patrons than aught we can
write in our present mood:
LAND SPECULAToRs.-Land. as an article Of
commercial speculation, has hardly an existence
In England. The p ,59OUeO acres which com
prise the entire extent OF that powerful KINGDOM
are held BY 4 few proprietors and sales are very
rare indeed, The greatest portion OF the land is
entalled property, which passes from heir to heir
and IS never sold al all. Leases of property are
occasionally sold, and now and then a freebod
estate is disposed Of at auction; but the trade i'm
land IL unknown. But land specnlations with
US monoPoliZe very considerable part of the ar
tive capital and business enterprise of the comm
Try The annual sales of new lands are nearly
n
as entails are not allowed with u.s. the entire real
estate TO the country changes hands by artual
sales every few years. In estimating the differ
ence IN the commerce OF the two countries we
are apt TO leave out Of the estimate altogether the
enormous business transacted in lands which ia
OF much greater importance to the county tI,an
tne transactions in merchandise.
England adds no new lands To her aoricultur,l
territory, nor builds any new towns She only
COMPRISES her increasing population into closer
quarters, and tries TO increase the fertility of her
soil by more careful cultivation The enfern,is.
talent and capital which here expended IN y.
aar In JANUS, are there, OF necessity. concen-
uated upon manufactures and the commerce i'm
merchandise. We add yearly to our Lands I,,
PnTcha from the Government about ten mil
IONS Vi acres, or nearly one-thid of the whole
new lands, about third are annually brouobt
under cultivation, and the remainder are held for
sPcCutatVe purposes Even at the present rate of
absorPtlo II Will require nearly hundred vears
70 ger nd OF our national domain so that the com
meIce IN lands Is not likely to I've a tcmnorarv
90 noo In me seven new Territories there are
So,OVoVn OF acres TO be disposed of and the ton
dency to speculation is greater than In b,s BE-,
Known 10 be before. The niania for tradin1, il,
,anus anu laying ont new towns at the West is
more vlTulent now than il was in 1851 for tLen
spectators preferred town lots but now the pre,t
struggle Is To- new land. All the Western na
P.SS tnt lana ieyer as raging with unu-
suai fury, and affecting all classes.faPmer,. me-
cnantsDLec hanics, eIgymen and LAWYERS COM
y stoTekeePers sell out their stocks to invest in
wild lands; cleTgymen abandon their puIn;ts 80
preach and speculate ia the wilderness. nd e.,
ers, with comfortable hOmesteads browsiny Co.,
ana fruitful o9chards, abandon their conIf,rtsLIs
paper says: -'"s
: We heard yesterday that some a6 of IN. hes,
men IN GAINESVILLE. Belmont county, Ohio. had
all departed for the West at the same time T ,
Il also true OF all the towns i'm this sec,inn Of t
country The travel through Pfttsburg alone
aceo.alns 10 the papers of that city avefage one
Thousand a day at the lowest cOm6utatinn ,,,h;iS
along the lake shore routes IL is estitnat.3 q, g..
two To three thousand " Aioiii
rms Is but an example Of the reports made bv
al the tocal journals in the great towns which ~;
along the various routes OF travel to the W. "
III IS probable that land speculation is carried ~
700 great an extent, and that serious financial
.ouoles may grow out of the diversion of so mucb
capital from the More natural channels Of .rni
put stlll, the financial view of the ,uhiect j. -
- VIC Hiost important aspect OF the case n
Is the moral effects of it, the deteTorat;na :, ~
ence which this restlessness and onrS x
chanSe must have upon the national char,.ta,
Will - Inost 10 DC deplored. Settled habits,
permanent homes and the consciousness of NV,
ing an interest in the welfare of the commnnitv
"a VT i've, are necessary TO refined habits
sn,.I ora ana thorough Development of our
Try, except In the large and growing towns ,,,iiI
nave raw, unfinished and semi -baI barons chsr-
deter, and even the patriotic Sentiment ~ tn 20,
pie will he feeble where there iS r - 'ne Peo.
poPuiatlon, and the people regard themselves az
OH q, ,t,IniPO .y s8lonrnr's in The land
out the mania Tor land speculation, ia ,ba ,,,,r;
OF the day and there is no wsv of nI tI'iiia
cul 10 let u run its course and for ever,e rS =.
OF home ~ P">HlDie love
took occasion to publish, At tho -
friend, plea for Maine in the matte - -.
'lipuon oi 'ne Federal patronage not be. |
'nat the question where an |
APPnoAh' MANS from should properly be q mat. !
tsf Oh moment In the disposition Of office undo, |
fhaI Tr f--I.u
lhe oo'erhmeht winch should be bestoxad 90
eording to the capacity, fidelity and mer;,s 81 |
the applicant in all cases. other tbinys ho;,,,.
equal,) but because We like to have all er;o,
fair showing in the public mess. To-doy
publish somewhat similar argument-at Ie.s,
one to the same end-from the pen of An Ala.
bamian, whose State is evidently lin the rino,,
Tor the good and fat things, or we mistake the !
drift oil his effort, which is by no means to be |
sought IN his disclaimers. His capital-tempered
efusiOn is as follows
SLAsAHA AND HER FEDERAL p.rpox.cv
1o,;. me writer hereof has no personal
t,on -, n.nsSyeI &c crafty by this eommunica. |
go Que To recommend for appointment \ would |
nsp'se 70 Or the medium of any mani 5 di,place
a., loving, as do, that section Of the coun.
xvslfs+S come, everything that affects her
~ 1910, t1nc hes hay heart and as the columns ~
yecent, tP press Of this and other cities have
eloour1t dsf.ncou with stir comparisons and |
a. r, SeiThces OF certain states and sections -
800 i,nslnnating ob,rusons of their deT
g. p i.i polace upon the solicited atten,ion
Ar. Buc hanan and his accomplisbed G shsno OF
ILL, no' en.lreiy nnJustidaile in me 10 q 1,
which, among all tbe f shr position Of Poise
gwen aid and comfort TO every w, " at have
shape and creed OF political opinion va .iety and
noated through the public mind sinc, hich have
ence or the Government itself has So the exist
ing Ia her Democratic armor. LID 'od unswerv-
siitteflng beneath his lion banner & war-god
Mist New York, PennsyJ