The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-12-24

/ is worthy Of grave consideration. u treats
| OF the numerous, important, and divorsf ed
/ branches Of domestic administration entrrst.
! ed 10 him by law. Among these, tho most
/ prominent are, the public lands and our rela-
| tions with the indiana.
! THE PUBLIC LANDS.
! Our system Cof the disposal Of tho public
lands, originating with the fathers Of the re-
| public, has been improved as experience
/ pointed the way, and gradually adapted to
/ the growth and settlement Of tho Western
States and Territories. Already thirteen States
| and several Territories have been carved out
| Of these lands, aud still more thau a thousand
| millions OF Bcre8 yct remain uuiold. What a
| boundIess prospect this presents to our coun-
try Of future prosperity aud power.
We have heretofore disposed Of 1863 SG2 ,463
acres Of the public land.
! Whilst the public lands as a source Of rev
/ enue are Of great Importance, their importance
! Is far greater as furnishing homes for a hardy
| and independent race Of honest and industrious
citizens who desire to subdue aud cultivate
| the soil They ought to be administered main
/ ly with a view Of promoting this wise and be-
| novolent policy. I'm appropriutiug them for
| any other purpose we ought to use even great,
er economy than II they had been converted
into money and the proceeds were already in
/ the public treasury.
! To squauder away this richest and noblest
| inheritance which any people have ever enjoy
/ ed, upon objects Of doubtful COugtituliOnalily
| or expediency, would be TO violate one Of the
most important trusts ever committedto any
people. Whilst / do not deny to CONGRESS the
power, when acting bona iido as a proprietor,
| 10 give away portions Of them for the purpose
| Of Increasing 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 ure pro-
tected against other purchasers at the pu biic
sales, in their right Of pre-emption, TO he exc
! tent Of a quarter-section, or 80 ucres Of land
| The remainder may then be disposed of at pub
! lie or entered at private sale In unlimited guam
titles.
/ Speculation has Of late years, p revalled TO
la great extent in the public lands. The con-
sequence has been, that large portions Of them
! have become the property ef individuals and
companies, and thus tl5 price is greatly en-
/ HANGED to those who desire TO purchase for
/ actual settlement. In order 10 limit tho area
Of speculation as much as possible, tho eX-
| tinctiou Of the Indian title and the extension
Of public surveys ought only to keep pace
with the tide Of emigration.
II Congress should hereafter grant alternate
| sections TO States OF companies, as they have
done heretofore, / recommend that iie in
! termcdiuts sections retained by the govern
ment should be subject to pro.emptiou by nc
| tuOl settlers.
1t ought ever to be our cardinal policy to
reserve the public lands as much as may be
! for actual settlers, and this at moderate pri
ces We shall thus not only best promote
| the prosperity Of the new States and Terri.
tories aud the power Of the Union, but shall
secure homes for our postority for many gem
craticus.
tyDAN rtlfgs.
The extension Ur our limits hns brorght
within our jurisdiction muuy additional and
! populous tribes Of Indians, a large proportion
Of which are wild, ntructable and difficult
TO control. Predatory and warlike IN theiI
disposition aud habits, Il is impossible alto,
gether TO restrain them from committing ag.
grussiOns on o1ch other as well as upon OuI
frontier citizens aud those emgrutug TO dis
tant States and Territories. Hence expensive
military expeditions are frequently necessary
to overuwe and chastise the more llwloss anC
hostile.
The present system Of making hem valu.
/ able presents to influence them TO remain al
peace, has proved Intellectual, IL is believed
to be the better policy to colonizs them ia
suitable localities, where they can receive th,
ruuiments Of education, and be gradually 10,
duccd to adopt habits Of industry. So far a,
the experiment has been tried it has worked
well in practice, and will doubtless prove tC
be less expensive than the prescott system.
The whole number of Indians within our
territorial limits is believed TO be-, from tho
best data in the Interior Department, about
325.UOO.
The tribes Of Chorokses, Choctaws. Chick
asaws, and Creeks, settled in the territory So
apart for them west Of Arkansas, ar5 rapidly
advancing IN education aud in all the arts o.
civilization and self government; and we MAY
indulge the agreeable anticipation that at n,
very distant day they win be incorporated
+ into the Union as one Of the sovereign States
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT..
II will be seen from the report Of th
, Postmaster General that the Post Office De
partment still continues 10 depend on th
treasury, as II has been compelled to do 70
several years past, for an important portion
Of the means Of sustaining aud extending ii
r operations. The rapid growth and expansion
{ are shown by a decennial statement Of th
] number Of post Offices, and the length Of pos
roads, commencing with the year 1927. /
that year there were 900 post Offices In 1887
, n ,O77i In lS47, IS, LAG; Ia 1851 they numbe
q 26,456. In this year ,j25 post Offices hay
3 been established, aud 704 discontinued, leav
b Ing net increase Of ,O2l. The Postmaster
Of 36S Offices are appointed by the Presidcut.
e The length OF post ronds ia 1927 was l05
u 23G miles, in 1897, l4l, ,2t2 miles; Ia 1851
AooIDAo NlllNo OF luab lutAB lANlNtluE - go
miles Of railroad, on which tie mails are trant
Il ported.
r The expenditures Of the department for IN
fiscal year ending on the Both Of June, 1885,
e as adjusted by the Audit r, amounted 10 &ll
Il 5O7 $40. To defray these expenditures thel
% was TO the credit Of the department on tho Il
10 July, 1856 the sum Of Bi69,5J9i tho grOi
o revenue tho year, including the annual a
IOwances for the transportation Of free ma
matter, produced S8,O539j7i aud the remain
f der was supplied by the appropriation lrol
If the treasury Of 822j0 600, granted by tho a,
Is Of Congress approved August rs, l5j6, and
II the appropriation Of S766 1888, made by the az
Of March 3, 1855 leaving $222,7I3, to be cal
risd TO the credit Of the department ia the az
10 counts OF the current year.
Y l commend 10 your consideration tho TepO
# Of tho department in relation TO tho establish
r ment of the overland mail route, from tl
d Mississippi river TO Sau Francisco, Caifo
rs mia. The route was selected with my full col
J. currence as the one, in my judgment, best ca
}. culated 10 attain tho important objects coI
o tgmplated by Congress.
y ECONOMY IN GOVERNMENT.
~ The late disastrous monetary revu
: sion may have one good effect, shouI
e it cause both the government and q
y people to return to the practice of
y wise and iudicious economy, both
/, public and private expenditures.
y An overhowing treasury has led
q. habits Of prodigality and oxtrayagan,
I, in our legislation 1t has induced Coz
~ gress to make large appropriations to O