Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-03-24
Distributions it Practicable s-Is it Expedi-


tribute the proceeds of the sales Of the public lands
or the public lands themselves among the States
Is this practicable?.
First, as to the proceeds. The gross amount from
sales of public lands up this time, is stated to be
about one hundred and sixty millions of dollars.
What amount, if any, of this is clear profit is not
known. 1t is believed, however, by persons we'll
informed the subject, that after deductng the OK
penses of acquiring, surveying, defending, and selling
the lands, no clear profits can be shown but on
the contrary, the lands in debt to the govern
ment. We know that some forty to fifty millions of
dollars have been paid for Louisiana California, Flor
ida, the Messla valley, &C., without computing in
terest thereon; and know also that vast amounts
have been expended in extinguishing Indian titles,
in defending and surveying the lands and ina word
in securing and holding this great inheritance. The
entire surface of the public lands is estimated
at billion five hundred millions of acres. North
Carolina for example. contains thirty-two millions
of acres. The public domain is therefore, than
forty times larger than North Carolina. This simple
fact will give some idea of the of acquiring de-
Tending, surveying and holding the public lands.
The gross income, one year with another, since the
commencement of the government, has been between
two and three millions of dollars per There.
fore, before any one can reasonably propose to dis
tribute the proceeds he must take these facts and
show that there are net proceeds; for if the lands
have cleared nothing there can be nothing to dis
tribute.
But no one now proposes to distribute the pro-
ceeds The advocates of distribution are we'll aware
that it would not do to propose to bestow money
from the treasury the States, when the treasury
has but four millions in its Golfers. and when the
government is in debt between forty and fifty mil
lions of dollars. The plan now is to distribute the
lands themselves among the States. Mr.. McRae, for
example, says
"What then do propose? I propose that Con-
gress shall withdraw all the public lands in the Ter
ritories from sale for ten years to issue land war
rants in sections and quarter sections, &C., to the
governors of the several States according to their
federal population, for two hundred millions or
Whereabouts, the number still remaining undsposed
of in the land States perhaps two hundred and fifty
warrants will be saelest to. to sale a 1s
the purchaser. This plan will get rid of the diff.
Guilty about sovereign holding domain in the lim-
its of another and about the taxation of these lands
by the States in which they lie, for the title will re-
main in the general government till the location.
The Treasnrers of the several States will hold the
warrants in market, and officer will be need
ed. By this means, immigration will be confined to
the States, and our population prevented from scat
tering over the wilderness. Thus the necessity of
expensive territorial governments will be avoided
The larger expenses Of the Department Of the Inte-
rior may be reduced and what is of vital impor.
lance to US, the present near equilibrium of the Sc
nate will not be disturbed by the continued intro.
duction of free States"
Is this practicable? In the first place, Congress
is to withdraw all the public lands in the Territories
from sale for ten years. For the space of onethird
of age lands to be sold in the Territories
The object of this is to render the lands in the land
States valuable, by keeping population out of
the Territories; and in this way, while the land
warrants to be located in the land States will be
eagerly sought, the Territories, having people,
will cease to be Expensive in the way of govern
ments! Let US see how this is: The value of the
pend mainly, as Mr.. McRae admits, on keeping emf
grants out of the Territories But this be done?
Who imagines for a moment that it can be done?
Will a simple law of Congress- law against pro-
grcss against population, against expansion and inn
provement, against hardy and adventurous emil
grants, and in favor of the savage and the wild
beast-will such a law, though backed by bayonets,
effect it? Never. The waves of population will
continue to flow over the Territories No human
power can arrest them. Check them in one direc
ton, and they will break over in another with in
creased force and volume. The result, therefore,
would be- according to Mr.. McRae's own premises,
that the land warrants would be neglected, and re-
main unsod, except for a tri6e; while as he would
not sell any of the lands in the Territories for the
space of ten years. they would be squatted upon,
cuped, and held during that time, and thereaf
ter and the government would thus lose the greater
portion if not all of its public domain. Refusing to
sell for ten years. and its lands being thus occupied
what could the government do? Would it, could it
expel these occupants by the strong hand? As a
just government it could not GUST without GUST
ing all; and to do that would require an army of
twenty thousand men, to say nothing of the strife
and the bloodshed that would follow. Mr.. McRae's
proposition is, therefore, in substance, to abandon
to give up the twelve hundred millions of acres of
land which he says we have in the Territories; and
in consideration of this North Carolina is to get land
for from twelve fifteen millions of acres
and these warrants to call for land in the land
States. Is this practicablea m
Warrants are to be issued for two hundred mil
ions of acres, and are to be disposed of in market
by the Treasurers Of the States. They are to be
located when sold by the purchaser and the govern
ment is then to make title, The government is.
therefore, to be responsible to the land States, in
case warrants held up thereby keeping the lands
vacant and preventing population. Will the land
States submit to thisP Will they permit the in
crease of their population and the development of
their resources to depend upon the action of the
States holding these warrantsi Will they not call
Al. ssS7-
dressi Verify, Mr.. McRae seems disposed to check
population not only in the Territories but in the
land States; while At the Same time, if his scheme