Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1858-12-11
A Change Required.

| Another season our government land In
Minnesota is to be brought into market The
quantity that will be thus disposed of will
amount about to seven millions Of acres. The
probabilities are that about two millions OF
acres will be pre-empted by actual settlers
previous to the land sales, which will leave a
balance of five millions to be disposed OF at
auction. Out of this five millions it is pref
| ty safe to estimate that not over million
and a half will be purchased at the sales, leav-
ing three and half millions Of acres, or one
half of all the lands that will be thrown into
market, to be covered With land warrants, or
else to be disposed Of in land grants for either
railroad or State purposes, or to 60 into the
hands of spectators to tie prejudice OF those
who wish in time to be actual settlers ON the
land, and would during the next year or two
make claims and cultivate the soil, had they
| the whercwith to pay the Government for the
| land.
| There can be no doubt but what the pres
| ent pre-cmption laws have been the source of
good deal of benefit to the people Of the
West, ard they are good as far as they 60
But they fall short of what is required by the
| West at this time.
The present practice of the Government Is
to receive all the money down for lands they
seh This is the change we now require
The public good demands that the lands
should be sold hereafter in such way as to
enable those residing on them as ':squatters"
to purchase their homes by paying part
down, and the balance of the purckase-money
in annual installments of a reasonable rate of
interest, secured by mortgage. If this course
could be adopted by the Government, the
West would rapidly settle up with an enter
die States, and it would have a tendency to
prevent the land from going into the hands of
the spectators, and would at the same time
enable the Government to get back portion
Of all the interest money that is being
paid now on the loans the Administration
has been obliged to make during the past
year.
That such law should be passed by Con-
grcss this winter, is REASONABLE, and we can
not see any objection that could be made in
the premises. The Government would be
benefited by the change. Suppose the lands
come into market next year, as intended by
the Government, under the present regula-
ton tor the disposition of the public lands.-
What will be the consequence In the first
place, many of the settlers will be obliged to
loan either land warrants, or gold and silver,
dt eeii liilClCSe VI IiLCC PCl CCiil. PCi luOIlL
to pay for their homes A debt will thus be
for them to cancel The Government will
not be the recipient of great benefit, be-
cause two thirds Of the land will be purchas-
ed by land warrants, which will leave the
United States Treasury as penniless as it is
now.
In the second place, all of the best lands
hat Of no nj no col inH
by settlers will go into the hands of land
sharks who will retard the growth of the
State and prevent those from purchasing
the land who would settle on it Immediately
if they could obtain a portion of it on
credit.
Of course opposition would be made to the
passage of such law, by spectators and
those who have a large number of warrants
on hand to sell, but we take it that the in
terests of the peoplc-of the toiling millions
should be cared for in preference to land
pirates.
Many and many are the mechanics in the
East, and laborers and workmen in factories
that have been toiling for years to lap US sui
ficicnt money to emigrate West and purchase
piece Of land from the Government to
make home. They could by paying a
part down for the homestead, come immedi-
ately West, and commence their improve
mcntS, and raise enough from their farms to
support their families, and make small pay
nent Of the principal, and all Of the interest
every year.
We have at present. and will have during
the next spring, probably twenty thousand
laborers on the railroads in process of erection
in this State. Should such law be passed,
it is probable that at least one-'.plf of those
operators would make claims and become per-
manent settlers in Minnesota. They will be
enabled to save cough their wages to maj c
4 commencement and the Government by
selling their land on a credit will hold out in
ducements for them to settle down ON farm,
where in few years they will be surrounded
with all the necessaries and comforts of life
We will say in conclusion, that what is appli
cable to Minnesota on this subject, may be
said of every new Western State.-GlencOe
Register