The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-04-14

Early lii this session L introduced !. Mi
(which now awaits tile action Of the House
| providing that any person who Is ~ years d
l more old on WIN Is the llcnd of 4 family, ma,
ENTER 100 ncrcs 81 amy Itrid subject 10 preenI
/ ton, o. upon which be may have d presumption
iClainl, and BY enltftating the same fof Nv
/ years, shall DC ehtitleil I'd III patent from III
! Government on the payment 81 the usual fee
lot the land office, and ten tlollarsto cover til
cost Of surveying anil managing 8
The land policy, MS now conducted, permit
the President, III his discretion, tO EXPOSE ii
public sale, BY proclamation, any on I'LL of III,
public lands, after the Same are surveyed
Every person settled on the lands 10 ADVERTISED
for sale, must. before the day fixed I'M the pro
elamation Of the President, pay for his lands
or they are liable 10 be sold to any bidder wlie
Offers II 70, or more, per acre During The
days of sale fixed by the President, any on,
can purchase, ID = 25sper acre, al many acres
of land, not before precmpted, rs he desires
selecting his own location The lands that re
main iInsold Mt the expiration Of the days ol
sale fixed BY the President, are subject to pri.
waite entry; that IS amy person can enter ~ fhe
land Office any or all Of the lands, that arc ii
that time ansold, at 81 IS per mere, IL The
same have not been offered for sale moro than
ten years; if for q longer period then at d less
price according 20 the Icing Iii OF time they may
existing policy, there. Is no restraint on land
monopoly. The RothschiIds, Earrings, OF any
other Of the world mil liOnaires, may become
the owners Of untold acres of onT public do
main, 10 be Tesold to the settler, or to DO held
ils nm investment for future speculation III:
Congress. as the trustee Of the whole people,
Is yested, by the condition of the grants from
the States and BY the Constitution itself, with
the sole discretionary power d iisposing of
~
discretion, ii becomes ifs duty 70 dispose 81
them in the way TINT will best promote the
greatness and glory of The Republic. And how
can that be accomplished so we'll as lly policy
that will secure them in limited quantities as
to tho actual eultiyator, lit tho least possible
cost, and thus prevent the evils OF IL system of
land monopoly -one III the direst, deadliest
curses TINT ever paTalyzed the energies OF a
nation or palsied the arm Of industrys III
needs no lengthy dissertation 10 portray its
evils, It's history Id the Old World is written
III sighs and tears. 5 Under its influence YOU
behold there the prondest and most splendid
missionaries side BY side with the most abjeet
and dehased people; vast nlahors hemnled In
by hedges as sporting ground for the nobility;
while men are dying beside the inclosure for
the want of land 10 till Under Its bIighting
you behold industry In rags, and
patience In despair Such are some DC the
fruits Of land monopoly il the Old Worids and
shall We permit It's Aecsis 10 negotiate In the
virgin soilsof The Newt Our present system Is
subject to like evils. not so great in magnitude
perhaps, but similar in kind sss
or the 3SS, S5S; 1926 acres OF Land disposed of
BY the Government to September 80, 1859,
l47 1888. pa acres were sold for cash, md n
III .052 acres were donated in grants 10 inii-
yi,luals, corporations; and States. :.
The Government hatlreceived from the saies Of
the Commissioner Of The Land Office, to June 80,
1856, 81 ~, 2S3, u xhichadd s3S 336, 100 90,
received since that time, would make the gross
amount received from: the lands to September
30, 1859, $3.50, 6I9, 63S 80; while the entire
cost, including purchase money, extingMishing
of Indian title, surveying, and managing. has
been, for the same period, sol !, 994, 013, ieay-
ing anet revenue to the Government, over and
above ail cost, OF $Ss 625 ,625 80; with 1863;
$40. 81 acres surveyed but nlsold, Of which
SO, 000, 600 acres are subject to private entry. :
+ OF the l47 ,08S, 2T3 acres sold BY the Govern
ment, not more than one half Of IL, probably
was bought at Government rates by the actual
cnltiyater; the other half assume, cost the
cultiyator, on an average, at least 81 per acre
over the GoveTnmeat price. Sohe would pay,
on "a, 544 t136 acres, being one-half the quaint
~ sold by the Government. 500, l76, GA: On
the 24l 40, D52 acres donated to- individuals,
companies. and States, including over 10
000, 900 acres for school purposes, and over
GOO, 900 acres for railroads and internal Inn
pruyements, assume tnat the cultivator must
pay on an average for these lands at least 50
per acre, making the sum Of 81, 208, $50, 260.
The actual eultivator, then, will have TO pay
to the Government and to the specnlator for
these lands, ffthe foregoing estimate of prices
be correct ut lcast s ,6S3, 636 442 80, Of which
SSS, 625, 625 so has been paid in net revenue,
iuto the Treasury of the United States--the
balance to be absorbed BY the speeulator.
The Government, by It's existing land policy,
has thus caused To be distracted from the earn.
;ings of Its hardy pioneers almost 81 700, 900,
0G0, for the mere privilege Of enjoying one Of
9Gods honnties to man. This large amount
has been distracted from the. sons Of toll with
out rendering any equivalent save q permit
from the State 70 occupy awiiderness, TO (Which
not day or hour OF mans labor had been
applied to change tfrom the condition In which
the God of Nature made it. Why should Go.
Sernments seize upon any of the bonnties Of
God to man, and make them a source Of rev.
enuel While the earth was created for the
whole human family, and was made It's abiding
place through the pilgrimage of this life, and
since the hour of the primal curse In the
sweat OF Thy face shalt thou eat bread, man
has been forced to the cultivation of the soil to
ntsN
of promoting the welfare of the race, why
should governments wrest from him the right
10 apply bis labor TO such unoecupicd portion
.of the eaFth's surface ais may be necessary for
his support until he has contributed TO the rev
enues Of the state, any more than 70 permit
him to breathe the air, enjoy the sunlight, or
squaif from the rllls and rivers Of the eartM IL
would he lust as ghtful, were IL possible TO be
done, TO survey the atmosphere of into quarter
sections, and transfer it by parchment titles;
divide the sun into quantum of rays, and dole
1t out 10 cropping moTtals at q price; or arch
over the waters of the earth into vast reser-
yoirs, and sellit to dying men. In the lam
guage OF remarks heretofore made on this sub
ieet, why has this claim Of man 70 monOpolize
any Of the gifts Of God TO man been confined,
by legal codes, 10 the soil Rlone2 Is there any
other reason than that which, having its origin
In feudal times under q SYSTEM that regarded
man as an appendage Of the soil that he titled,
and whose life, liberty. and happiness were but
means ofincreasing the pleasures, pamPertnG
the passions and appotites Of his liege lord
and. having once found place In the books,