New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-30
r.nD-moNOpoLy RUC.EsRs.

The Secretary of the Interior, in his Annual Re-
port manifestly seeks to alarm the present specula
tive holders of wild lands, including the grantees of
large tracts for Railroad purposes, the owners OF
Lsnd Warrants, &C., and form them into grand
pecuniary combination to defeat the Free Home
stead bill. He would have them think that their
property would be Invested of its value by the
passage Of an act authorizing any one who chooses
to select quarter-sectiOn of the Public Domain,
settle and live upon it, make home and farm of it,
and thus acquire title to it without payment of
money. But this is very far from the truth. Years
ago. our Government prOilered square mile (6iO
acres) ss free gift to any one who would select
and settle upon it in Oregon, and many thousands
have thus acquired homesteads; but this did not
prevent the simultaneous sale OF lands in Illinois
and Iowa from the Land Offices at ten shillings per
acre, and by spectators for ten times that price.
The illinois Central Railroad sold million acres or
more at some $l5 per acre, though every buyer
knew that the Government held just such lands for
,ale within days ride at ten shillings per acre.
We believe that Company made mistake in asking
so high prices and selling on long time to whoever
would buy-that it would have done far better for
ITSELF for its customers, and for the State had it
cold all its lands for the highest price they would
mand in cash-say from so down to - according
to quality and location-and bound each purchaser
TO erect dwelling and break up and SOW at least
ten acres on each quarter-sectiOn. Had this policy
been pursued, that Company might have realized
from s., 900 900 to 1000, 900 in ready cash for
its lands. and covered them with a population
which would have taxed its utmost freighting ca
pacity in sending Lumber inland and bringing out
Corn and Wheat, Cattle and Hogs, for the last four
or five years, and ever more Were the Public
Lands made free to actual settlers this day, there
would still be a demand for Land Warrants, for the
lands granted to railroads and for those owned by
SPECTATORS 1t is not every man who is fitted to be
a pioneer of the wilderness, or who would endure
the rough experiences of pioneer life. Men Of
means and ambition would often require broader
scope than quarter-sectiOn would give them, and
would prefer to buy where they could get oil the
land they chose to pay for II New-York or New
England farmer were going West with -, 600 or 80
in cash. we should strongly advise him to buy quar-
ter-seetiOn near railroad ut So or even $40 per
acre rather than take one for nothing in the wilder
ness even forty miles away. We believe and trust
that the iorestallers will see the wisdom of mode
rating their prices whenever the Free Homestead
principle shall have triumphed; we trust there will
be less temptation, less eogerness, to speculate in
wild lands ever afterward; but it il sheer absurd
ity to pretend that the Freedom of the Public
Lands will deprive other lands of value; on the con-
trary it will sometimes by settling the lands beyond
them, enhance their cash value. How much do
YOU think the cheapness of lands in Canada or Al
piers diminishes the price OF freeholds in England
or France
We say deliberately TINT, for those who can