The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-03-22

and ten dollars to cover the cost of surveying
and managing.
The land policy, as now conducted, per
mits the President, in his discretion. TO expose
10 public sale, by proclamation, any or all o
the public lands. after the same are surveyed
Every person settled on the lands so adver
tised for sale, must. before the day fixed i.
the proclamation of the President. paw for hi
lants. or they are liable to be sold to any
bidder who offers one dollar and twenty five
cents or more per acre. Daring the days o
sale fixed by the President any one can pur
chase at one dollar and twenty five cents pei
acre. as many acres of land not before pre-
empted. as he desires, selecting his own loca
ton. The land that remain unsold a. the
expiration OF the days fixed by the Presi
dent. are subject to private entry; that is any
person can enter at the land Office any or all
the lands that are at that time unsold, q. one
dollar and twenty five cents per acre, if the
same have not been offered for sale more
than ten years: if for longer period, then
at less price. according to the length of
time they may have been in market Thus,
under the existing policy there is no restraint
on land monopoly. The Ro;hschids, the
Barings, or any other OF the worlds million
aires may become the owners Of untold acres
of our public domain, to be resod TO the set
tier; or to be held as an investment for future
speculation.
Congress, as the trustees o! the whole peo-
pie. is vested, by the condition of the grants
from the States and by the Constitution itself,
with the sole discretionary power Of dispos-
ing of these lands. But in the exercise of a
sound discretion. it becomes its duty to dis
pose Of them in the way that will best pro-
mote the greatness and glory of the Republic.
And how can that be accomplished so we'll
as by the policy that will secure them in linn
tied quantities to the actual cultivstor. at the
least possible cost, and thus prevent the evils
oil a system Of land monopoly - one of the
direst, deadiest curses that ever paralyz
the energies Of nation, or pasied the arm OF
Industry 1t needs no lengthy Dissertation
to portray its evils Its history in the Old
World is written in sighs and tears. Under
its influence you behold there the proudest
and most splendid aristocracies side by side
with the most abiect and debased people
vast manors hemmed in by hedges as a spor-
ting ground for the nobility, while men are
diving beside the incl ,sures for the want of
land to till Under its blighting influence,
you behold industry in rags, and patience in
despair Such are some of the fruits OF land
monopoly in the Old World; and shall we
permit its seeds to vegetate in the virgin soil
of the New? Our present system is subject
to like evils not 50 great in magnitude, per-
haps. but similar in kind.
OF the three hundred and eighty-eigbt
million, eight hundred and fifty eight thou
sand. three hundred and twenty five acres Of
land disposed of by the Government to Sep
tember 50, 1852 one hundred and forty sew
en- million, eighty-e ight thousand. two hun
ired and seventy three acres were sold for
cash, and two hundred aud forty mil
lion. seven hundred and seventy thousand,
and fifty two acres were donated in grants
to individuals corporations. and States.
The Government had received from the
sale Of public lands. a. appears from the re-
port of the Commissi ,ner of the Land . ffice.
TO June 80. 1858, 3l42.2a3.478, to which
add 33s. 1886. 100 go. received since that
time, would make the gross amount received
from the lands TO September 80, 1859. 81 3d.
6lO.63S %; while the entire cost, including
purchase money. extins gushing of Indian II
Ties. surveying, and managing. has been for
the same period. S9I 994,Oi3, leaving a net
revenue to the Government. ov"r and above
nil cost, of SS9, ,625 625 80; with one hun
dred and thirty six million, nine hundred and
seventy thousand, nine hundred and forty
one acres surveyed but unsold. Of which
eighty million acres are subject TO private
entry.
OF the ono hundred aud forty-seven mil
lion, eighty Ell ght thousand. two hundred an
seventy three acres sold by the Government.
not more than half of it. probably. was bot
at Government rates by the actual culuva-
tor: the other halt assume, cost the cult
vator, on an average Of az least four dollars
per acre over the Government price.
The Government by its existing land policy
has caused to be distracted from the earnings
Of its hardy pioneers almost seventeen hun
dred million dollars for the mere privilege o.
ENJOYING one OF Gods bounties to man Tins
large amount has been distracted from the
sons of toll without rendering any equiv alen
save a permit from the State to occupy q
wilderness, to which not day nor an hour
of mans labor has been applied to change il
from the condition in which the God OF na
ture mads it. Why should Government SEIZE
any of the bounties OF God to man. and max,
,hsn a source of revenue? While the eartl
WAS created for the whole human family ant
was made its abiding place through the pill
orlmaye of this life and since the hour o
\ the primal curse, :. in the sweat of thy fsc'
shalt thou eat bread,'' man has been force,
to the cultiv alton of the soil to obtain sub
sis,ence for himself and the means OF promos
ing the welfare OF the race, why should Gov
ernment wrest from him the right to appl.
his labor to such unoccupled portion of III
earth's surface as may be Necessary for hi
support until he has contributed to the rev
enues of the State. any more than to PERM
him to breathe the air, enjoy the sunlight, Q
ouaff from the rills and rivers Of the earth
l. would be just as rghtful. were it possibl
to be done, to survey the atmosphere off int
quarter sections. and transfer it by parct
ment titles, divide The sun into quartum
rays. and dole it out to grouping mortsls q
a price; or arch over the waters OF the cart
into vast reservoirs, and sell It TO dying mel
In the language of remarks heretofore mad
on this subject, why has this claim of ma
to monopolize any Of the giiss of God to ma
been confined. by legal codes. to the soile
there any other IT ason ,hau that it is .igl
which. having its origin in feudsl times. III