East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-03-18

acres, makes 225, which is the number Of
homesteads added 70 the district during
the year. The district being traversed
both in length and breadth by the Flint
& Pere Marquette, and Lansing, Amboy
e. Traverse Bay Railroads, and the odd
sections of land within six miles limits OF
each road being granted to the compa-
nies. and the even sections within the
same limits in consequence Of such grant,
being held at s2 so per acre by the
Government,--has greatly diminished the
sales in this district the past year. But
when these railroad lands are brought
into market, aud the roads completed
through the same, they will doubtless ell
be taken up, and this rich portion of the
State viii rapidly become settled and
cultivated There are over 800 miles
of water communication by the streams
tributary TO the Saginaw River and the
Bay within the district, the banks OF
which, abound with pine, oak, black
walnut, aud many other kinds Of valuable
timber, with soil unsurpassed for sgri.
cultural purposes.
There are few questions more interest.
ing to the people of Northern Michigan,
aud that are less understood, than the
laws relating to graduated public lands.
BY the pre-emption act Of September
4th, 1871, and the graduation act OF
August a, 1854, it is provided that the
price of all lands remaining unsold after
having been in market ten years, shall
be reduced to actual settlers to one dollar
per acre; after Is years to rs cents, after
30 years to SO cents; after 25 years to
25 cents, and after 80 years to one shil-
ling. Under the graduation act, il is re-
quired that those who wish to avail them
selves of its benefits must be citizens Of
the United States, or have declared their
intention to become such, and over
twenty-one years Of age; must pay the
graduated price when locating, for which
they will receive duplicate receipts, and
before the expiration Of year from
which time, they must qualify, under
oath, that they located the land for the
purpose Of Homestead; that they have
sowed, planted, or raised, some kind of
crops; that they have erected dwelling
house thereon, aud make IL their home;
that they have made no contract or agree.
ment, directly or indirectly, for the sale
or transfer OF the title to the land, and
that, together with the present entry,
they will not have acquired from the
United States under the provisions Of
said act, over 800 acres. Under the Pre-
smption Act, the party cannot be the
owner of any other land when locating,
nor can he acquire over 100 acres. The
locator is not required to pay the gradu-
ated price, until he makes his proof,
which, under the Graduation Aot, he pays
when he enters the land. The pre-emptor
must continue the occupancy aud i'm
provement of the land from the day of
entry, until proof is made; otherwise his
right will be forfeited aud the land re-
preempted or sold when applied for
There is much misrepresentation in regard
to the provisions Of these laws, and it
would be well for those proposing to set
tie in the Saginaw Valley to get well
posted ut the Land Office before taking
any actual steps to settle.
SAGINAW IN A MILITARY AND NAVAL
POINT OF VIEW.
As long ago as January, 1926, Com
mittee on Military Affairs was appointed
by Congress, to whom was referred res
olution making inquiries what measures
were necessary to be adopted for the Sc
curity and defence of the Northwestern
frontier. Gen. Cass, then Governor of
the Territory of Michigan, in compliance
with request of the Committee, sub
mitted long and very able memorial,
setting forth the exposed condition of the
Territory to British aggressions, and the
necessity there was for adopting efficient
means Of defense; among which he re-
gardod certain military roads, especially
one which should enable US to maintain
our intercourses with Green Bay, Mack.
mac, aud Saut Ste. Marie, as Of the first
Importance. General Cass, in that me-
moir, refers to the fact that the Northern
shores Of four of the great lakes and Of
the straits which unite them, arc pos
sesscd by foreign power with whom we
have no right to expect a perpetual
peace. He adds: "The most liberal
principles Of national comfy do not pro-
hibt us from looking at the probable
course Of events, nor providing for CON
tingeueies, which experience has proved
may happen TO all nations, and must hap.
pen to most. There is nothing in the
character Of the British nation, and but
little in her history, which would justify
the conclusion, that her Canadian pos.
sessions will ever be easily relinquished."
In view Of the fact that these internal
seas and straits must, for series OF
years, remain frontiers, possessed by two
powerful nations, he argued in favor Of
the road, as a military necessity. The
proximity Of Fort Gratiot to the English
possessions, renders it insecure to ap-
proach by water, in case the enemy were
in considerable force on the opposite
shore, in which contingency it would
have to be abandoned, or the intercourse
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