The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-07-13
COLUMBIA.
Friday Morning, July l3. 1856.
Donating the Public Lands.

factious majority, sit for many months
longer, the United States will have
scarcely an acre of public land left to
their name. The title deeds to them
are being made ont every day in this
Congress, and it is utterly surprising
that the American people can stand,
with any sort of patience, the reck-
less extravaganza of these quasi legis-
lators.
For instance, we see it stated that,
in one day, the following bills were
passed by these generous conserva-
tors of the peoples property:
Granting public lands in Nevada;
granting lands to the Iron Mountain
Railroad Company of Missouri;
granting lands in Michigan, to aid in
the construction of ship canal from
Portage Lake to Lake Superior; grant
ing lands to construct a canal from
Lake Superior to La Belle Lake;
granting lands to aid in building rail
roads in Minnesota
This is sample of the way the
country's public domain is disposed
of.
But again, the Homestead Law"
as it is called, gives away an immense
quantity of the public lands, and,
radical-like, extends its benefits to
the freedmen. The Chief of the
Bureau of this class has lost no time
in issuing another of his multifarious
Circulars" " taking advantage of this
provision. On Saturday last, he is
sued one to his sub-commissioners
throughout the South, calling their
attention to the Act of Congress ex-
tending the provisions of the home
stead law to the freedmen, and giving
them an opportunity to enter lands,
unopposed by any influence, till
January l, 1867.
We would have no objections to
the industrious and honest freedmen,
heads of families, acquiring home
steads on portion of the public do
main; but, for the life of us, we can
not see why this Bureau should
assume control of this class in this
matter. Let the poor whites and in
telligent blacks manage this affair for
themselves, without the interposition
or interference of agents or officers
Of this Bureau. But this is not to
be so, as the following extract from
this circular letter to the sub-agents
shows:
"You are empowered to employ a
special agent, in order to get 1nau
OF special fitness, if you shall find it
necessary. Correct maps of all the
public lands in your district must be
obtained Immediately, and informa-
tion as to the quality, location, &c. !,
should be gathered and made known
to the people interested. An officer
or agent may be charged with the
duty of answering all questions that
may be asked by blacks and whites,
besides corresponding with the regis
ter of public lands on all subjects
connected with this matter. Many
ways of aiding the people in ol in
ing information and lands will sug-
gest themselves to the assistant com
missioner.
If all the sub-agents would faith
fully carry out these directions, there
might be little objection to the mere
fact of the officers collecting and Civ
ing information to the proposed set.
tiers on the public lands; but we dc
hold that this matter of giving the
Bureau the smallest agency in the
settlement Of the public lands, is {
gratuitous adjunct to the duties O.
It's officers not contemplated in it.
creation.
Do not the many improprieties il
the working of this machine, and il
its dealings with the freedmen
through many of its officials, as de
veloped by the Presidents Commits
sioners, Generals Fullerton anG
Steedman, warrant the apprehension
that continuance of them in this new
sphere of imposed duties, will prov,
disastrous to the interests of thos,
who come under its influence or con