The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-11-21
Tho Future Of Our Country.

Hon. Joseph S. Wilson, Commissioner
of the General Land Office, has submit
ted his annual report to the Secretary OF
the Interior. The report consists of
five hundred and seventy-six pages of
manuscript, besides a special accom-
panying document of over one hundred
pages. In the regular report the state
ment is made that about 1000, 900 acres
Of public lands have been disposed of
within the past year. There is yet the
immense amount of l 100000, 900 acres
of public land, including the lately ac
quired Russian territory. The report
is made up to the 15th day of October,
which ends the fiscal year. There are
thirty maps fully descriptive of the
States and Territories, together with the
most elegant and carefully prepared map
Of the world that has ever been gotten
up in any country, accompanying the
report.
The special paper enclosed with the
report is one of the most interesting,
instructing, and valuable documents that
has ever been gotten up in this country.
1t fully elaborates upon the mineral
wealth of the United States, its gold
and silver products, the same in compar
ison with the rest of the world, the
quantity of gold, silver. and other pre-
cious metals; the quantities now in ex-
istence in this country and in the world,
and by this means showing the compar
ative wealth of this country. The pa
per speaks in detail of the great Pacific
slope-1,O00 miles long and $50 wide,
with an area of over 83I,0 COO square
miles, or about 5,O0O,0OO,00O of acres,
sufficient to inhabit 1,O0O,O00,OOO of
people. The great wealth and increase
OF this county and it's future prospects
are thoroughly treated upon. The great
Pacific railways are fully explained, and
the tide of the Atlantic ard Pacific are
shown.
The trade of the Indies, of China, Of
Japan, of all the Eastern world, must
flow into this country, and through this
country to the rest of the world. To
San Francisco and thence to New York
all the precious metals of the Eastern
World will find their markets for the
world.
Mr. Wilson shows how we are now
three thousand miles ahead Of England
in our routes to China and Japan and
the Indies. He shows in full the neces
sary diversion of the trade to this coun-
try, and its effects on our public lands
in the Pacific slope and the Mississippi
valley. He gives on the map of the
world every railroad line completed or
in contemplation in the whole country.
He speaks in. detail of the various Pacific
railroads, announces the important tact
that by October, 1869, the main road will
be finished, and the great steam horse
will carry us from New York to San
Francisco direct
He says there are now 81, 900 miles of
completed railroads in this country,
which, since their commencement, is at
the rate Of 1000 miles year. He furth-
er says that there are in course Of con-
1850 miles of railroad. For
these roads completed, and for those in
the Government has do
mated over S4,sOO,OOO acres of land,
and to the Pacific roads over "a, 900, 900 |
acres of land. He speaks in detail of
the immense increase of the wealth of
the country by the warranted advance
in public lands bordering on all those
roads.
Mr.. Wilson's treatise on our domestic
and foreign trade, in these papers, are
invaluable to our commercial world-
He demonstrates that our present do.
nestle trade is over $4,000, 100000.
He shows conclusively that we are
bound to absorb the immense trade OF
1orthern and eastern Asia, by way of
San Francisco and New York He gives
'ull details about the Suez canal shows
low England has been acquiring i'm
nense wealth from Indian posses sions-
Ter present income being over 78,OOO,-
100 pounds in tariffs for the past year,
ust from that source; shows how we
ire 3,279 miles nearer to Melbourne,
Austr than England or France; tells
Is al oout China and Japan, and our
Increasing trade with those countries
,ives the names of the cities for trade,
nd how the shipments are made to San
then to New York, and then
o Europe, and through our own country;
ives an iteresting account of the trip
# the steamer Colorado from San Fran.
isco to Japan in twenty seven days, and
er return in three weeks, laden with a
ich freight. The same trip for London
r Paris would take sixty days each