The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-05-19
From the Chicago Courier.l
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

"To prevent the further sale OF the
public lands Of the United States, ex
cept as provided for in the pre- emption
and homestead laws, and the laws for
disposing Of town sites and mineral
lands" H1a
The proposed bill has been urged by
a speech of great ability, though lack
ing in discrimination, by Mr.. Julian of
Indiana. The question involves inter-
ests of stupendous magnitude, and the
most far reaching consequences. 1t
ought to arrest the attention of the
whole country. The question concern
ing the national currency is important;
its settlement will tax the most consum-
mate craftsmanship, yet it is not more
important than the question relative to
the right disposition of the vast domains
of public lands belonging to the United
States still unoccupied or unsold.-
Greenbacks will wear out, but the lands
remain forever. The great problem is,
secure the largest revenue to the gov
ernment, and at the same time insure
the highest, speediest and most perma-
nent welfare of the American nation,
and especially of the pioneers. The
question is of such magnitude that
many will probably for that very reason
pass it by, but the neglect to forecast
now the certain consequences of the
policy that may be adopted, might be
found too late, to have entailed results
impossible then to remedy.
Something respecting what has been
the policy of the government may be
inferred from the following facts: Con-
gress has granted in all, to the Western
and Southern States over 81 1000, 900
acres, to the other States over II ,OO0, 900
acres, for the purposes of canals, rail-
roads and other Improvements; and to
the different tines of the Pacific railroad
the estimated aggregate of 124 ,OOO, 900
acres, amounting in all to nearly 200,
Oo0, 900 acres. ''The quantity of lands
conveyed by these grants says the
commissioner of the General Land Of
fee, sis of empire extent, exceeding in
the aggregate, by more than five mill
ions of acres, the entire area of the six
New England States, added to the sur
face of New York, New Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland,
and Virginia" He says the grants to
the Pacific railway lines alone care with
in about fourth of being twice the
united area, of England, Scotland,
Wales, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, and
less than tenth of being equal to the
French Empire" ezt--s
To say that all these grants have been
properly bestowed would be to betray
great ignorance or an utter disregard of
truth. At the same time we demur
from Mr.. Julian's sweeping condemna-
tion of our land grant system, and from
his plan for reform. He subjects all
grants to unjust and subversive restric-
tions. The land that shall remain un-
disposed Of at the expiration of ten
years, the Julian bill would have SUBJ
ject to the same disposition as all other
public lands. This is not giving the
corporations a sufficient length of time
in which to dispose of their grants
The Illinois Central has been much
longer than that selling it's lands, and
we doubt if 1880 will find it's farms all
disposed of, although it is conceded
that the present terms of the Company
are reasonable, and it's dealings with its
debtors uniformly lenient. 1t takes a
long time to subdivide and sell to actu-
al settlers such vast tracts of country
as these grants cover. The grantees
can derive no revenue from the lands
until they are sold, and therefore there
can be no danger of undue delay, pro-
vided only the companies have sense
enough to appreciate their own interests.
If, however, there seems to be some
cause for apprehension on this score,
Congress might enact that after cer-
tain length of time, say fifteen years,
the land remaining unsold should be
liable to United States taxation.
But the real evils to be guarded
against are strangely overlooked by Mr..
Julian. They may be briefly stated:
First, Every grant should be SO
worded that the land can not be secured
until after the exact object for which it
was given had been fully obtained. In
several cases, which we might mention
had we space and it were necessary, the
laws were So loosely framed that gigan.
tic frauds were perpetrated. Lands
were secured without the construction
Of q road on the designed line, and in
more than one instance without the act
ual construction of any road whatever.