Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-12-15

report 0l tue commissioner OF III
dian Affairs for full information
on this subject.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
During the last fiscal year 8,
095, ,413 acres of public land was
disposed of. or this quantity g.
698,9lO.05 acres were taken under
the homestead law, and 2,l59, ,515,.
81 acres sold for cash. The re-
mander was located with military
warrant, agricultural college of
Indian scrip, or applied in salts
faction Of grants to various rail
roads, or for other public uses. =
The entries under the homestead
law, during the past year, covered
96I, ,541.45 acres, more than those
during the preceding year. Sur
veys have peen vigorously prose-
cuted to the extent of the means
applicable to the purpose. The
quantity Of land in market will
amply supply the present demand.
The claim Of the settler under the
homestead pre-emption law is not,
however, limited to lands subject
to sale at private entry. Any un-
appropriated surveyed public land
may to q limited amount be acduir-
ed under the former laws, il the
party entitled to enter under them
will comply with the requirements
they prescribe in regard to resi-
dence and cultivation. The actual
settlers pre- emption right of pur-
chase is even broader, and extends
to lands which were unsurveyed at
the time of his settlement. His right
was formerly confined within much
narrower limits, and at one period
of our history was confirmed only
by special statutes. They were
enacted from time to time to le-
galize what was then regarded as an
unauthorized Introduction upon the
national domain. The opinion
that the public lands should be re-
garded chiefly as source of rev
enue no longer maintained. The
rapid settlement and successful
cultivation of them, is now justly
considered Of more importance to
our well being than any fund which
the sale Of them would produce.
The remarkable growth and pros
perity Of our new States and Terri
tories attest the wisdom of the leg
islation which invites the tiller Of
the soil to secure permanent home
on terms within tile reach Of all.
The pioneer who incurs the dan
gers and privatlons Of frontier life
and thus aids in laying the founda-
tions ofnew communities, renders
n signal service to his country, and
is entitled to its special favor and
protection. The, laws secure that
object and largely promote the gen
eral welfare, They should there
fore be cherished as permanent
feature of our land system. Good
faith requires us to give full effect
to existing grants. The benifcent
policy Of setting apart certain sec
tons of the public land for educa
tioDal purposes in the new States,
should be continued. When ample
provisions shall have been made
for this object, | submit as q ques
ton worthy of serious considera-
tion, whether the residue Of our
national domain should not be
wholly disposed Of under the pro-
visions Of the homeatead and pre-
laws.
In addition to the swamp and
overhowed lands granted to the
States in which they are situated,
the lands taken under the Agricul
tural College acts, and for internal
improvements, or improyementpn
poses, under the act Of September
1871, and the acts supplemental
thereto, there has been conveyed
up to the close Of the last fiscal year,
by patent or other equivalent evi
dence OF title, to States and corpor-
ations, 27S,325,7I3, For railways,
canals and wagon roads, it is esti
mated that an additional quantity
Of 74,735, ,523 acres is still due un-
der grants for like uses The pol
icy Of thus aiding the States in
building works of internal improve,
ments was inaugurNted more than
forty years since by grants to In
diana andllllinois, to aid tharoin in
opening canals to connect the wa
ters of the Wabash with those Of
Lake Erie, and tho waters of the
Illinois with those Of Lake Michi-
gan. 1t was followed, with some
in the grant to llli-
nois of alternate sections Of public
land within certain limits Of the H.
linois Central railway,
Fourteen States and sundry cor,
lorations have received similar
subsidies, in connection with rail
Ways completed or in process Of
construction. AS the reserve sec.
ions are rated at o double mini.
mum, the sale of them at the en-
ianced price, has thus, in many in
tOnces, unidentified the treasury
or the granted lands, The con
of some Of these thor
,ughfares has undoubtedly given
'igorous impetus to the develop
nent Of our resources and the set
lement ofthe more distant portions
t the country.
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