Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-03-01
Public or Government Lands.

When, in 1888, at the close of the war
of the Revolution, the treaty between
| the United States and Great Britain was
| made, but six of the States had definite
| boundaries. These were New Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Penn
| sylvania, Delaware and Maryland. A
vast amount of territory was claimed by
| the remaining seven States, but most of
| this was subsequently from time to
| time, and subject to various restrictions,
coded to and became the property of
the United States. To this was added,
in 1908, that immense tract known as
the Louisiana purchase; in 1919 Florida
was purchased from Spain; in 1s4S, at
the close of the war with Mexico, all her
territory north of the river ella was
coded by Mexico to the United States,
and in 1858 the territory between the
ella and our present southern boundary
was purchased from Mexico. All of
this territory, with the exception of GER
tain grants previously made by the
| Spanish and French Governments to
| private parties, became the property of
the United States, subject only to the
| Indian usufructuary claims, or the right
of use which Roger Williams was the
| first to advocate, and for which, among
| other reasons, he was banished from
| Massachusetts.
In 1885 an ordinance was passed by
the Congress ''for ascertaining the mode
of locating and disposing of the lands in
the Western Territory" This ordi-
nance, which had no precedent in the
theory or practice of any Government,
and was the result of much study, aided
by superior scientific and engineering
knowledge, made provision for COM
plete survey of all the Government or
public lands. An experience entirely
satisfactory of nearly a hundred years
bears testimony to the merits of the sys-
| tenn adopted, which was in brief as fol-
lows: 1t consisted of initial points,
which are points of intersection of base
lines, surveyed, measured, ard marked
on true parallel of latitude, with prin-
cipal surveying meridians. On these
lines, from the point of intersection at
distances of six miles, are marked the
corners of townships. From the base
| lines townships are numbered and
counted north and south, and from the
principal meridian counting east and
west they are called ranges. At a dist
ance of every twenty-four miles north of
the principal base line, and of every
thirty miles south thereof, standard or
correction parallels are established,
which become base lines for the surveys
north or south of them. In some of the
| States these distances of the correction
parallels have been somewhat varied.
| Next, guide meridians are established
at each forty-eight miles east and west
of the principal surveying meridian,
which, starting on the principal base
| line and running due north and south
| -, 81 =,
aliels above and below the principal
base line, form parallelograms of TWEEN
| ty-four by forty eight miles north,
and of thirty by forty eight miles south
of the principal base line, thus dividing
the entire country into regular and
well-dehned areas, any one of which
can be divided into townships of six
miles square, containing 23,O40 acres,
which are subdivided into sections one
mile square, containing G40 acres.
These sections are readily subdivided
| into smaller lots.
The Government soon recognized the
| fact that ownership of the soil by
the tillers thereof was desirable, and
set about devising means by which its
title to the public domain could be best
and most speedily transmitted into pri-
vate ownership. 1t was deemed wise to
recognize the services of those who had
assisted in achieving the Nations indie
pendence, and to such persons warrants
were issued authorizing them to take
and hold such number of acres of sur
veyed territory, not otherwise disposed
of, as was designated thereon, while the
rest was to be sold. The price fixed at
| first was 81 an acre, then 81, and
| finally 1925. 1t was also made I'M
1 los FIJI 70 fob
! possession of, make settlements upon
or survey any portion of the public lands
until duly authorized, and offenders
were made liable to ejectment and loss
of their Improvements; but so rapid
was the emigration to the new lands
| that such ejectment was found imprac-
| ticable. The number of squatters, as
the trespassers were called, became so
| formidable that it was deemed polite
instead of expelling them, to devise
some means by which they might take
posse sion under certain conditions,
known as sspre-emption," which would
give them the right to purchase the lands
on which they located in preference to
| any other person.
To facilitate the business connected
with the sale, and other disposition of
the lands, offices have been from time
| 10 Tune eStaoliSneO IN the ulHerent StateS
and Territories.
| At various times the Government has
seen fit to grant public lands for such
purposes as would seem to inure to the
benefit of the whole. people, among
which are grants in aid of popular edu-
cation, concessions in aid of internal
improvements, grants to States of GER
tain swamp or inundated lands within
their limits. The control of the lands
embraced in such grants passes to the
different States, companies or organiza-
remainder is offered to purchasers or
| actual settlers on various terms and con-
| ditions. Title thereto may be acquired
by purchase at public sale, or by private
entry, or by virtue of the various acts of
Congress known as Exemption, Home