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having a pre-emptive right, can purchase. After they have been offered at public sale, they are open to every purchaser at private sale.

The price of all the lands is fixed at a uniform minimum of one dollar and a quarter per acre. A bill is now before Congress, providing for the graduation of the prices of those that have been a long time in the market. The graduation of the price of public lands, and a liberal permanent preemption law, are objects of the greatest importance to all the

west.

In the year ending December 1, 1844, 6,693,368 acres of new land were offered in the market, beside a great amount that was then on hand that had been previously offered: of this amount 1,747,158 acres were sold, mostly in small subdivisions of 80 and 160 acres an excess over both the preceding years. In 1843, the number of acres sold was 1,605,264.

There has been a great misunderstanding on the part of the executive branch of the government, in relation to the value of the mineral lands. Mr. Spencer, when Secretary of War, in his annual report (1843 ?) stated the value of the mineral reservation in the lead district at $50 per acre !!! and recommended their sale at an extravagant sum ($20) as the minimum. Now, the statement already made of the annual proceeds of these lands, shows them to be of no greater value than farming lands; and if they were put up for sale to-day, at the minimum of $1,25 per acre, a great portion of them would remain unsold. A law has passed Congress at the present session to offer these lands for sale at a minimum of $2,50 per acre. Under this law but a small portion of the mineral reserve will be sold to actual miners, who know its value, though perhaps a good deal may be disposed of to unwise speculators.

The proposition has sometimes been suggested of ceding the public domain to the States respectively, in which it is included, at a certain price per acre (say 50 cents, or whatever the net proceeds may be under the control of the United States government), to be paid on the receipt of the proceeds of sale. The advantages of this plan would be, reducing the patronage of the national executive very considerably; and giving to the State governments in some degree the control of the lands; who would have power to modify the policy of the land system so as to favor or retard the settlement of their own State. The objections to it, among others, would be that it might lead to collisions between the State and National governments, and that the stipulated price (of 50 cents per acre) would never be paid to the United States. This last objection could be obviated by making the land officers bound to the United States, as well as to the State, and requiring them to pay its portion immediately to the United States, without first going into the State Treasury, and giving an action against them to the United States for its recovery. Perhaps such provisions would exclude also the danger of collision between the general and the local governments. One other benefit would arise from it. It might be managed with better understanding, and more economy, by the State governments, and some revenue saved by them for improvements.

Under such a plan, moreover, the difficulties attending the settlement of conflicting or doubtful claims, would easily be overcome. There are now between one and two thousand cases of suspended patents, or undecided claims, in the land office, many of which have remained so for years, and which never can be settled without additional legislation of Congress. The number of land officers in the United States is 134, subject to reappointment every four years, in the eight

surveying districts, and sixty-three land offices; beside sixty or seventy officers and clerks in the City of Washington. All this executive patronage may be dispensed with by the proposed system, except about a corporal's guard at Washington. The knowledge that would be brought into the administration of the land laws by the change, would be a great consideration. By the intimate knowledge which the State Governments have of this interest, a standard for the graduation of prices might be attained, much more accurate than that of mere time. If the surveys were made under the authority of the States, a farther economy may be made in that part of the business, probably. But if the surveys should be made by the United States, the eight Surveyors General, and a large number of officers at Washington, could not be dispensed with.

PART V.

INDIANS.-MONUMENTS.

THE Indian tribes now inhabiting the country under our consideration are the

Chippewas, inhabiting the country toward the sources of the Missisippi, above St. Peter's, and toward Lake Superior. With a small band of less than 200 inhabiting about Black River, they amount to

The Menominies in Wisconsin,

The New York Indians, "

Oneidas of Green Bay,
Potawatamies of Huron,
Stockbridge of Green Bay,

Stockbridge and Munsee,

Dahcotahs (Sioux),

Winnebagoes,

Potawatamies,

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7,780

2,508

3,293

720

100

207

388

25,000

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Perhaps the Oneidas, Stockbridge, and Stockbridge and Munsee are included in the New York, and if so, they are repeated, and there should be deducted from the above

1,315

43,064

The whole number is therefore, in that case, about 43,000. Of these the greater part, the Sioux, Potawatamies, and the

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