The number of acres remaining unsold at the end of thirty years, relinquished to the States in which they lie, will be 67,371,528 acres. From these calculations it appears-on the basis of the graduation price in this bill, the same as that in the bill recently passed, and the estimate of the Land Office of 22 cents per acre for cost of survey, sale, management, &c., of the public lands-that when lands are sold at $1,25 p. acre, the p.-cent. of exp. is 18 p. c.-net yield 82 When at 1,00 66 66 66 22 66 66 78 The expense averaging about 40 per cent., and the net yield 60 per cent. In fixing, therefore, the per-centage at 75 per cent., the federal government, besides getting rid of the vexatious questions attending the administration of the public lands, will receive in cash into the treasury 15 per cent. more from their sale, under the provisions of this bill, than under the present system. SO MUCH FOR THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT. HOW WILL IT AFFECT THE STATES? 1st. The States will gain $11,856,607 above their expense in administration of the lands within their limits. 2d. The transfer, at the end of thirty years, of the lands remaining unsold, estimated at 67,271,528 acres. 3d. The right to tax land as soon as sold, in getting rid of the exemption from taxation of government lands for five years after sale. 4th. They will secure all the aid in the construction of railroads within their limits which is now vainly sought for from Congress. 5th. The rapid sale and settlement of the lands within their limits, and the adjudication of all contested entries and disputed land titles, by their own legislatures and before their State courts. 6th. They will be freed from that species of vassalage arising from a large portion of their territory being held by the general government, and the subject of Executive influence and patronage, within their limits. But, sir, it must be remembered, that while this bill tenders these advantages to the States, its passage by this House does not impose upon them their acceptance. By its terms, it offers merely their acceptance; giving a year within which the States may accept or not the administration of their lands. Is there a représentative on this floor who will take upon himself the responsibil ity of denying to his State legislature the right of deciding this questions? If some States accept, and others do not, to that exten the advantages we have described will result, and the present system will continue to operate exclusive of them, as it now operates exclusive of Texas, which in coming into the Union reserved the control of its own lands. In connection with the foregoing subject, we publish the following act of Congress graduating the price of the public lands in the States. AN ACT to graduate and reduce the price of the public lands to actual settlers and cultivators. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all of the public lands of the United States which shall have been in market for ten years or upwards, prior to the time of application to enter the same under the provisions of this act, and still remaining unsold, shall be subject to sale at the price of one dollar per acre; and all of the lands of the United States that shall have been in market for fifteen years or upwards, as aforesaid, and still remaining unsold, shall be subject to sale at seventy-five cents per acre; and all of the lands of the United States that shall have been in market for twenty years or upwards, as aforesaid, and still remaining unsold, shall be subject to sale at fifty cents per acre; and all of the lands of the United States that shall have been in market for twenty-five years and upwards, as aforesaid, and still remaining unsold, shall be subject to sale at twenty-five cents per acre; and all lands of the United States that shall have been in market for thirty years or more, shall be subject to sale at twelveand-a-half cents per acre: Provided, This section shall not be so construed as to extend to lands reserved to the United States, in acts granting land to States for railroad or other internal improvements, or to mineral lands held at over one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That upon every reduction in price under the provisions of this act, the occupant and settler upon the lands shall have the right of pre-emption at such graduated price, upon the same terms, conditions, restrictions and limitations, upon which the public lands of the United States are now subject to the right of pre-emption, until within thirty days preceding the next graduation or reduction that shall take place; and if not so purchased, shall again be subject to right of pre-emption for eleven months as before, and so on, from time to time, as reductions take place: Provided, that nothing in this act shall be so construed as to interfere with any right which has or may accrue by virtue of any act granting pre-emption to actual settlers upon public lands. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That any person applying to enter any of the aforesaid lands, shall be required to make affidavit before the register or receiver of the proper land office, that he or she enters the same for his or her own use, and for the purpose of actual settlement and cultivation, or for the use of an adjoining farm or plantation, owned or occupied by him or herself, and together with said entry, he or she has not acquired from the United States, under the provisions of this act, more than three hundred and twenty acres, according to the established surveys; and if any person or persons taking such oath or affidavit shall swear falsely in the premises, he or she shall be subject to all the pains and penalties of perjury. Approved August 4th, 1854. ARTICLE II. Valley of the Ohio. BY MANN BUTLER, ESQ. Continued from page 331, vol. XII. No. 5. Honors and rewards of Virginia to Col. Clark and the Illinois regiment. First offensive expedition from Kentucky into the Indian country by Col. Bowman. The Indian chiefs Blackfeet and Red Hawk. Capture of stations in Kentucky hy Col. Byrd. Establishment of Fort Jefferson below the mouth of the Ohio river, in 1780, by Col. Clark. Second Invasion of the Indian country by Col. Clark. Settlement of the McAfees in Kentucky. Great Land Court of Kentucky. Kentucky county divided into the three counties of Fayetie, Jefferson and Lincoln. Officers of these counties. After this brilliant exploit, achieved over obstacles which might well have deterred the most energetic commanders; it was only for a moment looked upon as sufficient; it was only regarded as a stepping stone to other and richer triumphs. Detroit now presented itself in full view to our bold and indefatigable officer. "Twice has this town been in my power," he wrote to Geo. Jefferson, "had I been able to have raised only five hundred men, when I first came into the country, or when at St. Vincents, or could I have secured my prisoners, and only have had three hundred good men, I should have attempted it." Recent intelligence had reached Clark that the British force at Detroit consisted of but 80 men, many of them invalids; and that the inhabitants were exceedingly well disposed towards the American interest. Indeed Col. Clark had determined on completing his bold enterprises, by an attack upon this point, when he received dispatches from Gov. Henry promising a re-enforcement of another batallion to complete his regiment. In consequence of this advice it was thought most prudent to postpone so distant and hazardous an expedition, until an imposing force should arrive. In the mean time, Col. Clark embarked on his galley for Kaskaskia, leaving Capt. Helm once more in the command of the town; and the superintendent of Indian affairs. Subsequent events have fully confirmed the wisdom of this postponement of the expedition against Detroit; which all the disposeable force of the United States could not effect though frequently meditated, and which was indeed finally only effected by the treaty with Great Britain.* Had this enterprise succeeded ever so completely in capturing the fort; without the naval command of the lake, it could not have been maintained; and the captors could not have escaped surrender to the great local superiority of the enemy, and contiguity to the seat of his power. The experience of Gladwin's siege by Pontiac and Hull's campaign confirm this opinion. For the exploits which have now been related, the Legislature of Virginia in November, 1778, voted their thanks to Col. Clark and the brave officers and men under his command, for their extraordinary resolution and perseverance, in so hazardous an enterprise, and for the important services thereby rendered their country. In September, 1779, Lieut. Gov. Page addressed the same officer a letter, accompanied with a sword, purchased by order of the General Assembly, "as a proof of their approbation," he said, "of your great and good conduct and gallant behavior." In addition to these honors, [much more charity confered at this. riod of the republic than in more prosperous times], 150,000 acres of land were granted to the Illinois regiment, which were located opposite to the Falls of Ohio, on the northwestern, side of the river, under the name of "Clark's Grant," which it still bears. Still, there can be no doubt of the inadequacy of these rewards to the services of Col. Clark to a great commonwealth services by which her dominion was stretched from the Atlantic to the Mississippi - an empire exceeding the territory of Great Britain and France united. Yet, in the infancy of the western country, unenchanted by the application of steam to navigation owing to the See Spark's Washington, vol. XII, 66. • See Appendix. pe genius of Fulton, and in an unsettled and barbarous condition, its capacity of greatness could not be fully appreciated. Nor could its conquest be ranked at its proper height in the roll of fame. The conduct to Clark of the unterrified commonwealth must therefore be viewed with some abatement of severity for not at once discovering and suitably acknowledging the full merits of Colonel Clark. These extorted the high encomium from Chief Justice Marshal, that "these bold and decisive measures, which, whether formed in a great or small scale, mark the military and enterprising genius of the man who plans and executes them."* This is indeed "laudari a laudato." The truth is, that George Rogers Clark was the master spirit of the western country from 1775, when he first visited Kentucky, until his first unfortunate campaign in 1786, hereafter to be noticed. It was the unanimous verdict of his cotemporaries, most of whom fought under his beloved banner, as Floyd and Linn, Logan and Boone. He was emphatically the founder of Kentucky, as much as he was the conqueror of the Illinois. If that bold soldier was not, in the language of the late John Randolph, of Roanoke, the American Hannibal, in the scale of his operations, he was so, in spirit and bold purpose. If he had not the legions and wealth of Carthage to support his operations, he wielded his handful of troops, and the poverty of Virginia, in the same bold, enterprising and original manner, as his great African prototype. To the mind of the author, this is a better criterion of similiar character and genius, than equality of force. To punish the Indians for the depredations and hostilities which they had committed with fearful ferocity on the stations and hunters of Kentucky, an expedition into their own country was now determined on. The town of old Chilicothe, on the Little Miami, was selected as the object of this first considerable invasion of the Indian country on the right bank of the Ohio, by the pioneers of Kentucky. This expedition was led by Col. John Bowman, assisted by Benjamin Logan, John Holder, James Harrod and John Bulger, as captains; George M. Bedinger acted as Adjutant, and some of the most efficient men in Kentucky engaged in this expedition, to the number of three hundred. This was the first offensive expedition undertaken from Kentucky since the spirited incur • Marshall's Washington. |