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Mr. Pierpoint, from the committee appointed by the Senate and House of Representatives, to examine the one hundred and eleventh chapter of the revised statutes, reported amendments to said chapter.

A message from the House of Representatives by Mr. Merrill, their clerk :

MR. PRESIDENT: The House concur with the Senate in passing the one hundred and eleventh chapter of the revised statutes, with proposals of amendment.

The Senate took under consideration the one hundred and eleventh chapter of the revised statutes, and resolved to concur in the proposed amendments thereto.

A message from the House, by Mr. Chandler, a member:

MR. PRESIDENT: The House have completed the business of the session on their part, and ask if the Senate have any further business to present for their consideration.

Ordered, That a message be sent to the House of Representatives, informing them that the Senate have further business to present for their consideration.

Mr. Hemenway, from the committee on bills, reported that said committee had this evening delivered to the Governor, for his approval and signature, a bill entitled "THE REVISED STATUTES."

A message from the Governor, by Mr. Manser, secretary of civil and military affairs:

MR. PRESIDENT: His Excellency the Governor has approved and signed a bill entitled "THE REVISED STATUTES.

A message from the House of Representatives by Mr. Merrill, their clerk :

MR. PRESIDENT: The House concur with the Senate in their proposed amendments to the resolution relating to the printing of the revised statutes.

On motion of Mr. Converse,

Ordered, That a senator be appointed to intorin His Excellency the Governor, that the Senate, on their part, had completed the business of the session.

Mr. Converse was appointed to perform that service.

A message was sent to the House informing them that the Senate, on their part, had finished the business of the session, and that they were ready to adjourn.

On motion of Mr. Pierpoint, The Senate adjourned without day.

NORMAN WILLIAMS, Secretary.

APPENDIX.

REPORT ON THE PUBLIC LANDS.

To the House of Representatives now in session:

Your select committee, raised upon the resolution relating to the distribution of the proceeds of the public lands among the several states, and to whom was referred that portion of the Governor's message relating to that subject, respectfully report,

That they have had the same under consideration, and have given the subject such attention as the pressure of numerous other duties would permit. In the course of their investigation they have consulted such documents as came within their reach; and as the magnitude and importance of the subject increased as they proceeded, they had occasion to regret that their sources of information have been so limited. But they hope to be able to communicate such facts and statements as will ensure a favorable action upon the resolutions which they submit to your consideration.

The General Government hold in trust a fund which was entrusted to it "for the use and benefit of the several states." This fund con. sists of the public lands, part of which was acquired by purchase, with money taken from the common treasury, as in the case of Florida and Louisiana, and part by the grant of different states. The history of the acquisition of these lands and of the policy displayed in their management and disposal, places in strong contrast, the disinterested patriotism of the early days of the Republic, with the degeneracy of more modern times. The importance of these lands was early felt. When the colonies made common cause to deliver themselves from the yoke of the mother country, some of them possessed within their limits large tracts of wild lands which would become vested in them if suc. cess should crown their efforts. Other colonies, differently situated, protested against the justice of these claims and asserted that a domain, acquired by common toils sufferings and blood, should be held for the benefit of the whole. This subject was agitated during the progress of the the war, but withou: impairing the zeal with which they carried on the struggle for independence. In order to quiet the heart burnings upon this topic, and to procure a cordial adoption of the articles of the confederation, Congress proposed to the states to make liberal cessions of the waste lands to the United States, and on the 10th day of October, 1780, "Resolved, that the unappropriated lands that may be ceded or relin

quished to the United States by any particular state, pursuant to the recommendation of Congress of the 6th day of Sept. last, shall be disposed of for the common benefit of the United States, &c."

New York was the first to comply with this recommendation, and her deed of cession, made on the first day of March, 1781, expressly provides that the ceded lands and territories were to be held to and for the only use and benefit of such of the states as are or shall become parties to the articles of confederation. Virginia, who was much the largest proprietor of waste lands, followed next in order. In her deed of cession, which was executed by her delegation in congress in 1784, agreeably to an act of her legislature passed in 1783, she imposes terins and conditions very similar to those upon which Congress proposed to receive them. As this is by far the most important grant, and as those of North Carolina and Georgia, which succeeded, appcar to be taken from it, it may not be improper to copy the condition entire. After making certain reservations of lands previously granted by the state, the deed expressly declares, “that all the lands within the territory so ceded to the United States, shall be considered a common fund for the use and benefit of such of the United States as have become or shall become members of the confederation or federal alliance of the said states, Virginia inclusive, according to their usual respective proportions in the general charge and expenditure, and shall be faithfully and bona fide disposed of for that purpose, and for no other use or purpose whatscever."

Other states ceded their claims on similar terms, and by the deed of cession of Georgia, which was last in order of time, the United States became possessed of that vast domain of wild lands which was included within the limits of the original States. This was all granted and accepted as a trust fund, to be used for the benefit of such states as were already or might be hereafter admitted into the Union and for no other use or purpose whatsoever.

The adoption of the constitution in no way altered or modified the conditions of the grant. This instrument provides that "the Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States, and nothing in this constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States or of any particular State."

The purchase of Louisiana and Florida was made under the new constitution and paid for from the common fund. Over this portion, then, of the public domain, the powers of Congress are limited by no conditions.

Before we proceed with the history of the policy of the government in the disposal and management of these lands, it may be proper to consider the extent of territory thus acquired by cession and by purchase, and what portion of it yet remains the property of the United States. The quantity of such lands within the boundaries of the United States and territories is estimated by the Secretary of the Treasury at

The quinti y sold up to Jan. 1839,
Given away to the new states,
Leaving unsold,

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319,536,232 acres. 77,134,821 12,000,000 66 229,911,075

The quantity of land beyond the borders of any state or territory is estimated at 750,000,000 of acres, making in all 979,911,075 acres of land

still belonging to the United States and held for the use and benefit of the several states. Notwithstanding nine states have been erected within its bounds, and three territories which will soon claim to be admitted into the union, only 89,132,000 have been sold within the limits of these States and territories, leaving 229,911,075 acres still subject to the disposal of Congress. Estimating this land at the minimum government price, which is abou. the average net proceeds of the sales, it would produce a sum equal to $287,386,343. If we include in our calculation the land beyond the limits of the states and territories, the value would be $1,269,866,612.

While the states have such a fund held by the general government for their common benefit, it becomes them to enquire into the manner in which it has been managed, and to keep a watchful eye over its future disposition. Your committee therefore beg the indulgence of the house while they continue its history.

In 1785 an ordinance was passed providing for the disposal of these lands, directing that the proceeds should be paid into the treasury of the United States. In 1730, Congress, under the present constitution, pledged the proceeds to the payment of the public debt. The system adop ted for surveying and selling these lauds proved admirablyfitted to promote their settlement. Liberal giants were made for the purposes of education and internal improvements. To this course Congress was prompted by a wise desire to promote those great objects,and although the grants might at first sight seem incompatible with the deeds of cession, they may be justified by the increased value which was thus added to the land, and which inured to the common benefit. Besides the 12 millions of acres of land granted to the new states, they have received of 2 per cents for roads leading to them $1,456,251 30— of 3 per cents for roads in these states $2,184,376 93-and of 5 per cents $326,730 15. The recipients of such a bounty have certainly little reason to complain, because they cannot grasp the whole fund from which such liberal grants were supplied.

In order to preserve the ability to execute the trust in conformity with the conditions of the deeds of cession, Congress, in an ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio, provided that "the legislatures of these districts or new states, shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the soil by the United States in Congress assembled." This condition has been required of all the new territories, and each new state, upon its admission into the Union, has been required to recognize this right. Some of them, by a seperate act of their conventions, have declared, that their people forever disclaim a I right and title to the waste and unap propriated lands lying within this state, and that the same shall be and remain at the sole and entire disposition of the United States. Under the regulations adopted, the sales of the public lands proceeded with great regularity and to the s tisfaction of all th members of the Unon-the amount of sales gradually increasing with the growth of the population, with the exception of a few years of speculation, when the receipts were swelled to an unusual degree.

When it became evident that the national debt would soon be paid, and that the revenue derived from customs and the public lands would be more than sufficient for the wants of the government, and that a surplus must necessarily accumulate in the treasury, the disposition which

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