In fixing the amount at 75 per cent. in the present bill, the calculation has been made upon a basis intended to be strictly just towards the general government, the States, and to individuals. The per-centage to be paid by the States is placed higher than in former bills, because 1. There are now fewer lands unsurveyed in the States, and therefore the expense of their administration will be less. 2. In nearly all the land States there are now State land offices or agencies created for the sale of lands donated to the States by the general government, and the additional expense of adminis tering the remaining lands within their limits will be slight. 3. I desire that the bill should meet the constitutional views of gentlemen on both sides of the House, and operate simply as a transfer of the administration of the lands to the States in which they lie, and not as a donation or sale. The elements of the calculation upon which the per-centage is fixed at 75 per cent., I will state in a few words: The average cost of the public lands, according to the calculation of Commissioner Wilson [Report of the General Land Office for 1853, page 47] is, per acre.......... Cost of surveying.. Cost of selling and managing... Equal to, per acre. Calculating it at 22 cents per acre, if the lands If sold for $1,25 p. acre, the per-cent. would be. of the public domain, the total area of public land States [exclusive of Calfornia] is............................ The total number of acres remaining unsold in the land States, [exclusive of California,] on the 30th June, 1853, is...... 14.41 cents. ...168,178,818.48 The average length of time the land States (ex cluding California) have been in the Union, is within a fraction of thirty years; and within that period there has been sold 103,197,356 35-100 acres, and disposed of for schools, internal improvements, individuals and companies, seats of government, military services, salines, Indians, &c., &c., 104,194,722 89-100 acres, making a total of....... Or sixty per cent. of the whole 207,392,079 Thirty years being the average time that the lands within the States have been offered for sale at $1,25 per acre, if we estimate that the States, under the operation of the graduation prices of the bill, which is a very fair calculation, will dispose of an equal proportion of the public lands within the next thirty years, and that being the period at the expiration of which the lands remaining undisposed of are to be relinquished to the States, there will have been parted with in that time 100,970,290 acres. Under the graduating process, these 100,907,290 acres are to be sold at prices ranging from $1,25 to 25 cents per acre, (the average rate of the bill,) and will bring $75,680,468. It is proposed that the land States pay to the general government 75 per cent. of the gross proceeds of the sales of those lands, which will amount to......$56,760,351 Deduct the cost of the lands to the United States- say 168,178,818 acres, at 161* cents per acre.... 27,749,505 Leaving a profit over and above cost to the U. S. of 29,010,846 The share of the States in the gross amount sold, be- Leaving a profit over and above cost to the land $18,920,117 7,063,510 11,856,607 14.41 per acre. 2.07 66 16.48 66 which the government has expended, and would be entitled to be repaid, if it had surveyed all the lands ceded. The federal government has not surveyed all the lands ceded; therefore this seven cents is made up of--Survey. · 2.07 cents. .... .5.32 Sale and management. ...... ¢ 7.39 " that the calculation may be perfectly fair, both to the States and the general gov vernment. 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 |