172 NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. 



The proposition has sometimes been suggested of ceding 

 the pubhc domain to the States respectively, in which it is 

 included, at a certain price per acre (say 50 cents, or what- 

 ever 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 con- 

 trol of the lands ; who would have power to modify the 

 policy of the land system so as to favor or retard the settle- 

 ment 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 fii'st 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 govern- 

 ments. 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 b}^ 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 Con- 

 gress. The number of land officers in the United States is 

 134, subject to reappointment every four years, in the eight 



