[Letter], 1808 Feb. 23, Treasury Department [to] U.S. Senators John Milledge [and] W[illiam] H. Crawford / Albert Gallatin

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Copy of a Letter from The Secretary of the Treasury to the Honle. [Honorable] John Milledge & Wm H Crawford


Treasury department
23d Feby [February] 1808.
Gentlemen,
I had the Honor to receive Your letter of the
19th Inst. [Instant] requesting my opinion of the probable period when the Sales of the public Lands in the Mississippi Territory may produce the Sum of 1,250,000 dollars payable to the State of Georgia out of the proceeds of those Sales.
The Lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished will probably amount to near Six Millions of acres, the most Valuable or at least the immediately Saleable portion of which is covered by claims recognized by Congress. Viz.

Settlements by [unclear text: owners ] of Spanish on British patents confirmed by [hole in document] articles


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of Cession & agreement between the United States & Georgia acres 438,449.
Settlements by owners of Spanish or British warrants of Survey, and donations to other actual Settlers Confirmed by the act of Congress of the
3d [3rd] . March 1803 and Satisfied out of the 5 Millions of Acres reservation made by the Articles of Cession 190,936
British patents yet Suspended, but which congress may confirm under the act above [deleted text: united ] mentioned estimate 30,635

660,000


The only Sales which have yet taken place have been to actual Settlers under pre,emtion [preemption] rights, granted by the act of
3d [3rd] March 1803, The pre,emtion [preemption] Certificates have been issued under that Act amounting to 125,328 acres, of which 3,511 acres are claimed by conflicting british claims, and the first instalment had been paid only on 74,831 acres, within the time limited by Law, The time was Since extended till the
first day of January 1808, in


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favor of those who had failed in making that payment, but the returns of the payments under that extention [extension] have not yet been received.
The expenses incurred by the United States for Surveying and expenses incident to the Sale have been,
For the board of Commissioners appointed to investigate the claims an opperation [operation] which was necessary previous to the Sales in order to ascertain the Vacant lands. Dollars 30,000
For Surveying advanced about 50,000
amounting by estimate, as the accounts are not all Settled, to 80,000
The expenses necessary to complete the Surveying of all the lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished cannot exceed 70,000
The total expenses may be estimated at 150,000 dol [dollars]


Having thus Stated in round numbers the estimated quantity of Land, which may be offered for sale, and the amount of expenses


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which may be incurred, I can only form Conjectures of the amount of annual Sales which may be expected to take [illegible text] and in those, I may be much mistaken.
In compliance however with your request, I will Venture an opinion, that there is a probability that the Sales will the first Year amount to one hundred thousand acres, and every Succeeding year to fifty thousand. Peace, a cessation of the interruption of our Commerce, and the free navigation of the Mobile would accelerate, whilst adverse events would retard the Sales, But my [deleted text: conjectures are ] [added text: Estimate is ] founded on the annual Sales in other districts, taking into consideration the great proportion of bad land along the Spanish line and, on the other hand the proximity to market and the great value of the agricultural products in that part of the United States.
On that estimate, deducting all the expenses of Surveying & incident to the Sales, the State of Georgia would receive from thirty to forty thousand dollars in the Year
1810


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and about one hundred thousand dollars annually after that Year till the payment was completed.
But if the Sales were to amount 150,000 acres the first year and to one hundred thousand acres a Year afterwards the State of Georgia would receive near 100,000 dollars in
1810 and the payment would be completed within Six Years thereafter
The annexed Tables I & II are made on those two Several Suppositions

I have the Honor to be, with great respect Gentlemen, Your obt. Servt. [obedient Servant] (Signed)
[Signed] Albert Gallatin
Honbl. [Honorable] John Milledge Wm H Crawford Senators, U.S. for the State of Georgia in Senate



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[added text: Proceeds of Sales made in the Years ]

I
Statement of annual payments of Lands in the Mississippi Terry. [Territory] on the Supposition that 100,000 acres will be sold in
1809 & 50,000 acres in every Succeeding year

1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815 &c. [et cetera]

37,500 -- 37,500 37,500 37,500 -- -- -- --

1809 -- -- 50,000 -- 50,000 50,000 50,000 --

1810 -- -- -- 25,000 -- 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000

1811 -- -- -- -- 25,000 -- 25,000 25,000 25,000

1812 -- -- -- -- -- 25,000 -- 25,000 25,000 25,000

1813 -- -- -- -- -- -- 25,000 -- 25,000 25,000 25,000

1814 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 25,000 -- 25,000, 25,000 25,000

1815 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 25,000, -- 25,000 25,000
37,500 -- 87,500 62,500 112,500 100,000 125,000 100,000 100,000 & do. [ditto] for every Succeeding Year



Payments for lands already recd. [received] 37,500
Ditto payable in
1809 87,500
ditto ditto.
1810 62,500
187,500




Payments to Georgia

1810 37,500

1811 112,500

1812 100,000

1813 125,000

1814 100,000

1815 100,000

1816 100,000

1817 100,000

1818 100,000

1819 100,000

1820 100,000

1821 100,000

1822 75,000
1,250,000 dollars



Expenses of Land board 30,000 150000
ditto Survey's incurrd [incurred] 50,000
do. do. [ditto ditto] to be incurd [incurred] 70,000



First payment to Georgia in
1810 37,500





II
[unclear text: Stitement [Statement] ] of the annual payments for Lands in the [unclear text: Mississ [Mississippi] ] Territory, on the Supposition that 150,000 acres will be sold in
1809 & 100,000 acres every succeeding Year [added text: proceeds of Sales in the Years ]

1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814 &c. [et cetera]

1807 37,500 -- 37,500 37,500 37,500

1809 -- -- 75,000 -- 75,000 75,000 75,000

1810 -- -- -- 50,000 -- 50,000 50,000 50,000

1811 -- -- -- -- 50,000 -- 50,000 50,000, 50,000

1812 -- -- -- -- -- 50,000 -- 50,000, 50,000, 50,000

1813 -- -- -- -- -- -- 50,000 -- 50,000, 50,000, 50,000

1814 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 50,000 -- 50,000, 50,000
37,500 -- 112,500 87,500 162,500 175,000 225,000 200,000 & ditto for every Succeeding Year



Payments for lands already received 37,500
ditto payable in
1809 112,500
150,000



Expenses of Land Board 30,000
do. [ditto] Survey'g [Surveying] incurd [incurred] 50,000
do. do. [ditto ditto] to be incurd [incurred] 70,000
150,000




Payments to Georgia

1810 87,500

1811 162,500

1812 175,000

1813 225,000

1814 200,000

1815 200,000

1816 200,000
1,250,000 dol [dollars]