试论美国土地制度中的土地分级和降价出售法令

Land Gradation and its Price Reduction Act in American Land System

土地分级和降低出售问题在美国土地立法史上占有十分重要的地位。它既反映出美国土地处理史上两种不同经济思想的矛盾,又反映出东部与西部、奴隶州与非奴隶州的利益冲突。这个议案在国会经过长达30多年的反复辩论和斗争始获通过。该议案被看作是1862年《宅地农场法》所实行的免费土地的序幕。它的通过标志着西部力量的壮大和美国土地制度民主化倾向的增强,对西部土地的快速开发起到巨大的促进作用。

The problem of land gradation and reduction of its price is of enormous importance in American legislative history. It reflects the conflicts between two different economic thoughts on the one hand, and the conflicts of interests between the East and West, slave states and non-slave states on the other. The act was finally passed after more than 30 years' repeated debates and hard struggle. The so-called gradation and reduction is simply to grade the public land by the time it has been put on land market, the longer the land was put on the market, the lower the price of the land would. The gradation act is usually seen as the prelude to the Homestead Act of 1862. The passage of this act indicates the growth of the West and the democratization of American land system, and it gave a great push to the rapid development of the West.