Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-01-28
'Ewcsaay-GOurtRa gOmgrcss--.gd Seas
TueSdag. january "a, 1887.

TneSday. january "a, 1897.
IL SENATE.
Mr.. Robinson, from the Committee on The Post Office
and Post Roads, reported 4 bill 10 give greater security 10
correspondence belweea the United STATES ami foreign
nations which was read, and ordered to i second read
ing.
Mr.. Preston offered the following resolution, whica
was considered and adopted:
RcSoircd, Tia, the Committee on Naval Affairs be
instructed to inquire into the construction put upon The
act Of Both Of June, 1S3I, regulating the pay OF the ma.
rine c,rps by the Fourth Auditor, aud iato the ~prvpriety
Of any further legislation thereon.
PUBLIC LANDS.
The Senate then tunk up the bill 10 prohibit the sale
of The public lands, except 10 actual settlers, aud III IL.
United quantities.
The question pending was on MIR. Tipton's amend
menl, offered yesterday L" The first section OF The bill,
" that all lands that have been in the market ten years,
and remain unsold, shall be sold for seventy.l!ve cents
an acre and all thai have five yeats, shall be disposed
OF at one dollar provided that not more than one hun
bred aud sixty acres BIZ sold to one purchaser.
Mr.. Ewing concluded his remarks. lie said Tint the
provisions / the bLl did mol obviate the objections of
gentlemen To it, vino were DESTROYS that one should pass
to limil the sales ut the public lands To actual settlers
He con,cr,!ed, that !!e effect of the provision IN regard
To granting patents, would be to increase the actual
amount Of profits made by specializing i'll the public lands.
Had Congress any right 10 say, that persons holding pro-
petty shall not be Liable to a Stale law where the property
is, hut To 4 law Of Congress: He had no doubt rs 10 how
the Supreme Court Vi The United States would decide,
if the question should come before it. The provision,
then. was wholly lnetft ctua!.
He next adyertcd 10 the presumption clause, and COM
planned thai il did nul define clearly what was "occupan-
cy," and argued that, should il be adopted, violence and
bIoodsIcd would inevitably be the consequence. lie
produced a paper containing the rules and regulations
Of L ,cciely of purchasers oil public lands residing IN the
West: in regard to what they deem their rtghiS; ana ne
ayerred, that at the auction sales L person or persons
were drputed 10 attend, and they exercised an undue III
iu";ice, and were prepared aud armed to obtain What
they wished. In conclusion, he remarked, that he OBJ
jccicd TO the bill in all lis details, us not being calculated
10 effect what gentlemen desired.
Nj. Clay could see IN earthly motive in still further
reducing the price Ct Tic public lands, as if they were
not already low enough. lie adTeitcd 10 The tact OF lie
new States having increased in population beyond all
calculation. and said the argument ct gentlemen could
moi be, that the Western States were not settling fast
enough.
Mr.. Dana was clad TO see that, with some few cxcep.
tious, 4 disposition was rvlnccd by Senators 10 lcgls!atc
so as 10 diminish the revenue of the Government. lie
thought it was the duty OF Congress TO pass soi:4e law
which would have the effect oi putting Il stop to the
sprculati"ns nov going on IN respect 10 lhe purchase cl
pubic lands. Now. he knew not Il neither tie present
Ll! would DO This 10 the fullest extent. If, however. il
WAS !ruud ~ answer the purposes intendcd by 1t, then
uuqucstionably Il great good would have 1fen acc"'n-
PiisLrd. lie argued that II was the duty Of Congress to
do every thing in their power 10 encourage emigration
To the West, aud 10 induce men purchasing lands there
II become actual settlers.
AIR Upton replied to The Senator from Kentucky, and
also to Tie Senator from Ohio, (Alr. Ewing) He said
that, although IL: had lived al The West for thirty years,
he had never heard of speculations being carried Tn 10
any Thing like the extent which the gentleman from
Ohin lad slated; aud he comlcnded that there was no.
thing 10 Justify tic assertion made by the Senator, that
prisons CONNECTED with the land companies, who attend
cd the auction sales, would either shoot or knock down
those wlIo might come in competition with them. lie
slrenuousiy urged the adoption of his amendment, as be-
ing whatthe people Of The Yves, had long desired lo be.
cUuIe Il law.
After a few words from Mr.. Clay, in reply,
The question was then taken on the amendment by
yeas and nays, as follows:
lrns-Alessrs. Benton, Black, Dana, Ewing Of ILL.,
nnis, Fulton, Hendricks, King of Alabama, Linn, Moore,
Morris, Nicholas. ttives, Robinson, Sewer, Strange, Tip.
ton, Walker, and WLi:e-lS.
.Nays-Mrssrs. Bayard. Brown, Calhoun, Clay, Crit
tenLen, CulI'LeIt, Davis, Ewing of Ohio, Hubbard,
Kent, King Of Georgia, knight, Niles, Page, irenliss,
Robbins, Ruggles, Swift, and Tullmudge-l9.
So the amendment was lost.
Mr.. Benton then offered the following amendment:
That it shall and may be lawful for any head of IA.
mily, young uan over the age of eighteen years, or wi.
dow. not having received a donation Of land from the
United States, anu wishing TO become an actual settler
on any part Of the public land, which shall have remain
cd five years unsoId after having been offered at one dol
lar and twenty-five cents per acre. and not exceeding
in quantity the amount ofone quarter section, 10 demand
ard receive, from the proper register and receiver, u witt
ten permission 10 settle On the same, upon payment, to be
made 10 the proper receiver, OF the sum Vi 10 cents per
acre, and il such prfson, so applying for and rrcriving
such PERMISSION, SHALL forthwith settle on The said land,
and he or she, or his or her heirs or legal representatives,
shall ca!tivalc The same for five successive years, and
shall be a citizen. or c:tiEeHs OF tile u. States al the end
Of that time, then, on proper proof being made before tie
register and receiver, OF such settlement, cultivation,
anu citizenship: Il patent Shall issue for the said land 10
the person who received such permission, or his or her
heirs OF legal representatives. And the faith Of The u.
S. is hereby pledged to all persons vino may settle on
The public lands, according-to the provisions Of this Sec
lion, that no dispensalion shall, al any time, be granted
to any individual from complying with The substantial
conditions herein prescribed. And, if due proof Of set.
tlclnent. cultivation, and citizenship, as herein required,
be not made within one yeur next after the expiration of
said five years, the said land shall again be subject 10 en-
try at private sale, as land belonging to the U. S. And
if two or more PERSONS entitled under this act TO the pri.
vileges Of actual settlers, shall apply Tor the same parcel
OF land, then The register and receiver shall Immediately
deci1e the light OF preference between them, according
10 priority OF settlement and other equitable circum.
stances, and where these are equal by lot.
The question was taken on its adoption by yeas and
nays, as follows:
~lus-Mess's. Benton Black, Dana, Ewing, of Iii.
nois, Fulton, Hendricks, King, OF Alabama, Linn, Moore,
Morris, Nicholas, Rivcs, Robinson, Sewer, Strange, Tip.
ton, Walker and White-lS.
.Nays-Messrs. Bayard, Brown, Calhoun, Clay, Clay
ton, Crittenden, Davis, Ewing, ofOhio, Hubbard, Kent,
King, of Georgia, Knight, Niles, Page, Prentiss, Rob.
bins, Ruggles, Swift, Tallmadge and WrigLt-2O.
SO the amendment was lost.