Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-02-06


prescriptions by fraudulent practices Another letter
writer the District Attorney, who said that three
hundred and fifty fraudulent floats had been laid on lie
route Of the Atchnnyala railroad. And here, said Mr.
W., is le official report made by the visitor Of the Ge-
neral Government to the land office, which refutes the
charge. There, Mr.. Brown corrected by his own
agent, who stated that ii was moi true that three hundred
and fifty floats had been laid there.
Thus (snid Mr. W when you look at all the com
plants against this pre- empl0n system. you will had
that they made by persons Interested, like this dis
trlc attorney These interested Spectators wished 10
get the farms Of the settlers al few cents above the
minimum price; and therefore they ready to OPP
pose obstacles in the way of the execution of The pre-
emplon laws Mr. w. replied at length to Mr.. Clay,
reviewing and commenting on the report of the Com
missioner of the General Land Office alluded to, and
showing that it was little 10 be relied
Mr.. Clay of Kentucky was aware hnw unequal the
contest was. The determination TO push this bill through,
by the ma ority evinced by the manner in which it's
provisions eulogsed equitable ALL and spec.
ally calculated TO give homes TO the poor man. but with
regard to insInuatons which had been thrown out,
OF ssrasping spirit" he begged leave 10 repel the
charge, and would throw il back to where it belonged,
viz: the States. lie denied that any such feel
ing evnced by The old States that grant after grant
had been given the States for internal improve.
nents for cndUwing colleges, and tor other purposes cal
cuIard to promote their interests.
1t but tie other day that Michigan asked grant
of near half million OF acres Where was the grasp
ing spirit connected with The distribution law? That
measure proposed 10 leave the land system where it
found it, under which had gone SO well and 10. so
many years II proposed simply 10 distribute the pro-
ceeds Of the sales among the old States well as the
new giving TO the latter per cenage OF some III or 10
per cent for purposes Of education, NC where the
grasping spirit there:
Ins;nulliuns too, had been thrown against the
officer from whose report he had just read statements
in relation 10 the redemption system Had nut That
officer been appointed minister to fureign court,
and 10 other high and responsible stations, by The
immortal Jackson; And yet lie not to be ere.
dlrd here, because his reports adverse 10 the
la
cumenIs Of their officer, vino would they credit:
The Senator from Mississippi says that of all these ca
ses alluded in That report. there were but ~ irau
dupul cases. and that out of Them, the District Attorney
from whom The information had been derived had pee.
Mr. e.. said he should like to know who The agent was
that had been sent to investigate Might he not, on The
other hand been interested in 10 10 cases
uui of the nineteen: The fact was, that the whole pre-
cInptinn purefrd and corrupted oil it touched
Mr. c. alluded to he Miami reserve; lands worth from
!sD to $40 per had been lntrudsd upon 81 la%iess
men, in violation Of the ghis Of the GoVefnment and
yet these "pnnr, hnnrsl settlers were 70 nave ue
| rnhls Of precnptiun What aht had these men 10
the public lands; BY what power did they seize upon
and rob The u. States of their possessions AS we'll
mint they seize upon the dollars in the public Treasury;
on The forts asenas and public ships, the public
lands Mr. &. read from All Indiana paper debate IN
relation this reserve. where the system of preemplon
was investigated. fle had experience in relation
10 these matters in Kentucky; and OF all the numerous
pre.e,nponsls who had lived in lhn, State lie knew of
but single individual who had remained on iIs quar-
section. The auction system was wise anu cani'
system; it gave full and fair chance tor cope
in the purchase Of the public lands, by which the
Government benefited, and tie individual also.
| Mr. Clay Of Alabama would say one word in regard
to the report of the Commissioner Of the General Land
! Office alluded to BY The chairman Of the committee. lie
understood that the Commissioner had represented That
we ID lost in a sInge year three millions ny the opera
ton of the pre-. empon laws On This subject ne wished
10 call tie attention of the Senate to the documentary
facts and especially that Of the Senator from Kentucky
| II,, that laulSw
lie auction than they brought under the eptlon laws
IL Gentlemen would look at the documents on their
tabes they would find that in lc22 the sales amounted
hut three cents than the minimum price; that IN
23 the excess only five cens and IN 1871 The eX-
Cess only two cents. Now MIR. Z asked were mere
any pre- emplion laws in those years: NO Al that Time
no general PIE empli0n law had ever been enacted-
Again in two subsequent years we find (said Mr.. ~
falling oil greater than before for IN 1875 The e%'
only one cent, and III leZJ Inc sahe' ne
hoped the Government was h"ncStly administered IN
| ls3! The Senator from Kentucky himself would
he able TO answer that score; and yet was louhd
that in those years the average excess was on'y one cent
Was moi this fact sufficient to put down The assumption
that the pre- eplnn laws had diminished The sales and
the amount received from the public lands In lc3o no
excess was found though half million OF acres had
been offered fn sale at public auction These lacls were
ncoulrovertiblc were record, and concusvey SHOW
ed that the report wrong in asserting tat Inc oPe-
ration of the pre- empton laws had diminished Inc re-
cepls from public lands three millions he Senator
from Kentucky bad seized an apparent discrepancy
between tie Message Of the President ano Inc reor oil
the Commissioner of the General Land Oitce WIN
vipw 10 excite prejudice against those officers and the
measure under consideration. MI Z. SAID II would not
BIZ very difficult to reconcile this seeming contradictions
The Senator from Kentucky (hlr. Clay) 10 accom-
u1sh the putpose alluded to- bad referred 10 Single
s,uieuce in Tie Presidents Message, III winch ne re-
marks Upon critica exaI'nal"n IL 10 'ouhu .nat
the lands sold the p"ic sales, since the Introduction
of cash navnens is20 have produced, on an average
the nett revenue Of only six cents an acre more thah
| the minimum Government price. The report OF lie
| Commissioned of the General Land Once embraces
all descriptions Of sales, public and prtratc at aue"h
| and under The presumption laws from the commence
ucnt of the cash SYSTEM the lst Of July, lo2O, 10
the :ath Of September 1887 period OF more IMAM
seventeen makes the general nccrage c1eess
above The minimum price only TWO Genus ahS 4.o'ns
| of cent. per And said Mr. Clay the message
of the President only referred 10 public salfc alone,
but i, WIS the two Houses on the OH oil Decem-
Der last more than mnnt before The date OF lhe oofl
missioner report. That was made in obedience TO
resolution of the Senate adopted on the motion Vi nm
MIR CLAY of Alabamal the 2Uth os September last,
had occupied almost four months in lis completion ny a.,
the ayaahe force of the office; and was The only report
embracing the entire salrs under the cash system, when
had .vsr bcep made Mr. e. said it more than like.
lv too that the President referred TO some ls"aled Pc.
Rod Of The system shown IN some iofmer report IT.
certainly referred only to public sales
The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Ciay) had also re-
marked that these pre- emp,on laws had been made Inc
instruments OF the most slupendous frauds Mr. T. sl'o
he would lake leave 10 tell that Senator, "'' peFec ue
ference that he wholly mistaken, ana MS charee
utterly untounded regarded the operation oil Inc sys.
tern generally. The presumption laws had been me most
effective instruments to prevent fraud 10 save .'e no.
nas settler and cullivator and put down the most neia
rious and hearess system of speculation ever devised.
Such efforts 10 defeat bills of this character, MI v. sao'
were not new 10 him. When he was member OF Inc
House Of Representatives. he recolecteo on Inc eve
i,Liro ~, hill like the present documents containing
the most injurious mpuations and reflections on por
lion of the occupants of the public domain were printed
and laid upon the desks Of members oul 'Ortunay
there were persons present from the district oil country
IMPLICATED who were able brand the authors oil those
documents as Interested spectators and show Their ae
ndless. Whit WINS done IN QnO-