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

the documents on the desks of every Senator, show
conclusiyely that such is not the fact lie said il had
already been shown that the general average before the
passage Of The pre- emption law Of May, 1890 he first
general law OF The kind better than il had since
been. The cash system commenced in 1890; in fS22i
The average price per acre was only 81 IS in 1923,
it only 81 3d. in 1924 ii only 81 81 in the
years 1898 and $3.50, each, 1t ives only 81 ~ Al!
this (said Mr.. e. happened before the first pre- emp
lion law passed. which not i'll lS3O, and proves
the grountessness Of The assumption that this bill gives
bounty.
No. sir, said Mr. c. the bill offers no bounty ot vinla-
tons Of law. The naked question which presents, s
will you suffer the settler who Vas improved a.d cnt'
waited little spot of the public DOMAIN take the limit
ed quantity Of quarter section for the money
Thai would be received from the Spectator and ess'
1t is bill for The prevention o.! frauds and eculaton,
instead Of being the instrument Of lhem
Mr.. e. said the auction system, instead Of peemp.
TONS had been prolific Of Frauds which the Senator
from Kentucky might well have denounced ''scanda
lous to Gayerhnens aud 10 Individuals Such epithets
would be much more appropriate To- The combinations.
who attended auction salcs, and bought land merely n
speculation, and not for settlement cultivation II
the Senator 10 large combination of capital
isis in attendance upon en- auction land slie holding
their immense capital in terror The settler, al one
time demanding Of him certain PER not 10 bid
against him. and al others deterng competition pur.
chasing mp vast quantities Of land al Government price,;
and al the close of the Government SALE holding M
auction Of their own and wiring from the hard hands
Of the luxurious cu'iivatr, from two 10 FIVE d"ars per
profit and sometimes more, he might find III subjects
for the application of his epiles of irauds scanda"us
to the Government and 10 aiyiduals.' MIR. G. said,
he had intmated on another OCCASION, he had per
sonay witnessed such transactions lie had described;
and il prevent their recurrence, and 10 project
meritoous errs from such npo.tnns. while 1t would
lessen The receipts OF the Government that he WISH
ed this bill passed.
Mr. c. sud lie knew the character Of The population
which constituted Ire settlers on,the public lands that
he had lived amongst them, and had had much in-
rcourse with them, and could inform gentlemen thas
they not ,renegates rIgabonds or outlaws AS
class he said they could boast Of many virtues asany
other Many Of them, he knew, were distinguished Tor
their intelligence ard responsibility; and all were dis
iinguished for their hospitality, honest indepen'
dencc, and bold enterprise
The Senator from Kentucky (hlr Clap had declared
that he would not be deferred from the course he hac'
marked out for hi;Iself BY denuncations come from
whom, what quarter They might Mr.. e. SAID he cc
not know 10 whom the Senator from Kentucky alluded
but it that Senator escaped the Genunciaons OF the
hardy pioneers and settlers Of the West. whom he had
charged voatos Of the law, trespassers who had SER;
ed upon the public property, and whom ne had Stigma
zed perpetrators Of the most dsgracetul frauds, IN
terms injurious their characters and feelings he
would he fortunate indeed MIR. &. said he knew, from
his residence amongs, them, how unjust such lmpula'
nns against tie settlers we're; and that. II fraud was IN
tended 10 be suppressed the most cttrctuaI way Of IT.
tanning the object asby passing the bill before the.
Senate.
Mr. Young observed hassh object Of all the tnen''
hers from the States To TO The settlers On
| the pubic lanUS the W
povements Now by the provisions in this bill, and the
nature Of the amendment it declared that the ps:.
TO be benefited by it, must not only be settlers but
cu,ivators also But where the necessity o requiring
| proof Of culiraon Suppose man settled down as
blacksmith was his claim me sisofious one, aud
was he and his family 10 be driven from his improve
menls because he supported himself and them by labor.
ing at the forge instead OF the pough Suppose man
settled down on prairie (und there were Hundreds OF
such cases and broke up land and put in his wheat,
| without enclosing ii was he 10 osehs labor and n-
provemen,s because he did not make his fence within
the time required? Mr. Y. held /, only necessary that
the claimant should be occupant; and that 10 ie-
unire cultivation would in number of cases produce
great hardship Those who lived in the new States
knew That hundreds of the poorer class OF persons went
there without iie means %. c1ttvanS: Many OF them
having large families OF children, built their little log
cabins and were compelled TO labor for their support
He prayed gentlemen, therefore, not 10 exclude this MI
erous class at mertorinus persons ION Tie Dement'S OF
The hill IL would be doing full Justice 10 all 10 require
tina, there should be bona Gde settlement but if cult
vatiun WAS required, large class OF settlers would be
excluded who equally entitled TO the benefits III:
tended by the bill.
After some further remarks by Mr.. Crlicnden, the
question was taken on Mr. Criltenden amendment aud
! i; was agreed to-yeas 2G, nays II, as follows:
Yeus.Messrs Buyard, Brown, Calhoun, Clay OF Ken
tucky, Clayton Cr:t.enden Davis, King, Knight, DC
Kca1 Me1rck Ein-s, Nicholas Miles, Pierce, frent!ss
Preston, Roane Robbins Smith of Connecticut, Smith
Of Indiana, Southland, Spence, Swift ia'i'Ga1se' a"u
! Weiser-2G. ~
Nays-Mcssrs. Allen, Brnton, Buchanan, Clay OF
Alabann Cu,h5ert, Fulton, Hubbard, Linn, Lumpkn, ,.
| LYON Mou,on Nof"eIi, Ryes, Robinson, Sever lip
ton Walker, White Williams, Wright, and ioung-2!-
Mr. Bayard lhrn submitted an amendment, requiring
that this act shall be construed IN CONFORMITY WIN me
rules which have been prescribed by the Commissioner
of the General Land Office, under The former pre- EMP
! ton law.
Mr. King said that this amendment would produce
some difficulty the set of rules first prescribed BY the
Genera! Land O1icc having been found, ON p'aclcr,
defective had been set asje and new ones esiab!sicd
which worked well, and were in present use
| Mr. Clay Of Alabama suggested modification oil The
amendment as to require the act 10 Dc construed ia
conformity with such rules cs have been prescribed ~
the Commissioner Of The General Land Office and nrc
now in force; hcn modification Was accepted BY NJ:
Bayard.
Mr. Benton expressed himself as entirely opposed 10
such proceeding The rules infinitely more So
luminous Tie BILL and might tend 10 eariass IT'S
PROVISIONS and besides he was aVeIse 1" rEsIa'"s OIL
fetal rules into q law go.
Mr. King also opposed the amendment, after which
Mr. Bayard moved 10 postpone the further consldrfa-
lion of the bill till Monday in order to give members
lime to look into the rules Of the General Land Office
with regard the construction OF the pre.enp.hn laws
The question being taken on the motion to postpone,
it was lOst-yeas 2:', nays %, as follows
Yeas-Messrs. Bayafd, Calhoun, Clay OF Kentucky,
CLAYTON Cri,tenden Davis, knight, Mexican, Merrck,
Morris, Prenlss, Preston, Eoanc, Robbins RuggIes,
Smith of Indiana, Southland, Spence, swirl, laisnaoge,
Upton and Webser-a3
Taus-alessrs Allen Benton Brown, Buchanan, Clay
of Alabama, Culhbetl, Fulton, Hubbard. King. Linn,
Lumpkin, Lyon. Mou,on, Ncllo!as, Niles, NofVe'l,
Pierce Riyes, Robinson, Se7ier, Smith OF Connecueu''
Walker White Wight, and Young-25.
Mr. Bayn1d then :noded his amendment so as 10 read
as follows:
Insert after and in the fourteenth line, "and that pis
or TO any entries being made under the privileges g'rn
by this act, proof of settlement or improvement sla
be made TO the satisfaction OF the Register und heceV'e
of the Land District in which such lands may os agree"
bly, the rules which hase been prescE'"ed ~ 's S"
missioner of the General Land Office Tor that purpose
and are now in force. ,.,
| Mr., Morris then moved an Adjournment; which was
carried by vote of 81 10 ".
RoLLevvsf Tic great Eastern Null from Mobile, AadH.