The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-26


Mr. Z. would not charge him with such dcsgn bu h,
thought II extraordinary that this motion to recomm
should be made when tho amendment might be eonsd
cred IN the Senate as well any where else
Aud Tor what was the amendment 10 DO madet 70,
the purpose OF limiting the benefits OF the bill IN
settlers This was wholly novel in the Senator from
Kentucky. Twas the first attempt he had ever made
TO conine the sale Of the lands TO actual settler. So
arfrom this, had not heard him denounce actual
Tiers as hostile TO the rights Of the Unon and unworthy
oil the favor OF Congress, and that within the las,
twelve months But object might be Accommodated
provided tho amendment Of the Senator should pass
and that was Of the fayorte features OF his policy
which was, that would reard the growth of the popula
lion and influence OF the States west of the Allepbsny
mountains Itwould prevent emigration westward, and
keep those who would emigate from benshtting then
condition. IL would conhne them TO manufactures o,
keep them here IN hopeless penury Mr. c. also scout
Gu he IDEA that the purchase reduced price Of GAO
acres OF refuse land that had been FIVE years or more
ID The market and had found purchaser should be
regarded as monopoly
Again, was 1t fair TO exclude from the benefits Of this
bli individuals who had cultivated farms in the vicinity
OF these refuse lands, and to prevent them from procur
ing them Tor timber pasture, and the kei Was il fair
70 cut them of from making additions their farms Of
these timber lands, which 10 them were almost ndis.
Penssoe! Could the Senate be induced to exclude in
u"iunais OF ihls class And did this come within
ther idea OF monopoly II was this land system az il
operated, not by prescription laws but by public
auctions That speculation and monopoles had prevailed
and by which millions OF acres OF the pubHc lands had
been bought up with paper currency, and with most
inoIalna'e Proht TO those who purchased There was
no danger OF monopoly under this bill But IL the
Senator from Kentucky believed il necessary 10 add
any provision to the BILL for greater security spans,
nopoy and speculation that no individual should OH
tain more than six hundred and forty acres under the
hill the friends OF the bill would nterpose no objection
Their object was to bring the land within the reach OF
as Ihay t,,ir he all IL
ss to I'LL out the States and to place them some
what on footing with the old States of the Union
vi the lands embraced by this bl Ia 276 900 acres
had been IN the market than twenty years 81 :
OOoo0o acres from fifteen to twenty years 900 900
acres rom ten TO heen years, DC. making aggre-
gate OF oil that would be subject the operation OF the
bill OF 100000 acres If Tor so long a time these
lands had not brought the minimum price Of the Co
vernment was reasonable suppose that they ever
would commando &! They were now living unproduc-
tive and useless But the instant these public lands
should be put into the hands Of individuals they would
produce tax for the States, the of timber upon
them would be prevented and then the lands would in
crease IN value. But as they STOOD the greater
portion OF them would sell for 81 % per acre. the
timber upon them would be cut down and DESTROYED, the
soil would be ruined, and then man would be will
ling to give the price for which he could obi ain the
best land in the Union.
Again, as had been already urged by Mr. C's friend
from Missouri, mir. BENTON, the financial effects OF
the bill were worthy of consideration. A communica.
ton from the Secretary of the Treasury had shown that
the measure proposed by the bill increase the
cepts into the Treasury at time when they most
necessary, and when otherwise they must loans
TO carry the necessary operations Of the Government
But pass this bill, and even if the commerce of the
country should not Increase the revenue there would be
want Of money in the Treasury. And there was no
sufficient objection against the BILL either to defeat it
further to delay its passage and Mr. had hoped that
fha hill 81, Il.
that Of the last session, silent vote should have been
gwen upon it, as the subject had undergone full dis
cusson al the last session.
There still another consideration. Would it not
be better to sell this land for seventy five now,
than to wait fifteen twenty years with the
ainty that it would then sell for 81 25l Make cal
cua,ion this point and wonld be found that the
United States would make money by the sale OF
the land under this BILL than TO wait with the certainty
Of Al 25 hereafter But there was no probability that
half this land, in twenty thirty years, would
command this price And, besides there was no more
to fix the price of the public lands at the same
uniform standard than to fix the price Of any other
commodity; and what would he thought OF law that
should fix at the same price all domestic animals
tcles OF linen wooden manufactured Mr. &. trusted.
there decided majority of the Senate favor Of
this bill in present form the last session. they would
be found TO he
Mr. BENTON said he was very glad this motion to
restrict the sales to actual settlers had been made
coming from the quarter it did 1t would do away
Of the most important objections to the preemptlon
laws Against the presumption law Of the last session.
the main objections against its consiuonality and
its Justice, by It's giving preference To actual settlers
the exclusion Of other citizens generally In this
point of vew this motion Of the most valuable
which had from that side of the House. And
Mr. b. glad, therefore, that the yeas and had
been ordered upon it. And it nigh, be expected that,
by the Of Congress, all the yeas and
,yonld ba n he l6O
acres Of the public lands. So much for the good in
voved in this motion, and now for the owl
One principal evil Of the proposed amendment was.
that it would prevent actual settlers from increasing
their farms. il would cut them of from making
cession their Improvements OF the refuse lands which
were near their FARMS and which would be of value
them than any other for the purpose Of extending and
completing their farms, for getting wood pasurng their
stock and for the nnumerable purposes for which it
desirable that with family Of children should
extend his farm. All these citizens would be cut off
from these advantages. And how many of than were
there All the settlers might take the benefits Of
the bill, but the old settlers that had been there ten
twenty years, had made roads, erected mills established
Schools and carried the various Improvements which
had made the ground of some value: all these were to
be cut of by the amendment-these residents aud ct-
zcns Of the States to be outlawed And IN
this way half million of heads OF families were TO be
excluded.
And this was to be done because the purchase of GAO
by single resident citizen would be speculation
a monopoly. though it in refuse lands. John ia
cob As,or had shown by his conduct that he had too
much wisdom to speculate in such lands; was it at
all likely that he would venture on such speculation
der this bill Where was the man who had gone large
y into speculation in lands who had not died beggar
Very few such, OF those who owned large heredi
ary fortunes had escaped having those fortunes, when
invested in land eaten up by taxes And this was spe
culaton Speculation, indeed
And in regard to the graduation price of the lands,
that had been tried in Mississippi by the Indians them
selves and proof had thus been presented that it
a system which operated most benefciay. 1t had,
in this case operated both for the State and the In
dams themselves BY the treaty with the Chckasaws,
in 1884, ii provided that these lands should be sold
for the benefit OF the Indians themselves and should be