The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-26
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
PUBLIC LANDS.

~ Sena'e having taken up the bill To reduce and
g'auuale The price, thu public lands and the amend
ment from the Committee on Public Lands, 10 strike
oe' he provision that lands having been in the market
eeh years should be reduced to SO cents per acre,
| having been agreed to-
MT, CLAY. OF Alabama, said the bill was now in
e shape IN which u passed at the last session. The
price OF 90 cents having been stricken out and the lowest
price being 20 cents Of the bill now involved no
new principle. IL was measure Of Justice and as
SUCH Mr. T. asked that might receive the sanction OF
| the Senate
! MIR, CLAY, of Kentucky, (no other amendment to
the bill being ofered,) said he was sure the Senate
would agree with him in thinking that this bill was one
OF immense Importance, aud that too much
could not be deliberately bestowed upon il before its
passage. He was aware that the Senate at the last
session, passed bull somewhat like il in its various
provisions. But the Senate was now TO some extent,
differently constituted, and that were members
henmght have now received different Impressions or
tho opinion Of the country itself might have changed
on me soDJect. One OF the Southern States North
Carolina had recently announced that il was more
and more awake to the subject OF the PUBLIC and. Mr.
y. therefore hoped they would hear all that could be
urged IN favor OF the passage Of this bill and il would
be with extreme reluctance that Mr. G. would renew
ms suggestions made on former occasion, which he
now might present again with new notifications, or
simply as they were then presented
The bill as II now is, said Mr. c., would take effect
upon 100000 acres Of the pnblc lands-a quantity
sufficient for two large States OF this Union and its
operation would be almost instantaneous TO reduce the
Price Of that vast amount Of land from 81 25 to rs cents
per acre. say u would be almost instantaneous for
ahought provides that the lands which shall have been
IN the market Tor given time shall be reduced for one
year TO 20 cents yet that year. the process OF the land
system, was very short time. aud at the end Of the
year the whole OF this land would be reduced from IS
10 10 cents per acre making difference, in point OF
value, OF S35,OO0,O00 Now. sir this measure involv-
ing the loss OF such amount any time, and more
especially at this moment, when are apprized Of
want Of revenue, and when gentlemen Of this House
are not only acknowledging, but continually urging
That IS our imperative duty to economize, such
moment such measure this ought to be regarded
as commanding the most attentive and deliberate con-
sidcTation Of the Senate.
IL Is not my purpose now TO enter into all the con-
sidera'ons connected with this subject but have risen
for the purpose OF presenting motion to the consde
ration OF gentlemen; and now repeat what have often
expressed, that am utterly opposed to making any rad
cal and vital change in the land system formerly
listing But sir If that cannot be averted am disposed
TO limit this Though other gentlemen are OF the
contrary opinion, would limit this Of the public
treasure and the motion, therefore, which now make
is to confne this sacrifice Of the public domain at
reduced price to actual settlers and exclude that specu
ation which believe would be the inevitable conse-
quence OF the bill in its present form Notwithstand
ing what has been urged that this rejected land of in
terror quality, It may be true TO extent ia regard
to lands in the Southwest, but it has no appcato TO
lands west OF the Ohio and Mississippi and north of Ar
kansas and believe that, If the immense fortune of
John Jacob Astor were invested lands in that region
IN less imam seven years, enormous is would be
doubled, II not triped And at the very moment when
we are casting away an amount OF this invalua
bic treasure, immense fortunes are daily making by
purchasing up these refuse lands at the present low
prices and selling them at advance to actual settlers
IT, IN The place OF this all speculation could be repressed
II would rebound more to the benefit Of these new
States and rapid as their settlement has BEEN might
De made s.iil more rapid The object Of my notion
therefore, Is TO suppress speculation and confne the
boon, If granted at all. to the actual settler
With this view | now make the motion, and ask the
yeas and nays upon it. that the bill be recommitted TO
the Committee on Public Lands with instructions to
restrict the right to purchase the public lands at the
reduced prices under this bill to actual settlers and 10
limit the amount procured under the bill by each settler
to l60 acres
II this course should be taken, the result would be
this mat no man would procure, under the bill larger
amount OF land than 100 acres, and that would be
procured by none unless by the actual settler on the
land And IN respect to the actual settler this resrc-
ton OF the amount TO l60 would be no hardship
Tor ne desired and should be able to purchase more
than the 100 acres, he could still, do SO at the price Of
81 20 The effect would be- that the settler would be
in obtaining at the reduced price as much as he
could require Tor at the present and the bill would then
exclude, altogether what would be inevitable in its pre.
sent iorm-the monopoly of this land by Spectators,
ana he'sale OF 1t at immense profit to emigrants
". e.
sent, content himself with the motion which he had
submitted
Mr.. WALKER said he believed the Senator from
Kentucky had given no assurance that if the bill should
be modified as he desired, he would then he willing to
support IT, Was Mr. w. SO to understand the Senaror,
Mr., Clay made sign The Senator gave no such
indication he had not declared tina, he would in that
case support the bill nor did he appear willing to de-
clare that if his motion should be acceded to by the
friends OF the bull he would vote for it, for it in
rlann tba SaNa 4
that he would unite with the friends Of the BILL for one
Mr.. W was willing that this should be ended. and
that the BILL when modified the Senator pr posed
should become law.
But 1t was most extraordinary that the Senator should
propose this amendment, which Mr.. w would venture
to say the public journals would show for, if he had
not others had, denounced the principle of this amend
ment as a violation of the Constitution Mr. w had !
for two sessions, been in his efforts in confn.
ing the sales of the public lands to actual settlers
And what had been the objection II was this that,
by combining the sales to actual settlers, they would be
confined, in effect, to citizens Of the States and
this would violate the Constitution, which required that
the sales should be open to every citizen. The citi-
zcns OF the old States by their remo,eness would he
practically deprived Of the benefit of buying these lands
and this was distinction which the Constitution did
not allow. And the Senator from Kentucky was him.
self an Incorporating and unwaverng opponent Of
the bill for conning the sales actual settlers and he
was against selling them at reduced price to actual
settlers But he had taken the extraordinary attitude
of himself offering amendment to hfs BILL combining
sales under it to actual settlers
And now what were the provisions OF this bill as it
stood 1t confined the sale to each individual to one
section, in order to exclude monopoes. The Senator
from Kentucky thought this exclusion Of the bill would
not be efectual but, if the law could be euded which
limited the sale to section, it could be Just well
cludcd if it were limited to l60 acres
And what land was il that to be sold under the
bill? 1t was refuse land in regard to which there
official evidence from Registers and Receivers that they
would never bring the present price per Did the
Senator intend that land, which had been in the mar
ket during thirty years, and would not bring the pre-
sent minimum price should still continue unsold in the