The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-09
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
MONDAY. January Z, 1899.
PUBLIC LANDS.

The Senate having taken up the bill to reduce and
graduate the price Of public lands and the question be-
ng the amendment reported by the Committee on
Public Lands, IN pursuance OF instructions, and limiting
the benefits Of the bill to actual settlers
Mr. CLAY, OF Aabama, ffom the committee moved
to amend this amend by extending the benefits Of
the bill settlers lands adjacent those sold under
the bill for the increase and improvement of their farms,
and spoke briefly IN explanation and support OF this
amendment
Mr. CLAY. of Kentucky. said ]: do not think Mr..
President thar, without any dsespect to the committee,
the report which they have made is conformity with
the instructions received and, IN the first place. say
that the committee have not reported restriction 10
the quantity IL land which the purchaser might be allow
ed hold under The BILL the reduced price. and
cordrng to what supposed the Senate intended in their
instructions. The proposition which made embraced
two restrictions. combining the benefits Of the bill
actual settlers, and the other restriction the
quantity for each purchaser. which was not exceed
60 acres At the moment Of putting the question,
consented strike the 100 acres leaving the guam
tiy IN blank, which ] supposed the committee would
fill up with 100 ar 220 acres, something Of the kind
The committee notwithstanding, have reported guam
tty, hut have con;euted themselves with abiding by the
restriction this point 10 the original bill which may
he shown amounted 10 no restriction TO the amount Of
land to he procured under the bill
And. in another respect, think the committee have
not exactly CONFIRMED 10 their Instructions According
TO parliamentary usage. when the Ll was reconnled,
with instructions, and the committee had power
comply fully with the Instructions. and transcend
them. But the committee have only failed report
such restriction as have ntimaled TO the quantity
OF land under the b hut they offer amendment
which was not III the Instructions gwen them. VI this
do not mnch complain, because, If the committee had
offered 10 such amendment, would still have been
competent III The Senate 10 make it, but with this i'm
portdht difference. that nov comes with the weight of
the name aud character Of the committee instead Of
single member giving his weight and Influence.
and now for the question itself
And en,reat the attention of the Senate to the pro-
posa here made and, above all, the attention Of the
Senators from Vrginu Mr. President, there is 40 diff
hcny, now, IN the way to prevent any in the u.
States, whoever he may he, from procuring any Of the
public lands IN the market by paying Il 25 per acre
and If there are farmers planters IN the States
who desire H. they allowed at that piice, enlarge
their estates, aud add # they please their already
almost houndless sections There is nothing in the
existing avs TO prevent it. But what the proposition
10 which The old states called To submit
Sir the bill provides for the reduction Of the land under
IT, from Sl 20 10 rs cents per acre, which rednc
tlon every section of $500 and the reduction to
81 is equivalent 10 grant Of $3.50 every section
And, nov, what is the Import OF this amendment! II
Is that any planter or farmer the states shall he
allowed purchase additional section the reduced
price, while no planter or drner IN the old states al
lowed that privilege privilege which amounts To an
actual grant to each Of 1870 or 1890 The whole amount
OF the proposition, in the which the Senate ex
pressed when the hill was recomnlited limit the
bill TO actual settlers. But this amendment does not
propose that the committee 60 step further, and pro-
pose that planter or farmer III Alabama Indiana,
who in all half dozen sections, may add another
to them reduced price nav more there is an estate
on the Mississippi river, worth 50U00o to which
addition may thus be made under the bill, whilst the
owner of Virginia of only fifty acres is not
allowed that privilege, unless he become EN- grant
the new states And where, sir, Is there authority in
the laws or constitution for tins discrimination As 10
the privilege OF buying land adjoining any estate, no
one refuses that privilege aud the may buy any
extent. if he chooses at 81 25 per acre. But what
principle do we grant them this graluy Of $500 or 1870
dollars! On what principle is this donation he made;
aud how shall we go home and say to constituents
III Pennsylvania Virginia the other old states from
son'e OF which the government has received the
magnificent grants ever made by state to another
IN what position shall we be placed when going home
and saying, We have SLOWED the farmers in the new
states TO purchase land adjacent to their farms at
dhced price, amounting TO gift Of $50 or 800 dollars
EACH but we have refused you the same pryIepe unless
you VIII leave the home OF your family and the tomhs of
y"nr ancestors and emgrae the far West We
have gwen them bounty. premium to enable them
to purchase adjacent land, but prohibited to YOU we
withhold from you, the least graulty unless YOU will
abandon the homes aud tonbs Of Your ance stors
Sir, think unwise al the present session legis
late at all on this subject for reasons which assigned
on former occasion. And if the of the Senate
continues when The subject was up before the
argument IN favor Of this bill increasing the is
of no force, for IL then tlsspaed BY Of the
Senate, lin favor of rcsrction) And nobody believes
that tie fleet Of the bill. without such limitations as
have suggested, would be any other than TO create
airesh the spirit of speculation But If the Senate are
to leglslac on this subject at this session. shall 20
with the Of the Senate expressed on former oc-
cason IN favor Of restriction. and fay OF dIsc
m'nallng betu the farmers and planters Of one por
non OF the Union and Of another, the dsad of
one, and for the benefit Of The other bu, would place
the whole on the same broad platform Entertaining
these views am Of the opinion that the amendment is
rcpngnan TO The spirit of the Senate manifested on
iorner OCCASION nd this bill process for raising
the new states aud # gentlemen desire increase the
wealh and population Of those States, they may do it
without such discrimination as is proposed and without,
o'p'i'ig The poor emgran OF lands adjacent to other
esis'eS which they otherwise ,nght purchase Mr. G.
ca'ed iIr the yeas and nays the amendment which
were ordered.
EXTRACT