Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-16

rtorious settler-and argued the justice oil REDUCING
price of the public lands according to its reduced
ty and value. His solitary voice was overPowefeu a'
that time and his bills treated preposerous' ao
surd and mpractcable measures and were SAID W NC
rcpudated BY the people OF the West themselves ms
was what Mr.. Van Buren, in common with other oena-
tors the Atlantic States, accustomed TO near
and it was natural that snch representations, coming
from Western men, should have its influence up.
on stranger TO the West and prejudice his mina
against the settlers the public lands, and against
all the measures intended for their relief. IL was
natural that such should be the effect produced
and accordingly Mr.. Van Buren,, with almost the
whole BODY of Atlantic Senator's voted against pre-
empon bills and graduation bills, during the Tune 'hat
he was Senator this floor; but his mind lhoush
nsed, was Just and candid, and open 70 .he coh'io
tons of truth and during the four years that lie pre-
sided over this bodydurng the four years oil ms wee
Presidency that he in the chair OF the PRESIDENT OF
the Senate and gave such Punctual attendance anu
such respectful attention to their these
four years his prejudices became entrely feiDoseu
and he became favorable to the bills which he had tor
merly opposed. This change took place under tne
progress Of discussion, and under circumstances whcn
proved that it rs dsnerested ana as fearless Dis
it was enlightened and equitable. 1t took place dur
nr the progress Of adverse measure-the land re-
venue distribution b-a measure calculated TO ens,
all the old States against the settlers, against preemp
tons and against reduced prices OF the public anos
Ii was in the face of this antagonist measure-it was
during the progress of this adverse BILL so hoslie 70
~
to array all the old States against The onest was
during the progress Of this which presented
so much to the hopes of calculating politician, ana
when some former friends of the States were fall
tering and giving way before tit was IN this CRISIS
that Mr. Van Buren, became sensible OF the correct
ness of the graduation and presumption policy; and
from that time he only waited the appropriate opporu-
nity TO manifest his sentiments. That opportunity
presented itself when he became President OF the U b
and in that character had to discharge the constitutional
he deemed proper for their consideration In his first
annual message, he recommended the graduation and
presumption policy: in his second message lie did the
same in the third he repeated the recommendation: and
in his fourth and last, he has adhered to IT, This has
been his conduct in relation TO these important mea.
sures and upon this statement Of facts concsely
they were correctly stated he (Mr. Bentnn) rested
the assertion that Mr.. Van Buren, stood at the head Of
the list of the ncrtorous friends of the graduation and
pre- empon policy, and was entitled to the gratitude and
confidence of all who believed he did, that that policy
was the policy of the country, combining in the
CHEST degree the interest of the individual with the
interest of the public.
| Having done this justice to Mr. Van Buren,, and
araied himself Of the advantage of his arguments in
favor of the two bills referred TO, he (Alr Benton)
would 20 OH to give his own testimony, derived from
experience, in their favor. 1t thirty one
years since he had first been called TO act in legis
| lalve capacity the subject Of PR. empons, and
fourteen years since he had first moved the graduation
policy on TINS all experience naQ confirmed
him in his opinion in favor of the wisdom and justice
Of both measures. As far back the year 1909, he
! had been member of the General Assembly of the
State of Tennessee member of the Senate of that
State-and in that capacity, had given his cordial
support TO the presumption policy, extended by that
| State to the settlers the public lands of the
State South Of the lIolston river. He had the
operation of the preemptlon law then passed by the
Legislature Of that State, and he had the opera
ton of all the presumption laws since passed by Con-
1
dence in the West enabled him to il; and lie could
truly say hat the operation Of these laws had been equ
table and bcneical-good for the individual settler
good for The public T,easury-good for the county,
lie was, therefore, confirmed in the policy by the test
of experience and should continue to give il ardent
support. lie for the settler for the that went
forward amidst every danger, under every privation,
and against every hardship 10 build his log cabin in the
depth o. The wilderness, and 10 provide by his labor and
his courage for the support and defence OF his family
The soil should 60 to the cuvators, was his doctrines
the first having The first choice; the second conner
the second choice; aud OH TO The end OF the list spe-
cnlators and general purchasers taking Their choice al
ter the first settlers were provided for. Thus expert.
had tested the bcnei. of the pre- empton system:
II mad done the same with the graduation principle, for
This principle rad been tried in the State OF Tennessee,
and had worked well there it had been tried in the
State Of Mississippi, on the Chickasaw lands and by
ri clause their treaty, ratified by the Senate
Of the L. s., and had worked well there The gradua
and the public mind of all the new States ard in all
the Territories, entirely in favor Of it, 1t
cessary in the old counties as the presumption bill was
in the ones; and The current Of public opinion was
now strong III its favor, that those who rdicucd il
when he (Alr. Benton) first brought it forward now
psed him in their zeal Tor il, and laid hold of the
graduation bill passport TO popularity, and as lad.
der 10 promotion.
He had pleasure in saying that the public mind
throughout The Union had shown itself favorable, dur
two bills the actual President was known 10 be favor
able 10 them from his public messages 10 Congress: the
President elect argued 10 he so from his past votes
in this body; and 10 neither his sentiments OBJ
jectcd 10 in any part Of the Union. Mr. Van Buren,
ceiyed four hundred thousand popular votes more
than he had received in lS36 Gen Harrison received
more than one hundred thousand above him; and that
after having voted for pre-emptlon and graduation
bill far more liberal in their provisions than the bills
now before the Senate He voted in 1928, for grad
uaon bill down 10 twenty five cents per acre. and
for pre-emplvc right of purchase graduated down 10
| FIVE cents acre; and had the full benefit of these
votes in the new States, without the least diminuon OF
public favor in the old ones
| lie (Mr. Bcnton) here adverted particularly 10 the
provisions OF the bill for which General Harrison voted
in ISIS, and which, for the sake of precision on point
50 important, we insert entire
BILL 10 graduate the price OF the public lands, TO
make donations thereof actual settlers, and to cede
| the refuse TO the States in which they lie.
DC IL LHdctcu ~ Wc ocHuiG ana lIOuSE " rVICSCHtH-
tires Of The United States Of .7merica IN Congress as
semLed That much of the public lands have been
offered heretofore at public sale, and which may re-
main unsod the first Monday of November next,
and shall then be subject to entry at private sale shall,
thereafter be offered private SALE parcels, conform
able sectional divisions and Subdivisions until the
sale thereof shall be effected, at the following gradua-
ton of prices For two years next ensuing the first
Monday of November one thousand eight hundred and
,wentyeght al one dollar per acre. for two years es'
ensuing the GT~t Monday Of November, $780, at seven
tyvc cents per acre; Tor two years next ensuing the
first Monday Of November, lc:2 at fifty cents per acre;
and for two years. from and after the first Monday OF
November 1854, at twenty-five cents per
SIC. ind be afnrthcr enacted, That it shall and
may be lawful for any head of family young over
the age of tweny-one years, widow, not having
ceived donation of land from the U. States, and wish
ing become actual settler any parcel of public
land authorized BY this to be sod and exceed
ing in quantity tie amount Of onequarter section, TO
demand and receive from the proper register and
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