Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-23
TWENTY-sIxTII coNGREss.--2d SESSION
PROSPECTIVE PRE-. EMPTloN BILL.
ms CuSIIsUAIIoS.
Hednesdan, January 6, 1911.


vale the same and raise long cabin thereon and The
question being on the following amendment offered by
Mr. Preston Of Vermont, substitute tor the whole
bill
Srike out all after the enacting clause and insert
the following That every actual settler on any oil the
public lands to which the Indian title has been ex-
tnguished except such are hereinafter reserved,
being the head of family, or over twentyone years
of age, who in possession and housekeeper, ny
personal residence thereon at the time OF the passing
of this act, and for four months next preceding shall
be entitled to a presumption in the purchase OF the
land settled npon not exceeding one quarter sec
ton, at the minimum price now established by law
Mr.. CLAY Of Kentucky and Mr.. WRIGHT hav-
ing submitted their views of the subject =
Mr.. LINN rose TO notice much of the remarks oil
the honorable Senator from Kentucky (Alr Clay) rs
referred to what Mr. L. had said former day in re-
gard TO the application Of force carry into effect the
prohibitions of pre-emption law. MIR. L. had then
expressed the opinion that il physically Impossible
to remove by force those who are usually termed
sssqattors from the public domain lie had often ex-
pressed that opinion here and elsewhere. Il was
settled conclusion Of his mind; and he now put It to
the honorable gentleman from Kentucky (hlr Clay
whether, were he in the Executive chair, he would
WELD the military force Of this Government IN an en-
deavor TO dspossess ,hcm lie should like TO see the
man that would avow it, The orders might be issued
but the officers of the Army never would nor could
carry them out. They would, i'll the first place, be m
competent TO do it. On this sub cc II might be suii
cent to advert what had been sad, and sad so well
the other day by his friend the Senator from Arkansas
(hlr Sevier Such orders had once been gwen, ana the
officers attempted remove the settlers IN that quarter
ofthe Union, and did remove them from Lovelys pur
chase which had been wrenchcd from the Territory OIL
Arkansas by treaty with tribe o Indians IRON an
old State but no sooner had the officers turned their
backs than the squatters again returned upon the
lands which they claimed. Their houses had Deen
burnt they rebuilt them. They driven 81: a &C.
coud time: and second time they came back and thus
they ounl ii out, until al last, the Government gave
up the contest and gave each 81 them 80 acres o.
land; while such of them rs had obey,d and gone oil
the land goi in the end, but 100 rs bill which
passed the Senate few DAYS since. laugh. Now
if the power OF the Government could not enforce IT'S
prohibition laws in the single State OF Arkansas, then
feeble and dependent Territory, how was It likely to
do il along the whole frontier from Lake Superior 10
the Sabine river Before such an operation was al
tempted, must augment yonr army: for, SIR, the
whole military force OF the country, now stands,
would be weak TO accomplish it, The idea, 10 those
acquainted with the real state Of the case had III
something ludcrous. IL would be amusing srecta.
Gle, TO be sure, 10 gallant and cvarc officers
OF the u S. Army engaged in driving u women and
children, while their husbands and fathers were in the
thickets behind, ready 10 fire upon them with their r.
fes They would every one be shot do"n the moment
they attempted such thing; showing. conclusively,
that there is but step from the sublime To the rdi-
culous. The truth was, the law prohibiting such set
Element practically dead letter, and so it must
forever remain. At first there had been no law TO
strain people from settling where they would, on
unoccupied public land. The first law the subject
was passed in 1907, and made against those who
claimed lands under the French and Spanish grants;
and the object to prevent those who had only in
choate title under such grants fom gong the lands
they claimed either TO cultivate or survey, and most
unjust law it was. Mr. l.. would speak with respect Of
the legislation of Congress, but such was his opinion
of that law, can be demonstrated in moment
And 1,n tod 90 nnSt DO 1 H.
tcry useless pass laws to restrain the American
People from going forward to settle on The public lands
Congress might pass such edicts often as they
pleased, but they could carry out one Of them
As the grant Of prescription, there were entire DIS
trcis settled wholly under such grants, which it was
an important policy to bring into market. They would
bring millions IF dollars into the Treasury for the he
neit of Gen. Iarrisons administration and, but H..
our presumption laws, these districts would have been
settled very gradually.
The Senator seemed earnestly To deprecate a change
in our land system Why, the land system of the u 5
had been system Of change from the beginning. Up
to 1870, it credit systcm-then II changed 10
cash system, which was in lis effects prc-emptIon
system, because the payment Of lew dollars enabled
n poor man to take possession Of choice piece OF
land, and by his labor and e8ertions TO pay the re-
maindcr of the money, by ins;anenis, in five years
This was easily done by the real cultivaors Of the SOIL
and certainly not for their benefit that any change
made in the system, but almost exclusively Tor
those who bought on speculation. In l>53, new pre-
emption law was passed, which Changed the system
AGAIN in many particulars. Mr. L. sand he should be
sorry to see that part ohe system which regulated the
survey of the lands altered in any respect. But as 10
the general principle of presumption itself, it was only
carrying out the original plan of The old thirteen States
ofthe Revouon-whch plan enabled them essential
" to battle successfully with the miahtest Power in
the world This was the original principle regard to
our new lands. Virginia had her pre- emption laws,
and most of the lands in Kentucky had been sold at
but l2 l-2 cents BY the old laws Of Pennsy
vania and he believed, OF most Of the other Atlantic
States, mere nominal settlement all that re-
uured. The public lands were not then expected to
Weld any amount of money; that was not the obect;
the object was TO get them settled. Nor would they
ever Weld the Government dollar but for that
line of settlers who went into the wild woods and pre-
coded what was falsely called "good society" When
the second line came forward, they very glad 10
find the wilderness opened for their progress and some
decent log cabins ready built TO their hands The
SYSTEM in substance though its form might be slightly
modified, must continue to prevail Mr. L. deed gen
tlemcn to change it. Much as the American People
respected the law they would consent for one
minute, to see their hardy cnterprlsing ellow-ctzens
turned of by file Of soldiers from the land that had
received all its value from their toll
He hoped gentlemen from the East and from the
South would not forget the circumstances under which
their foreaihcrs had commenced the settlement OF
those portions of the Union. He hoped they would not
forget either the incubus which the Legislature of Con-
gress had imposed the settlers of the West by con-
gregating on their frontier vast body Of resentul
wage warriors, whose presence, power and angry pas
sions were as smoudcring volcano to all white set
tiers in their vicinity. Those settlers fully sen.
sibe of their danger and they wished 10 fortfy and
strengthen themselves against vt by every means IN
their power. They wanted TO see coming in among
their forests new emgrants from all parts of the
world. il was matter of comparative indifference
10 them whether those who constituted this valuable
accession TO their security were naturazed American
citizens or not. The moment the foreigner settled
by their side he became sharer IN the common dan
ger and The consciousness of this, together with his
hardy and adventurous habits, made him at ef
fclent soldier Many years since, the General Co.
vernment adopted a system, weak and unwise sys
tenn. in Mr. LIS apprehension, in regard 10 a certain
portion of the public domain which contained lead ore
In the year 1899 1929 the Government invited, by
Proclamation all who choose to there and dig Tor
the mineral that their labor, through a tar upon the
iead might constitute source of revenue to the Go
vernment Muttudes of hardy miners from the Old
World and from the New awaited themselves of the
opportunity and were settled on the lead lands at