Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-23

tiers then we'd the certificate Of payment and in due
time got their patents. Such the state of popular
feeling, that Spectator dare to interfere by bidding
Tor tie lands over the heads Of the who had cult
waited the land. An attempt to do so would have
posed any man who attempted it 10 very unpleasant
consequences. What would be the difference them in
practice, occasoned By the passage of the bill, Sim
ply that the settler could pay for his land once get
his certificate without being put to the expense aud
loss Of time in attending the public auction The L.
States would get the same money they now dd, and
the settler in due time would obtain patent for his lit
tie farm
| The objections urged with so much vehemcnce
against the bill would deter Mr.. II. from voting
its favor The Honorable Senator from Connecticut,
(Alr Huntingdon had directed his objections particu
lary to the 9th and 9TH sections of the present bill but
if he would compare these sections with sections Sd aud
18th Of the prescription law of $780, he would find them
TO be rcrbafim the They secured the object of
reservng from the action Of the bill all Indian rcser
vaons made by treaty. There had been no complaint
OF the operation of The law Of 1880 The register and
receiver had precisely the power then pro-
posed to he conferred upon them 10 hon else,
fact, could thai power suitably have been commit
ted They the officers who had the IMMEDIATE
pevson Of the whole matter OF the sale Of these lands
The settler must first satisfy these officers that he
not interfering with the right OF another and then lie
allowed TO pay for his land and take his certificate
| IT their decision should be wrong, there were ways III
which il could be reversed If they had been guilty Of
any fraud or collision, their proceedings could be
pervised by the Commissioner of the General Land
Office, acting under the directions Of the Secretary Of
the Treasury; but, there allegation Of corrup
ton on their part, their decision ought 10 be final aud
conclusive.
Mr. H. said that he could wish the period Of occupa-
ton stated in the first Of the bill had been
definitely laid down. but still he should vote for the bill;
and lie valid objection to lis becoming law =
Ii urged that under this bill foreigners owing al
legiance to foreign potenate might take and hold
land under the United States. Why, 10 that, it
the in amest every State. In his own State It
was They could not, Il was tree, transmit their title
until tey became natnralzed but none were excluded
from becoming purchasers. Mr. H. was not IN favor
Of excluding such from the benefits OF this law. And
as 10 The recurring an oath that the settler
worth $500, MIR. II would consent TO establish no
such odous distinction. fla man was worth 81 900 oc
$4,000 and wished 10 remove To the West and take
up Wild lands, MIR. H. would moi prevent him. Men
went IRON his State upon the public domain who were
worth far more Than $500 and such men became the
valuable settlers. The recent census showed that
the population of New Hampshire had received bnta
small acccssion-hcr people had gone West. And II
Of them chose to take the road To comfort
aud independence, they should have all the aid lie
could give them. lie was not gong to call them bya
bad name because they went into the wilderness and
gave value to The public domain. II they went there
bona file, he would give them the security OF law thu.
they should become the undispned propretors Vi The
lands they might improve. Tie public lands would
not bring To the Treasury 4 sum beyond the minimum
price established BY law let Congress take what course
counlered The pvations and hardshps of original set
Element ought TO be encouraged and rewarded b. the
protection of Government He regarded the bill as
intended solely for the benefit OF an honest and me-
rorious class of counrymen and such II should
receive his hearty support.
Mr. YOUNG, of Illinois, explained in reference to
the admission, by that State, of aliens TO the prIrl-
lege Of voting. Persons OF that description might, un
Ill lately enjoy the elective franchise IN limos alter
residence OF only six months, whether they had been
nanralized or And such had then been the prac.
tce for twenty years. Nay, the State had gone still
further. When the country was settled by lis present
occupants, they found there many French settlers
whose fathers had resided the soil time out oil mind
And Il was fit that these people should be secured in
thu privileges should be granted TO new corners
There was especially at that time, in the country
adescrvedly prominent and popular man by the name
Of Pierre Bonard-a man without reproach, universal
" respected and beloved by ALL French and Anlrr'
cans. And, in framing the Constitution, provision
was introduced with direct reference 10 his case
Here Mr.. Y quoted the clause referred 10 from the
Constitution Of the State of Illinois The qual'ca
ton required for Governor OF the State was that ne
should have been citizen of the u 5 for thirty years
pre- vious to his election; and it at first provided
that the same qualification should be requisite IN the
case of the Lieut.. Governor but that provision mad
been altered with the express purpose OF admitting W.
Bonard whom the people generally desired 10 fill that
office To be a member of the State Legislature
man must be citizen; but for the election oil menu
beers Of Congress no such qualification was necessary
The Constitution Of the IT, 5. recognised the same
distinction. The Electors Of President were not re-
ouired 10 be citizens of the U. ). The phrase was
.,People of the United States but when II spoke OF
members of the House of Representatives, It required
them TO be "Citizens.'
One of the first laws passed by the State Legislature
declared that aliens might take hold, and transmit real
estate, and that their widows should be entitled TO
right of dover And would the Senate now, IN refer
10 the privilege of preeinPtlon insert an oa,oGs
distinction which did not apply even to The holding
and transmission of land lie hoped not Inc d's-
tincon was rejected By his Stale and he hoped II
would not now be established by Congress.
The Senator from Kentucky, (slr. Clay,) who had
objected the admission OF aliens 10 vote, ana VINO
was so much opposed 10 the present bl, iad stated
that the population of Illinois had doubled Itself IN SIX
years WELL if that true, did that present rea.
son why pre- .cmpton laws should not pass On the
contrary, il the very reason why they should.
AS 10 the Justice Of the measure now proposed, Mr.
Y would put it to gentlemen either political side OF
this body how it could be refused TO his State There
were seven millions Of public lands still; unSurvryed
they constituted the farest portion OF the Stale ana
though they had not been laid out INTO sections ana
quarter. sections, county lines had been established
by law and would gentlemen prevent settlers, enued
by law all other citizens OF the State from GO
inc and orcupving these counties and hllin@ leH
up with hardy agricultural population IL So whai
was to become Of these fair portions OF the STATE inc
new fresh and fertile lands of which invited to settle
ment and cultivation Would gentlemen say that
the people of Illinois, strangers from distance,
should not be allowed occupy counties in the old Al,
lantic States regularly organized by law And II not
why should they desire to say this IN reference TO 81
m;lar counties in the new States Some OF the mem
hers Of this body had recently been travelling IN the
Rock river country; would they say that the settlers
were all guilty of frauds, frauds in every shape nat
they were set of plunderers and land pirates lie
was willing TO refer to the Senator from Massachu-
se,,s (Mr. Webster) Let that gentleman tell the Sc
nate what he sa in that country, and what sort oil
population he found upon the public domain Was j.
filled with rich SPECTATORS or was It occupied Dy Inc
lie ved snecua,ors had had pretty near enough of deal
inc in the wild lands of the West
On the subject Of graduating the price of the public
lands, the Senator from Kentucky (Mr Clayl had
used an argument which falacous in point Of fact
He had insisted that could not be good financial poll
cy to hope get money for the lands by reducing
The price He said that the Senate had been deceived
as TO the amount Of poor land, which would not
bring twenty-five cents an acre as large quantities
h,ds h,.an n