The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-16

lands themselves, and illimltabe as 10 ume. w"
with regard to the sincerity of these gentlemen IN ne
glad that they have proted BY the very sautary
lesson afforded them within two three months pasr)
like to test their profession by their votes When
my colleague Mr.. Crittenden) offered an amenuneh'
the effect Of which would be TO conine the operation OF
their bill to real log cabin men, TO the vertape poor
who could make oath that their entire properly was
not worth more than $500, where did we md these
new proseytes to log cabin doctrine a iaugn'l
Were they ready go with US IN thus testrctng tne
b2 Were they prepared by adopting TINS a ~, s
ment to shut out from the privileges 81 the bill the
rich men--the barons"-the owners OF manors-the
greedy speculator and restrict il to the hardy settler
who sought home for himself and his children NO,
sir, no; every man of them voted i down
Let us now pause moment, and look iittie al tue
distinctive provisions Of this BILL Heretofore pre-
empton bills have been retrospective only this Is In
its operation both retrospective and prospective Here
toore presumption bills have been limited as to time
this is unlimited in point of time SO long as there re-
mains foot of land for il to operate on Heretofore
pre-emption bills operative practically only WIN
reference to some new land, recently surveyed and
brought into the market this bill is proclamation to
the whole universe native foreign, naturalized or
unnaturalized that the moment the Indian ntle is ex
tingushed to any portion OF the land held by the
United States they may all rush in and take Just as
much of it as they please, without waiting for
survey and that all the other surveyed public lands Of
the United States amounting to about one hundred
and twenty millions of acres no matter how long they
have been in market, and although they may be pur
chased the moderate price of one dollar and guar
ter per acre are to be subject the right of preemp
ton. This, is obvious, involves complete change
In whole land system; thorough, RADICAL entre
change II opens at once all the public lands, sur
yeyed and unsuryeyed to the operation OF preemp-
| ton law.
And here let me stop and look for an instant at
what said to be the sole advantages granted to the
emptor by this BILL point which there exists
the greatest possible misconceptions either on the part
| of other gentlemen or myself The whole practical
difference which this bill is to work in our receipts
from the public domain said to be two or three
cents per acre. Here is message of the President
of the United States sent by him to Congress In De-
cember 1887 It is, in many respects, discreet and
sensible paper far It treats on the subject OF the
public lands The President here praises the old land
system it deserves He describes those who enter
the public domain without title preence oftitle
as trespassers" " intruders," and he recommends
| the passage of one more presumption law, and one
cnly and after that the adoption Of stronger measures
for the purpose Tin his own language) " OF preventing
/ these intrusions." Tie Senator from Missouri Mr.
Benon spoke to us yesterday of the President be-
ing capital pre-einptioner nop, although when ne
was here as Senator he was decidedly opposed To
the whole system, and although when he came into
office he talked about "trespassers and ilitr1tders
on the public lands, and recommended US to adopt
measures put stop to these intrusons in future
1t would that the President is attentive listen
er the advice of his friends and always open to con-
viction must admit that he has exhibited mol lit
tie exbity in yielding to the suggestions OF some o.
those who have his ] will make my position
more general think that both the Secretary of the
Treasury and the President have shown remarkable
ease in opening their to the counsels of gentle
men who are strong advocates for -empton laws
and for the practical appropriation of the public do
main to the benefit of few. The Secretary has
brought down the receipts from the public lands Il
three millions of dollars. They three millions
in 1885, and the very next year they rose to sever
millions. The receipts from this have beer
subject to great fuctuation the past year little abov
, three millions. They are now sinking, and it seem
that the more they sink the he calls out for pre-
empton laws presumption laws graduation laws
to save him from that impending ruin in the admins
tration Of the public domain which his system abou
to infict. What, sir is it possible that any man
what shall say 2-that any man in his senses can
50 apipresey rienlous as to suppose that byTeduc
ing the price of the public lands from dollar and
quarter to twenty five cents, or, in some instances,
2 80 cents you will get more money for themA Yt
that is the principle assumed by the Secretary of tn
Treasury and it shows the opinion which operates Il
his mind and in the minds Of the friends of gradua
ton and pre-emption laws. will not attempt to des
crbe the whole of the consequences of this law. On
of its effects is to convert the existing cash system
into CREDIT system. Do you not see it What
the fact to the presumption laws heretofore granted
They gave the pre-emptioner credit of two years
The gentleman from Alabama Mr. Clay) now limit
his credit to year; but whether the term be one
two, or three years. it changes our land system from
sale for cash to sale for credit And thus the whole
100 millions of of the public domain will all pas
under this newly revived CREDIT system.
{ And who are they who propose this change2 Th'
very who decry all credit, who clamor for hare
money who inveigh against banks and denounce thu
credit system the source of all our woes and ye
here now under the name of presumption law, they
propose to revive the whole credit system Can b.
IL taJ ~ hot ha off hill Wi
any man, who can get his land credit Of one OF
two years buy it for cash Especially when he car
dispose of his cash rate of IL per cent interest
prevails in Illinois and some other new States :
This is grave feature in this new experiment ano
deserves the serious consideration of the Senate.
what will such system lead ? Have we had no ex
perience on this subect2 When you have parteC
with your land from year to year thus credit yot
will at length have accumulated mass of debtors or
whose behalf petition after petition will be presented
here and their inability to pay will be most pathei
cay FORTH till at last your compassion will be NOV
ed and you will forgive these poor debtors the amount
of their debt and consent to take remuneration FOL
their land in other form of advantageto the pub
lie service.
It is not correct though it has been said and re-
peated by gentlemen here that the sole differ
ence effected by the emption law in the price you
receive for the public lands is two three cents
per acre. First there is the difference of six cents
whichthe President states; and how is this made
out Inc puDnc lanu Is SOu eltnCr by AUCTION OF
private SALE but owing to correction, to violence, tc
combinations, and the open contempt Of law, state
of things which has grown with the multiplication o
pre- empton laws the proceeds of the auction sales
are now much less than formerly. cannot believe
with the Senator from Missouri (Mr Limp that thu
people ofthe United States incompetent to proec
their own property. believe that it can be done BY
steady, firm, and upright administration of the Go
vernment. believe that the people of the United
States capable protecting their rights against al
who assail them, whether from within from with
D out. Assuredy, if the Government cannot protec
what is its own it must be very incompetent topro
, tect us and ours But, | ask, how is the six cents
excess of sales the minimum price, referred to by
. the President, made up2 1t is got by running al
average the total amount Of sales both by auction
and by private entry. Now, the amount sold at auc
ton is not one fourth no, believe not one-tenth par
of the whole The Secretary takes the auction sales
where the lands brought from So to $40 acre, ant
spreads that amount of excess the whole remain
ing nnetenths of the total sold by private
try, and then he makes average and draws the in
ference that the whole gain in selling the public land