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

plague his tanned his death, and
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TwENTY-sIxTH CONGRESS---2d SESSION.
PERMANENT PROSPECTIVE fRE-EMPTloN LAW.
DEBATE IN THE SENATE
Monday, January 4, 1S40.
Mr CLAY Of Alabama, said brief explanation of
the principles and enactmens Of this bill might, per-
haps be proper from him. he had reported it from
the Committee on the Public Lands; but, in this
Of good feeling towards "log cabins and the tenants
OF ''log cabins, which had recently been manifested
all over the country, he presumed very brief
ment would be sufficient They lived, he said, in what
might emphatcally be called the of good feeling
towards those rude places of hab!tation, and their
humble occupants: for, during months past they
had been the especial and constant theme Of high
praise and eloquent cncomum, not only in The region
where they almost exclusively 10 be found, but
in our cities, and in more refined parts Of the
country. Nor (sad MIR. Clay) this confined
merely TO political discussions-it had been made to
enter into every thing esc-even the jewellery worn
BY many Of most fashionable ladies, and the orna
which decorated their persons, bore the impress
Of the "og cabin of the wilderness
He (Mr. CLAY congratulated the great West, and
more especially the tenants Of the "log cabins and all
others, wherever they ght De situated who stood in
need and DESTROYS 10 possess freehold, the
favorable auspices under which this important hill had
been introduced. Looking to all these favorable ind
cations and thus sustained by public sentiment through
country, he would not permit himself to doubt
the Of the measure and lie hoped there would
not be found solitary opponent Of the BILL to inter-
rupt the apparent Immunity.
lie said he might here aude to the very different
state Of feeling and sentiment which had heretofore
prevailed upon the subject under considerations On
all former occasions there had been strong and decided,
and he might almost say violent opposition 10 every
measure intended project the settlers on the public
lands and favor their interest. Even during the last
session of Congress, Senators would recollect what
strong opposition encountered by the preempton
bill then progress, and which ultimately passed both
Houses; and received the Preside approval the
of June, 1910 1t would he recoeced that that mea
passed both Houses almost b. party
the friends of the mt Chief Magistrate supporting
with great NIFTY, one of the iavore measures
of his Democratic Administration, whilst those opposed
him resisted the passage Of The bill with al least equal
unaniiitv. lie rrniced at the apparent change
which had since occurred. Shortly after the s,renu-
Gus opposition which the eli alluded had encounter
ed in both Houses, almost entirely from those opposed
70 the Administration, those gentlemen (the
Whigs) had become the ardent their professions
of attachment to "log cabins and their occupants
He repeated his congratulations the metorous class
of citizens whose interests deeply involved in
this measure. that, from the manifestations of the six
months which preceded the late Presidential election
the Wing party had now become their most jealous
friends and that henceforward there would be gener
Gus rivalry between the two great political parties which
divided the country in the support Of the privilege Of
pre-emption the reduction and graduation Of the price
Of public land and every other of liberalty
to the new States and the humble cullvators Of The
soil.
He said he might here take occasion to remark that
he convert to the policy proposed by this
bill 1t was which he had labored to advance at
least with earnest zeal and perscvcrng assiduty for
the last twelve years branch Of Congress the
other except for brief interval of absences and
then he not wholly inactive. 1t had long been u
favorte policy with him, through the medium of pre-
enip;ion laws and other kindred measures if possible
to make every freeman frcehoder. In favor of such
policy he had often before raised his voice, and
pressed his strong convictions. But, heretofore he
had been the representative OF people who mme
diaely interested the passage OF bills of this descp
ton When he first took his seat in the other branch
of Congress, considerable district of country, which
had been settled for years. ready to be brought
market and since that PERIOD other large portions
of the State of Alabama dad been acquired by treaties
with the Indian tribes ard almost simultaneously CO.
yered with hardy and industrious population Hence,
always heretofore his constituents were to be benefit
ted By the passage of presumption laws and the sup
port he had them might, perhaps, have rendered
him liable to the mputaon Of interested motves-as|
although he not personally interested and never
obtained presumption in his lie, he might have been
supposed pursue the he did inpratate him
self with his constituents. Bnt now he had the good
fortune to occupy very different position. Every acre
of land in Alabama, not owned by individuals, had be-
come the property ofthe Government there was por
ton Of the territory within that State subject the claim
of their territory had been extingushed several years
ago; and he believed there that had not been
surveyed for the last twelve eighteen months 1t
had been settled still longer; and, consequently, was
subject to be claimed under the pre-emption laws Of
less and 1910 Hence, regarded ptions
all his constituents provided for and he was now
as dsinteresed any other Senator in that chamber
Alabama had special interest in the bill, except as
it embraced lands subject to private entry, commonly
called refuse lands. But he glad 10 have this op
portunity to give dsnerested evidence, he should
by his vote on this occasion, of his appreciation of the
principle aud policy of the measure. He salts
fed it was the true policy. He had hitherto maintain
ed and he maintained with equal earnestness that
Government ought to extend favor to those who will
settle and improve the public lands He would 90
further and say, if the public lands sold under
prescription laws for less money than when sold nj
auction, for half price, it would be the policy of
this, it had been of every other Government, to
confer peculiar privileges those who settle and i'm.
prove them; for thereby the widespread domain off
the u S. rendered productive, aud the resources
of the country enlarged and improved.
He (Nr. C.) contended that it was not wild and un-
cultivated land, however extensive, that constituted
the wealth or strength of country. He contrastcd
the present condition of the valley of the Mississippi
The great West-with dense, numerous, and enigh;-
ened population in high state of improvement and
cultivation, yielding annually the most abundant sup
Plies ofevery thing necessary to the subsistence,
ort, and enjoyment of civilized man-with what it
would have been had it renamed wilderness till the
present day. He asked, how different it now,
.ther in furnishing resources for the support of
Government, or the men and means for the national
!efence, compared with what it would have been,
f it had remained unsettled, unimproced, and I'M
cultivated Was it not obvious, that it would
ave been better to have given away all that por-