Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-07-17

jects to which the grants and funds dlstrlb-
uted shall be applied by the States. The
committee submit that these provisions are
liable to be construed into an assumption on
the part of Congress of u guardianship over
the States, to which the General Govern
ment has no claim. and which it is not ne
cessary in this case she should exercise. If
she had. The committee are disposed to
leave the objects to which the funds distrlb-
uted shall be appropriated to be selected by
the States directly interested, not doubtlngl
but that, in the appropriation, such objects
will be selected by them, as the best interest
of the States and people, and their expert
ence shall, from time TO to time, designate
Your committee have also stricken from
the bill the limitation as to the time the act
shall continue in force leaving that matter
to the action of subsequent Congress.
Should the measure meet the just expecta-
tons of its friends and secure the approba-
ton of the nation, when its operation shall
have been seen and felt by the people, it
will Of course remain the law of the land;
on the contrary, should the anticipations
and forebodings of its opponents be real
lied, and public opinion demand its repeal,
it will be the work of day to pass an act
for that purpose; it may not be improper
here to remark, that some policy requires
that our legislation should in all cases, as
sumo as settled form as possible.
| The Committee have also introduced an
amendment that will more effectually place
| t,o State, horoo o,,,ittol n
with the other new States. These are the
principal amendments that struck the COM
mittee as necessary to be made to the form
of the bill, so far as the distribution prin-
ciple was concerned.
The committee were instructed to in
quire into the expediency of incorporating
the presumption principle, with the pro-
visions of the bill, and after much reflection,
they are of the opinion that the two SUBJ
Jects are not incongruous, but are sutfi-
GENTLY german to be united in the same
bill. The committee therefore, DESTROYS of
guarding the interests and consulting the
wishes Of as large a portion of our fellow
citizens, as possible, and of granting to the
pioneers of the west such privileges as may
do them ample justice in providing and Sc
curing to themselves and families household
homes, have proposed to amend the bill by
the incorporation, in distinct sections, of a
presumption measure, which they hope may
be found to contain the necessary provis-
ions, restrictions, and limitations, to secure
to the bona fde actual settler, who alone is
entitled to consideration, the benefit of his
settlement and improvement upon guam
tity of the public lands not exceeding one
hundred and sixty acres, at the minimum
price, and excluding every possibility of the
presumption privileges enuring to the ben
eft of any person other than the actual
settler. The amendment proposed, it is
believed contains some new and valuable
provisions, which may render it acceptable
to some who have opposed former pre-.
emption laws, while its utility to the honest
settler will not be in the least impaired.
The committee nave noticed all the ma
terial amendments they propose to the bill
The proposition submitted by resolutions
of inquiry by Senator from Mississippi
and the Senator from Tennessee, the com
mittee have not thought proper TO act de
finitely upon, except the presumption prin
ciple proposed by the former. Supposing
lhal thelr merits would more appropriately
at proper time, be brought before tho
Senate in seperate bills, and believing thai
the bill for the distribution of the proceed.
of the sales of the public lands was suffi
ciently important in itself to exclude from
it all amendments calculated to prevent a
distinct expression on its merits. The pre-
emption principle, like that of distribution
is not new one. 1t has received the sane
ton OF Congress repeatedly, and public
opinion has ratified the measure-hencc il
is believed that the connection of the two
= measures cannot embarrass either. TIL,
committee, therefore, report the bill, will
the proposed amendments, for the action O
the Senate.
From the Lexington Express, Of July
-APPoINTMENTs.-We are