Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-13
From The .HermGria Gazette
PRE-. EMPTION BILL.

! In the Senate, on Wednesday, the discussion OF
| this Bill was continued. Mr. Prentiss of VT pro-
posed an amendment designed to chInge the policy
Of the Jill, which was followed by one from MIR.
| Tappan, who proposed that person once enjoying
the Pre- emption and owning land, should not have
second time the benefits OF the Pre- emption ac'.
The object Of the amendment was 10 confine the
benefits Of the Bill TO poor settlers.
This amendment was defended by MIR Tappan
and Mr. Linn, and opposed by MIR Fulton of Ark.
who objection to heads of family making
one or more entries The Western People went
for n settlement Of the Public Domain; and # n faith
er Of n family was DESTROYS % entering lands for
himself and sons he for extending the privilege.
Mr. PTentss followed with an amendment more
| important than any which has preceded it-chang.
ing the terms Of settlement, and max ng the bill OPP
crate only upon the unsuryeyed portions Of the pub
! lie domain.
MrClay Of Ky, defended the amendment Of the
the Senator from Vermont Hc commenced by al
luding 10 the remarks Of the Senator from New York
sn yas,aai. He could not allow the doctrine that
unnatugIlilcd foreigners had right to vote in our
elections. He thought the President had received
the Of Of the seven StatoJ by the exercise
Of that doctrine. differ, toto e0lo, from tho Sen
| afor from New York in regard TO the opinion he
has advanced and wish merely 10 put my opinions
against those OF the Senator from New York. II
the doctrine Of the Senator from New York must
hold good, tho Emperor Of Russia, by a calcu.
lation he had seen, could have placed $4,000 Of his
Z
accomplished in November last
The settlement Of Ohio began forty years ago
twenty ycars after, she admitted into the Union.
She was now n sovereign State, with population
Of 100000 souls Kentucky had been in the In
ION twenty years longer and yet in population was
far behind. So with lndiinn. The population
and growth Of those States showed that 20 such
system wac necessary TO the successful settlement
Of the States.
What IS the origin Of this sysloml asked Mr..
al n. Il 4
gone by. The right Of pre.emplion was taken ad-
vantage Of when the price Of land Its minimum
was e2 per acre. Suit continued until the cesson
~ Louisian,, when peculiar privilege was grant
cd 10 the settlers and Tor peculiar dIsucts. third
class Of persors who enjoyed the pre- empton right
wero also an alluded 10 ny Mr. Cliy. These were
n class Of persons who had never bpen upon their
lands for n century or moro. This was the extent
Of the Inv until the administration # General Jack
son, when n now system was introduced In 1880.
Tnc PR. empton bill Of that year was Of new char
notsr and changed the system altogether.
Bot We have passed on for nany YEAR,, said Mr..
G., and a new position is now proposed A sys-
tenn eternal In is durat on - proposed, or system
i6ndufo % long Ne the Government shalt endure.
We soc, sad Mr.. g., here nov converts q Log ca
bins-yes, new converts TO log cabins, Tor TIE re-
cent election has worked conversion 10 layer II log
sabine end friendship not before iel'. Mr.. Clay
doubted the irierdshp,tf the Iqty ~ powor 10 og
cabins, and particuariy aGor they hld voted down
the amendment submitted ~ hs eole'Buo JesVe''
day
iThe Senator from Kentucky, Mr.. Cduenden,
proposed yesterday that no man worth more than
$500 should have the benefit Of the pre- empuon
svgtem. The Administration Senatnfc voted A.
gains, this amendment, and thus, AZ Mr. Clay
contends gave their opinion 10 favor Of admitting
be baron. add u1illionairos and nabObs upon equa-
~ with the poor non
By voting as Senators did, said Nj. Clay, upon
this amendment, they manifested no particular friend
shin Tor poor men or log cabins.
Mr.. Coy proceeded to enlarge upon hi, objections
TO the Pre-. empGon system. lie began his opposi'
tion eight yeas ago. ~ conjunction With Senator,
Ewing OF Ohiol who was, " rumOr spoke truly,
about 10 be elevated high station in the country
For eight yeas he had resisted, and for the reason
thai he considered IL unjust-wrorg IN all its oper
atoms. lie bod not wi h the President OF the U NJ
ted States, quoted by The Senator from Missouri
(Mr. Benton) changed bis opinion, voted against ~
opposed IL by word and deed, and then heroine
suddenly converted 10 new and totally dislinc
principe. Mr.. Clay defined many objections 70
the Bill-the vety Of the sysiem-its inequality.
ils general injaslice-the fact that we hid not had