The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-21
Kentucky
Florida :
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
PROSPECTIVE PREEMPTIoN BILL.

L AAoNbAf january icai.
The question being upon the instructions moved
~ Mr. CalTrENDEN, as follows:
resolved, That the bill be recommitted TO the COM
mittes that reported il, with instructions to report
Sediments thereto TO tho following effect
lat To distribute the proceeds Of the sales Of the
public lands among the several States the Union in
Just and equitable proportions.
ID TO grant 10 actual bona fde settlers upon the
public lands the hight of pre- empsion 70 any quantity
thereof exceeding one half seglon or SO acres
including place Of settlement, at the minimum price VI
VI - per acre, with such provisions shall limit this
right OF settlement and prescription to actual bona fde
settlers whose estate at the time of settlement shall not
exceed the value of 81 900: and further with such
provisions as shall effeclually exclude the weather.
speculators from all benefits under this law and shall
prevent them from interfering with, or participating
the privileges and right Of settlement and
lion which are hereby granted and intended fer the
sole advantage of the needy and honest settlers and
| cultivators of the soil.
| AT er some remarks by Mr.. CRirrENpEN in favor,
and by Mr. BENTON in opposition the instructions
| MIR. MANGUM, OF North Carolina said he was
far from concurIing with the honorable Senator Mr.
Benton, In the opinion that there any incongrui.
ty between the bill under consideration and the pro-
posed amendment and far less did he concur in the
justice or the proprety of denouncing the amendment
as monstrous, as an unfair mode Of assault, as in
| short an enormiiy. The truth is, said Mr. M there
is no one who looks at the various movements which
made in relation 10 the public lands and the va
rous questions hich up here that does not per-
cei,e that consideration Of of them necessarily
and properly calls up the consideration of all the rival
| and alternative propositions.
As to the preemption bill now before the Senate il
is impossible TO form just estimate of it, and come to
right conclusions, unless consider it in connexion
with all the other measures of its friends-unless
consider It as 1t ISL part of great systeln--as
element in the great scheme Of defniive and uti
mate disposition of the vast public domain Of the
| sountry.
is in truth in the language of the honorable Sc
nator from Tennessee, Mr. Anderson, the first stepto
final disposition of the public domain. thank the
Senator for this explicit and manly avowal Of the pur-
poses and views of the friends Of this measure The
first step TO final disposition of the public domain
Yes, sir; it is the first step in the where each
struggles TO be first in the great work of squandering
and scattering this than prncely domain to all
the winds of Heaven by bestowng it in iargesses by
giving it to schemers and specu ators and inviting
its occupation all the ends of the EARTH the bandit of
the Appenines the mercenary Swiss the hungry loaf
er Of the cities Of the Old World the offal Of the dis
gorged ails penentiaries, and houses of correction
Of foreign countIies-all, all invited by this bill to
mingle with our American citizens, and seize upon the
public lands and appropriate Them excluding the old
States, whose property in common with their sisters
they are from any substantial and equal participation
| in this common property OF them all.
/ confess said Mr.. M, that am at loss to deter
mine which is the Objectionable the principle
the details of this BILL To me- seems the crudest
the most jejune, and the least safely guarded that
have known TO be introduced into the Senate. Ii
being however, sort of whoIes ale disposition of this
vast property, without equivalent consideration, the
details lie of but-lttlc moment, except to exhibit
curious observer what results may be found
| in connexion with the weakest bungling
This bill goes to revolutionize the whole system of
pre- empiion ITSELF that has heretofore existed and
in the end to abrogate the whole land system, which
has been built up and consolidated through series of
years, by much care and labor and which has ex-
toed praise and eulogium from all sides Of this Cham
Der. Heretofore, wien settlement had gone in adj
Of regular disposition of the public lands, and
the hardy pioneers had shown evidence of good citi
zenshp by habits of honest labor, Congress- out Of
tenderness for the citizen and scrupuous desire that
every should enjoy the avails If his own labor
have overlooked the original intrusion, and in liberal
and parental spirit given the right of presumption,
that every one might continue 10 enjoy the humble
dwelling and other improvements, the result of the
sweat Of his own and the work of his hands
This was pure bounty, unmxed gratuity, conferred by
Government unwilling to repress thwart the
gies and enterprise of these hardy men, who had
sought upon the dark brow othe wilderness resting
place for their wiz and their children 1t kind
concession to the restless energies OF the Anglo Anne
| rican race of ours which, though little too unob-
servant Of the rights Of Others yet had the hearts, the
hands, the wishes the purposes and the patriotic asp
rations of American citzens-a race that loved their
country loved liberty, and were ready to peril all they
had in enterprises dangerous or otherwise, in defence
of their country. 1t may be that in any aspect finan-
cia or POLITICAL the occasional and julcious interpo-
si,ion OF Congress in their behalf wise, most
individually it kind, liberal and parental All
these cases retrospective, overlooking initiative
err or and quoting the hardy pioneers in their homes
their titles and all the fruits of their labor. If this
| legislation somewhat unjust to the old States yet
it was kind and upon the whole may not have been
! unwise
But now for the first time, il proposed to hold out
standing lures and temptations to the whole world 10
| come and seize upon our public domain. To sustain
this sweeping prospective measure have heard doc
trines avowed more objectionable than the it.
self from which my judgment revolts and which, am
/ confident could they be submitted directly TO the
whole American people, would be Indignantly, if not
conemptuuusly, rejected say this bill invitos the
whole world, aliens well citizens, to and
take possession of our public domain; and how I'm.
| der any rule According to any uniform ieguationl
No, no, sir. The bounty is held out the swiftest
foot and the strongest arm these seize and de-
fend what has been seized with all the that God
and Nature have placed in their hands And all this
worst of confusion and Generalization to be sanction
cd by this grave body ay TO be invited soicated by
| by our legislation.
/ live were a weak and feeble nation, physically un-
able to defend liberties might indeed hold out
inducements to foreigners to bring to assistance the
protection Of their physical force But has it come to
this that obliged TO invite foreigners 10 assist
in the defence Of our heritage Of liberty Tobrng
amongst the arts of civilization To enhance our
power, either moral or physical Can any one be-
eve that we reduced to necessity like tbatl No
sir. The friends of this measure would cast back
such taunt with scorn and indignation VIVA,
then Can any doubt that this bill is the first
step towards the squanderng and wasting the public
/ domain so far as the old States concerned That
the new States feel as etter, that gals their
cited sensbility the claim of the old States to land
within their lmits1 To get rid Of this, and to make
the destruction of the rights Of the old States sudden
and complete, it proposed TO invest with the highest
privilege Of American frecmcn foreigners not natural
zed. To give TO alien strangers, who will come ant
take, what indisputaby belongs to all the States in
common. And this to assuagc painful sensbility
an overwrought pride, that will concede nothing I,
those who have given them every thing. As il no
content with the Dissertation of rights Of property
.nl IL. Gu IInln1,