Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-06-14

A bill reducing the price of such public
lands as has been long in the market also
passed the Senate at that sess ion, Henry
Clay voting against it.
At the session Of ls39-4O, bill provi-
| ding for graduation and reduction of price
was again introduced, as also a bill to con-
| time pre-emption rights.
Page 3l6 of the Journal of that session,
Mr.. Norvell moved an amendment to ex-
tend the act of 1888, TO the 22d day Of
June 1912 which was adopted, yeas %,
nays II. Among the nays was Henry
Clay.
At the third reading Of the bill, page,
1923. the following procedidgs stand recor
ded, viz:
'On motion of Mr.. Clay Of Kentucky
to commit the Bill with instructions :
LIST. TO restrict the right of pre-emp-
ton to citizens of the United States, native
| or naturalized.
| I'D. TO strike out the section, recog-
nizing the principle that tie public lands,
prior to the gran. of pre-emplion, or any
other grant, can be the subject of creating
Tie TeldtIOu VI ICSoOA diIu iCssoC'
I'D. To strike out the section, reviving
the right to floats
II was rejected by Yeas 8, Nays 25.
Henry Clay being of course one of the
Yeas.
The Bill was then passed. Yeas 26,
Nays 9, Henry Clay being one OF the
Nays.
Page 1874, Henry Clay voted in a mi
nority of IL, against Bill providing for
The reduction and graduation of the price
of public lands.
AT the Session Of ls40-41, bill was
introduced into the Senate Ito establish
permanent, prospective prescription sys-
tenn in favor of settlers on the public lands
who shall inhabit and cultivate the same
and raise log cabin thereon
Page 70, of the Senate Journal of that
Session. it is thus recorded: viz.
.On motion of Mr.. Mangum to amend
the Bill by inserting. section |, line T. at
ter the word man. the words being
citizen of the United States
1t was rejected. Yeas IL, Nays 80.
Yeas, Messrs. Clay of Kentucky, Clay
ton. Criiienden. Dixon, Graham, Hunt
ington. Knight, Mangum, Merrlok, Prem
tss, Preston, Ruggles, every man wing.
Many other amendments tending to rem
der the Bill less favorable to settlers were
proposed, for all Of which Henry Clay
voted.
Page l56, the bill was passed by vote
of vnas RI tn navS 10.
Nays, Messrs Bayard, Calhoun, Clay
of kentucky, Clayton, Cri:endon, Dixon.
Graham, Huntington, Kerrick, Phelps,
Prenliss. Preston, Rives, Roane, Ruggles,
Southard,' all Wings but two.
These extracts show what Henry Clay
DIE. Let us now see what he SAID.
| We have before us copies of three let
ters written by Henry Clay, explaining
his course upon the prescription laws. and
denying the harsh expressions in refer
encc to the settlers, which had been impu'
ted to him.
The first is dated 1st of June 1899, and
is addressed to Aston B. Estes, Of Ten"
nessee. In this letter he says:
The extracts from the Globe are en-
tire perversions of what passed in the Sen
ate on the occasions to which it refers
perversions which are habitual with that
print whenever am concerned.
Il never used the expressions against
pre.emptioners. which were attributed to
me, although l was opposed to the pass
age of exemption laws. AT the last ses-
sion of the Senate, an explanation was
made of what really did say at the pre-
vious session on which occasion Sena
tor from Illinois acknowledged that he had
inferred the excepsionable expressions
from the tenor of my speech. and that
had not used them. What passed was
correctly published in the National Intel
lgencer, but regret that | had no. copy
of it by me to transmit TO YOU
In this letter there is not word excu'
sing himself for his votes or pretending
that he was in favor Of pre-emption rights
in any shape.
His second letter was dated 9th Sept.
1912, addressed to some person in Arkan
sas. In this letter he says:
My speech on the pre-emption system
were never regularly reported. They
| we're delivered. from time to time, IN
sort of running debate, and was shoc!:
ingly carica,ured in the Globe. When 1t
was stated l think by Mr.. Young of llli-
nois, in the Senate, that had applied de.
grading epi,hets to the pre-emplioners,
denied it positively. and my correction
was published in the Intelligencer, blu: |
regret tina. have no copy by me-
Il was opposed to the presumption by
itself. l thought it unequal to the public !;