The Arkansas banner., 1844-08-28
From Tract No. q. HENRY CLAY AGAINST THE FRONTIER SETH, FRS.


 Der of the Kentucky Legislature, the nc" settlers in the southern part of that State, asked indulgence in the payments for lands which they had purchased of the State and then occupied. Mir Clay opposed the indul7 cence with such bitterness that he excited against him the uucompromising hostility of the people in that region. So high did the feeling rise, that when Gen, Green Clay, some time afterwards, travelled through the Green River country, as it was called, eleclioneefing for the office of Governor, he found it expe- dient to disavow all relationship with Henry Clay,
 This hostility 10 the frontier settlers has been frequently and decisively manifested by Mir. Clay both in votes and speeches while he was member of Congress. We shall give few proofs which, if necessary, could be multiplied without number.
 At the commencement of the session ot Congress in December, 1S37, Alr. Van Bureh recommended the passage of pre-emptlon law to enable the settlers on the public iants to secure their homes by paying the minimum price for the land, and also law reducing and graduating the price, so that emigrants might purchase the second and third rate land al less than s5l 9 per acre.
 4 bill ''to grant pre-emption rights to set tiers on the public lands," was accordingly introduced, of which the following was%the leading provisions, viz.
 Be u enacted bg tbe Senate aud House sef Representatives of the United StatcS ot .1mericd in Congress assembled, That every actual settler on the public lands, being the head ae a family, or over twenty-one years of age, who was in possession, and house. keeper by personal residence thereon, on or before the first day of December, eighteen hundred and thirty-seven, shall be entitled to all the benefits and privileges of an act enti- tied 'sAn act to grant pre-empdon rights to settlers on the public lands, approved May twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and thirty; and the said act is hereby revived and con- tinued in force two yeais:o
 While this bill was underconsideratio on the 27th January, 1888, .M. sNerrick, Whig Senator from Maryland, proposed the follow ing amendment. viz:
 "Provided, That the right of pre-emption granted by this act, or the act hereby revived, shall not accrue to any other persons than those who were, on the lst day of December, 1887, citizens of the United States; and such citizenship shall in all eases De established ay legal and competent testimony, to the sats- faction of the Register and Receiver oi the land district in which the lands may be, prior 10 any entry thereof, by virtue of the proli- sions of this act.o
 The amendment was rejected, yeas b, nays 2S. Among the yeas stands the name of HENRY CLAY. See Senate Journal 1887 -S page l81.
 On the same page the following record appears, viz:
 son motion of MIR. CLAY OF KEN TUCKY, to amend the bill by adding thereto the following section, viz
 ''SEo. ,. ind De a further eaaeted, 3Hai al settlements on the public lands subseqaem 10 the .frsf day of Decem6er, 1887, ShaH be, and he same arc strictly prohibited; aud Ae Presidem shaH Dc Gad IS hereby authorized and REQUIRED 10 cause al persons rto may settle on Me public lands SatScqteR to he day aforesaid 10 Dc remoped Merefrom."
 This amendment was also rejected 2l 10 8, HENRY CLAY, of course, voting in the affirmative.
 Page l83, Mr. Prentss moved the follow ngamendment, viz;
 Nor shall any person have any right, or be entitled to patent, under or by virtue ol this act, without paying, ia addition to tte 1tintmum price, at least one half of the real value of the land above that price, not inclu- ding improvements, to be aseeraned by three juaicious and disinterested appraisers, under oath. to be appointed by the Register of the land office in the district where the land Is situate.o
 Rejected, yeas 10, nays 27, the name of HENRY CLAY being at the head of the yeas.
 Page l9l, the bill passed the Senate, yeas 30, nays IS, the name of HENRY CLAY being among the nays.
 The bill passed both Houses, was approved bysalr. VAN BUREN, and became law.
 Thus, Henry Ciay voted to exclude all men born out of the United States from pr- vilege proposed to be extended to tue native born.
 He voted in favor of requiring the settlers to pay more than the minimum government price for the land improved by them.
 Not satisfied to authori@e Mir. Van Buren, then, President, he offered an amendment 10 require him to remore aH settlers acho might haze located themselceS on the pabiic iaadS prior 10 lst December, 1887.
 iiuatiY ] itS NotSu dAtSt tllS iidSSdSC oi tiic bill, thas denying Pre-empiioa rights atto- gether, 10 aatires as well as foreigners
 i bill reducing the price of such public lands as had been long in the market also passed the Senate at that session, HENRY CLAY rotiag against l.
 Atthe session of 1839-40, abill providing for graduation and reduction of price was again introduced, as also bill to continue pre-empion rights.
 Page 316 of the journal of that session, .Mr. .No:peH moved an amendment 10 extend the act of 1888 ssto the 22d day of June, lsl2," (which was adopted, yeas 9, nays l I. Among the nays was HENRY CLAY.
 At the third reading of the bill, page 32o, the following proceedings stand recorded, viz:
 .On motion of Mir CLAY OF KEN TUCkf to commit thebil with instructions: 'slst To restrict the right of pre-emption to citizens ef the United States, native or nal suralized:
 TN