The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-08

d 50IW
that the said lands held in trust for ssd states
by the United States and that the said Used States are
bound TO the proceeds OF SAID lands to ana among
said states then and that hereby made the duty
the Secretary Treasury Of the United States to pay
over due requisitiOn made to and among the said
several States that hereafter may be- members
OF the federal Union the proceeds OF said lands the same
shall from time to time and come into the treasury
Of the United states according to the respective proper
OF each State settled and declared by the principles
OF said decree
Mr.. WHITE heretofore gave notice Of the fol-
lowing amendment
In line after the word "unsold" insert the following
and having been market and offered for sale for the peri
od five years at one dollars per acre, shall" Sc
bsen IN market and offered for sale for the peo OF hVe
years, at seventyhye cents per acre
In line 10, after the word unsod insert: and having
been In market and offered for sale Tor the period OF hVe
years, at hity cents per acre"
Mr. HENLEY, after some few humorous re-
marks IN reference TO the absence OF gentlemen at
this time from the hall--many Of his own friends
and some other preliminary remarks, proceeded to
say that 1t was necessary TO be determined in de.
Gliding upon the prOprety of this bill, whether
the price of these lands ought to he reduced !;
whether they were too high at dollar and quar-
ter, the minimum price, per acre. II So reason and
justice would require every man TO go for this re-
ducton. In searching for proof Of this fact, if he
went 10 western gentlemen 1t might be said that
they were interested witnesses; although he had no
doubt they would tell that which was strictly true.
He would therefore endeayor to prove il by anal
ogy-by asking gentlemen from other sections as
TO the value of land in their States respectively.
He would ask the gentleman from Massachusetts,
lMr. AsHMUSl if there were not lands in his State
not worth dollar and quarter acre.
Mr. ASHMUN replied, some few, no large tracts.
To similar questions from Mr.. HENLEY d.
rected to the respectively,
Mr. HAMLIN replied there were such lands in
his State in considerable quantities.
Mr. GROVER knew Of none in his State.
"A l. Ill "A
there were large tracts in New York not worth 10
cents acre; but at the same he would state that
some of the finest lands in the State were not cul-
tyated until one hundred years after they first
offered for sale
Mr. DRoMGoOLE said large part of Virginia
was "lnhabIted" (as the saying was) "by the noun
talns, and not worth paying the tax for-not worth
anything.
Mr.. SCHENCK thought all the lands in his State
could bring dollar and quarter, # they were kept
in market sufficiently long.
Mr. HENLEY, (resuming,) in reply to Mr.
SCHESCK said, in his opinion, there were many lands
IN Ohio that never would bring it-that never would
be worth it. So his opinion stood against the gen.
tleman's opinion.
But from the testimony Of all these other gentle
men, It plainly appeared that there were lands in
each Of their. States not worth dollar and quarter
an acre; and 1t fairly InferrIble from analogy,
and 1t was absolutely true, that there thousands
and millions Of lands in the western country, not
worth dollar and quarter per acre, and which
would never bring it, He asked gentlemen, then, il
they would persist in holding them at that price and
thus prevent the poor man, unable TO pay II, from
obtaining a freehold and homestead Would gem
tlemen go before their constituents on that ground
They could not Justify it to them.
This land question was great question. He was
sorry to see it made political queston-to see the
wing party rallying with portion of the democratic
party from the North, to prevent the poor man from
getting home upon land which is not worth dol
lar and quarter an acre.
Mr.. GORDON. Are you recognising it as a par
ty question
Mr.. HENLEY. am; for II is made SO by the
wings who are uniting in opposition TO 1t, as the votes
will show.
Mr.. ASHMUN was understood to inquire if it
had not been made party question by the Execu-
Mr.. HENLEY. The democratic Executive re-
commended it. The Executive recommended it as
great measure Of public policy-not as n party
measure, but for the good Of the country; if sus.
tanned by the democratic party, and opposed by the
wings, it becomes a party mcasure-a democratic
measure to sell the lands for what they are worth,
and a whig to sell them for more than they
worth And what will be the effect Of it, With
all our hard fighting in the West, we saved the
State of Indiana from Mr.. Clay because of his hos
ulity to the presumption system. That had now
gone by, and this reduction and graduation of the
on that issue, if CARED into the contest they wonld
certainly defeat the wings there again in lS4S He
give them notice oft, for he did not want TO make
this party question; and he called upon them to
come up and agree to its settlement on fair and
reasonable basis. There were some twenty or
thirty millions of acres not worth and that never
would be worth, 81 25 acre. and if you insist that
they shall be sold at that price your constituents and
the country will hold you responsible for il.
Mr. II. proceeded to refer to the fact that this re-
ducton of the lands, which were now too high was
not to be made for the wealthy, but for the sake Of
furnishing the poor a home--the right of free
hold-a little Of the eminent domain TO live upon; and
there was nothing in the world (he said) which lies
nearer the heart of our people-of our western pio
neers-the hardy sons of the Wcst-than to get a
little spot Of land to live on. The gentleman from
Massachusetts, and various gentlemen around him
who acknowledged II was not worth It, still insisted
that for this homestead he should pay 81 25 or be ex-
cuded from it, and the land be left without culiiva-
ton.
1t was dsparagement, (Mr. II. contended, } to
say that thefe were many of the settlers of the West
who not able to purchase forty acres at 81 25
He described the hardy toll the persevering
industry, and unceasing abors and hardships they
compelled to go through to earn 500 year.
and from this in many cases to be deducted the
expenses of large families. The worthy pioneer
thus situated could not pay out of his years earn
ings $50 for his land; and Mr. H. warmly deprecated
lne liJu anu VI government In
sa!ins upon it when the land was actually no, worth
It,
He neticed the objection to reducing the price of
these refuse lands on of the effect it was al
legged would result in reducing the price of other
good lands. He denied that this would be the ef
feet of it; and granting it should, that the man
who would refuse to give the poor man little home
stead on that ground would take fve-cent piece be-
tween his fingers and squeeze it out, and pass
it for ten certs. No honorable man would show so
niggardy and cnvious disposition 1t was prin-
cipie monstrous in all its applications, and utterly
absurd and unworthy for this country-a more natu-
raj products of the soil Of despotism
Abiding to other objections that had been raised
to the bill, Mr.. II. called upon gentlemen to mature
bill that would suit them. Let a committee of
wings even, with the gentleman from Ohio, Mr..
VMroN,l and from Vermont, Mr.. CoLLAMsR,l upon
it, take the subject into consideration, and throw
ing away former prejudces and commitments, exer-
else their own good sense upon ii, and they must
port that the prices should be reduced. He was
willing to unite upon any reasonable measure; and
he called upon gentlemen now to settle the question:
ard not throw it oyer to enter into the issues of an