The daily union., 1846-05-04
THE DAILY UNION

benefit Of the State--that is, that the government
would sell the lands at al rs 10 the State OF lndi
ana, that she might by resale make an advance or
Npecuaon which she intended TO use for the prose-
cution Of her public works. But the State. had she
obtained these lands, would have extended her re-
lief laws over them as she has over her other lands
and her citizens would not IN that event have been
asking the protection of Congress.
Indiana did not, however, obtain these lands, and
she now forward by joint resolution and asks
the protection OF her citizens at your hands. ..
The gentleman from Kentucky is much mistaken
to the value of these lands, and he could assure
him, that, so far from their being the best In the
State, they are far inferior 10 many large tracts
which have been pre-empted at 81 rs.
The Committee on Public Lands have seen proper
so TO amend the bill which he Mr. @. had intro
duced as TO increase the minimum price from 81 IS
to 80 per acre. This he regretted, notwithstand-
ing these lands cost something more than the public
domain generally yet he did not consider them suffi-
GENTLY valuable TO Justify this increase.
The opposition Of the gentleman from Kentucky
to this bill would apply with equal force to any pre-
emption bill which might be offered
Mr.. c, asked, Will you not extend to these set
tiers the same protection which other settlers upon
the public lands have received He knew that the
appeal would not be in vain, and that this House
would not for the mere hope of pltful speculation,
which could end in no advantage to any one but the
heartess speculator, expose this honest, generous
hearted people to the risk Of being robbed Of their
humble homes.
Mr.. KENNEDY said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: After what has been said by my
colleagues, Messrs. SMITH and CATHCARr, l do
not wish TO protract this debate. But being the
only person now here from my State who was a
member Of the Congress which passed the general
pre-empdon b from the operations Of which these
Miamila lands were exempted, cannot suffer the
marks which fell from the honorable member from
Kentucky lMr. DA,Dl to go to the House without
some reply
know that tho reason why these lands were
exempted from the operation Of that bill was not,
as suggested by that honorable gentleman, "the
high yalne;" but that exemption was made at the
suggestion Of the then delegation from that state,
under the impression that the benefits which the pre-
emption gave granted 10 the actual settlers might
be made TO enure TO the State. doubted then and
| am now convinced, that this policy Of robbng the
settlers Of those lands for the benefit of the State at
large was wrong. The State has since abandoned
this idea, and now ask, that the same Justice which
that law meted out TO settlers on other public lands
and which would then have been granted TO the set
tiers on these had Il not been for her own error as
then and now conceive 1t TO have been, may soon be
extended to the settlers on this Miami reserve.
These settlers as good and meritorious citizens
any other Of that worthy class Of men, who have
invariably pioneered our people into the heart Of
the western wilderness; and | am persuaded that
their claim to justice is only to be fairly stated in
order TO a favorable response from the men,
bers Of this House.
The only thing wrong in this bill is that the mini
mum price Of tl.ese lands is raised from the usual
one dollar and twenty-five cents to two dollars. But
this difference these settlers and will submit TO-
not because these lands are more valuable than
thousands Of other tracts Of land in the other west
ern States which have been pre-empted, but because
they cost the government considerably more than
the average price of public lands; and because the
arbahina nf the frnntier life
felt here as in other places distant from the
neighborhood Of white settlements.
One word as 10 the great value which some gen.
tlemen seem to attach to these lands. There are
on this some choice tracts of land (but not
more so than in other portions of the Staie;) but
taken a whole, do not believe that if this tract
of country was put up at auction and knocked down
to the highest bidder tomorrow, that il would
average two dollars per Ii then resolves itself
into this simple question: whether this government
will sell their lands to the poor but honest settlers
who have erected their humble dwellings upon them
with view Of making them their homes or VIII. tn
they will suffer these settlers to be driven off by
the gentee but less patriotic spectator, who de-
sires to purchase them for the sake of future emou
ment
cannot doubt that the House will pass this bill;
and know the House does not desire this discus
sion to be continued, and with view to speedy ac-
ton on this as well other matters Of moment
which call for the deliberauon of the House,
move for the previous question.
On the intimation Of Mr. DAVIS that he desired to
submit some other remarks, Mr.. KENNEDY with
drew his call for the previous question.
MIR. G. DAVIS replied briefly to some of these
remarks, vindcating the course he had taken, and
justfying his opposition to the bill.
Mr.. PETIT made strong appeal to the House
in favor Of the bill. He expressed surprise that op-
position to it should come from member who was
himself the representative of an agricultural interest:
and dacla aroH hat he n,Ia a.
interest made secondary, or subservient to any
other, be that other what it might
The previous question was then demanded and
seconded. And the main question was ordered, and
being taken, the bill was ordered to third reading
nop
And having been read third time and the oue,-
ton being on the final passage,
The yeas and nays were ordered, and. being Ia
ken, were yeas 95 nays46.
So the bill was passed.
MINERAL LANDS.
Mr.. RELFF, from the Committee on Public
Lands reported bill to provide for the sale of the
mineral lands south Of lake Superior in the State of
Michigan and Territory of Wisconsin, accompanied
by report in writing; which bill was read twice
and committed; map accompanying the bill was by
the clerk committed
THE MECHANICS OF THE COUNTRY.
Mr.. A. JOHNSON, on leave given, introduced
the following resolution which was read, and, on
motion of Mr.. JACOB THOMPSON, was laid on the
table:
Whereas the permanency of democratic form of govern.
ment depends TO very great extent upon the perfect
equality OF the citizens and the responsibility of labor and
the aborer all classes and distinction ought to be re-
cognsed in theory or practice in pure democracy except
that which may be brought about by high and
superior intellectual atanmen And whereas most IL not
all the States composing this coniederacy have
prison houses commonly called penentiares, and have
passed criminal codes Furnishing all offences with few
exceptions, at hard labor and confinement in said
prson-houses or penenaries And whereas the VARIOUS
branches of mechanism have been introduced and to very
great extent confined to said prison houses or penitenta
ries and the oonvic from the beginner in crime who
has committed petit larceny to the old hardened ncorriq
BILE offender who has committed the foulest and most da
bolca offences enumerated in the black catalogue of
crime employed at the different branches of bansm
which, by association has direct tendency 10 degrade
'or and in the same ratio to lower the portion
't the community In public estimation generally And
composing this Union nothing more nor less than setting
ip so many workshops filed with all the vile
good order and law who have been rendered Infamous in
ofhaving committed the most outrageous often
'es, and making them competitors Of Honest and
Industrious mechanics Of the country, who are taxed
or the purpose Of erecting those psonhouses or pen
keeping them up and supporting the convIcts
md whereas the federal government has Of more re-
cent date followed in the footsteps several Satea