Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-01-30

Ihe Senator nom Missouri proposed to protect the SOL
der from these frauds by making the bounty inaenable
for seven years This presuming that those Who as
the Senator from Missouri eoqueny described it, escaped the
embrace OF the battle Storm and avoided grave upon the
tops OF the Corderas were not capable Of controlling the
bounty which the Government bestowed upon them and that
Congress must therefore, constitute itself their guardian He
Of opinion that if they put the matter upon this footing
and said TO the soldier that at the end Of the he should
emgrae the far West and settle upon his lan else be
debaed from the enjoyment OF his bounty for years.
would have the effect Of lettering from entering the army
II would hardly be necessary he believed, TO pass act to
prevent Senator from making contract respecting his ira
Yelling allowance and per diem, placing any lien upon
for certain length of time, lest the money might fall into the
hands of spectators, who lowering in clouds around the
Capitol darkenng the air with their numbers That would
be strange law but he thought would be quite
able the restriction proposed by the Senator to be placed
upon these bounty lands.
After some further remarks, Mr. CoRwIS concluded by
saying that he thought would be very becoming in the
Senate hesitate grant of 500 600 900 of
public lands the small pance of 900 to the soldiers
compensation for their services They had already passed
bill giving 5000 600 of to those who chose peace
fully settle in Oregon II Southern gentleman with his
black servant, went to Oregon, that would " entitled
by his residence there avail himself of this bounty
While looking out the broad Pacific and contempa
ting the time when the descendants Of Japhe should subu
gate the descendants OF Shem here from state
OF servitude becoming free and claiming his half
ton Of land which had been granted by the bounty Of this
Government. While their nav capacous enough to
swallow these five millions in reference Oregon, they
q
ward for the vaor and the patriotism of those who penled
their lives i'm their countrys service.
Mr.. BENTON made remarks by way Of reionder to
the argument of the Senator from Ohio. After which,
Mr.. CASS briefly addressed the Senate He expressed
his preference for the proposition emanang from the Com
mittee Military Affairs, striking the provso which
rendered the bounies naienibe for years. He
for allowing the soldiers dispose of the property given them
in the way they thought proper.
Mr. RUSK said that he had Withdrawn his amendment
this morning in the expectation th at the House bill would be
taken up but as he saw probability that that would be
the case, he would now his motion to amend
Mr. SIMMONS asked the Senator from Texas to accept as
modification of his amendment provision giving the SOL
dier the alternative Of accepting either the land bounty
money bounty Of equal value to be given him scrip bear
ing interest and redeemable in ten years.
Mr. RUSK said that he would prefer his own amendment
with some little modification.
Mr. HUNTINGTON said it seemed to him that the pro-
position OF the Senator from Texas decidedly objection
able Ii were better TO give the soldier money than land
why not to him at the end of his of service
stead of giving him scrip bearing interest and redeemabe
distant day He not disposed authorize issue of
sort Of six per cent stocks in due bills by the Govern
ment He preferred the amendment of the Senator from Ohio
Mr.. CALHOUN said be hoped the Senator from Texas
would permit the question to be put upon the proposition
at first offered He thought there great objection scrip
bearing interest It would be fact creation of new debt
Mr.. BREESE said that he considered the amendment of
the Senator from Texas without the modification suggested
the most Objectionable. The scrip for land issued without
interest would depeciate fifty per cent in six months 1t
the Government to give land than give money be derived
from these lands nasmuch the lands the Government
but about twenty three cents the
Mr. BENTON said he looked upon the proposition of the
Senator from Texas though Objectionable in ITSELF deli
verng up the whole of the public land ravage Manifold
his objections to the propositions of the Senator from
Texas he considered would be, at least deverance from
evil.
Mr. ARCHER expressed himself in favor of the PROPOSE
ton Of the Senator from Texas provided it modified
as to exclude the interest the scrip
Mr. BADGER said that he did not intend enter into any
discussion of this question: but barely say that nasmuch
the whole subject had been discussed in Committee of the
Whole and the question upon concung in the amend
proposed the bill by the Senator from Ohio the true
of Senator who in favor of the proposition
for giving land to the soldier to vote against amend
ment and to vote for the original proposition received the
sanction of the Senate in Committee Of the Whole. And he
still strongly of this opinion because he observed
that the Senator from Virginia, who known to be oppos-
ed to the whole project of granting land the soldiers
strongly favor of some of the propositions amend the pro-
vision by which these lands to be granted Therefore,
when he that Senator supporting of these amend
ncnts he required the old warming Tnieo Danaos
iona efe for he probably intended by this act of gene
alship TO get out of the matter altogether.
After few further remarks from Messrs HANNEGAN,
BUTLER, and ALLEN
Mr. WESTCOTT said he desired to state the grounds
upon which he voted. He should against the amend
nent of the Senator from Texas and then sgans concurng
in that Of the Senator from Ohio, Mr. CoRwIs) with the
hope that if both rejected the Senate would fall back
better proposition than either He did not he had
often before declared regard the public lands of such vital
Importance Of reUenue be would not look TO them
of He regarded the continued retention
Of them by the United States nuisance. II kept up
standing army of oficehoders He hoped the time would
when the settled policy Of the Government would
be TO give them to actual settlers He was, and had been
from the first, his had shown, in favor Of giving
hundred and sixty every volunteer and regular
and under the conditions and restrictions proposed the other
day by the Senator from Missouri (Mr. BESToS)
He was in favor of these restrictions l. To protect the
soldier from spectators O. To effect the actual settlement
This last motive had been avowed that floor, but he
did not hesitate to say it strong inducement with him,
and he desired to be condition. part of the consideration,
Of the grant OF the land As TO the complaint that opera
ted unequay upon the volunteers and soldiers of the Atlantic
States who did not desire settle in the States and those
from these States, might well be argued that the
price fixed by law for the lands Isl 25 per acre)
unequal in the way
The Atlantic citizen had go the West South to
examine the andshad incur expenses get them which
the purchaser them did not The class Of citizens who
generally volunteer enlist privaes those who,
sessed Of those lands will be most likely to settle them
They generally young who desire employment and
will be given in the clearing up and settlement Of these
lands thus given them, and will become independent freehold
by the process and useful society they
turn in search of employment their old homes There s
plenty of in the West and Southwest for such citizens
to the extraordinary fuss about the public lands and
nguishng the from it always made when any
changing the present hucksteng system proposed this
measure cannot affect any ill the over and
hen, If all the lands settled by the soldiers and nobody