The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-03-20

The tract was properly managed, II
might produce to the Governmenttwen.
ty millions of dollars year; and would,
in fact, be of more practical advantage,
to the land revenue than the whole Of
the public domain besides. Gentlemen
seemed ready to vote. upon this bill
without. in reality knowing what the
bill was. Mr.. N. had paid some atten-
ton to the subject, but it had been SO
changed fromttlme to time, and appear
ed now under a shape SO different from
that it Had formerly assumed, that he
confessed lie. could not himself tellaex-
actly what it did enact, and whatwouid
be its precise effect. The bill, how
ever, was to be passed; ofsthat hehad
for some time been fully aware; the
decree had gone forth; there was'a
heavy pressure from without in favor
of it, andshe presumed it was'destiped
to pass this day. Spectators were
hovering, in dark cloud, like SO many
carrion crows, round the .lobbles and
galleries OF that Hall. All sorts ofin-
ducements had been held out to hun to
"lle low" to "keep dark" and to for
bear making any opposition to it. But
he would listen TO no such persuasions.
He would not consent 10 hold his peace
/ at The expense ofhis conviction OF what
was right. Unprepared as he was, and
compelled to intrude himself on the
COMMITTEES without due time to arr ange
and systematic his ideas, he was re-
solved to make one effort to prevent
what he believed would be great pub
lie wrong.
What had been the policy Of the
Government in the administration Of
the public land? Had it not been, in
all cases, to offer the land, in the first
place, at public sale before permitting
it to be open for private entry? But
that policy was here to be departed
from, abandoned: and for what? TO
enable greedy'speculators to get their
Iclutches on those rich mineral lands,
and make fortunes out Of them. The
Senate bill, as he was well informed.
had been drawn up at the dictation OF
u single individual. twas not satisfied
with the leases and the permits which
had already been granted, but it allow
ed still wider license, to take up the
lands in small tracts of forty acres; and
it was a fact that these specializing
companies had the woods full Of hired
squatters, all ready to take advan-
taee Of the law the moment it should
pass. For this reason Mr.. NJ. had been
anxious that the action Of this House
on the bill should have been postponed
until thesreaI facts in the case could be
more fully exposed, but even a delay
till NJ onday had been refused him.
He hoped the House would not pass
bill like this; he felt sure II its opera
tons were rightly understood it could
never pass. Mr.. M. discIaimed all op-
lposition to the sale Of these lands. On
the contrary, he earnestly desired that
they might be sold. He wished to have
them brought into market as soon as
possible; for he was for having them
so sold that all should have Q fair chance
to purchase lhem,and that no unfair ad-
vantage should, by colusion, be thrown
into the hands ofa gang Of unscrupulous
speculators. He was opposed to the
pre.emption clause in the bill.
Mr.. McCLELLAND asked Mr.. nj. if
he had been opposed 10 precisely a
similar clause in the Wisconsin bill?-
That bill allowed the squatter his right
of pre-emption to tract as small as
forty acres. Had the gentleman been
as Jealous IN opposing the very same
provision in that bill which seemed so
much to excite his ire in this?
Mr.. MoRRIs said that he had not pub
IicIy opposed it on that bull. partly be.
cause he had been misled; he had been
told there were no mineral lands for
that bill 10 operate upon.
Mr.. McCLELLAND referred him TO the
terms of the bill, to prove that his OBJ
lection would apply as fully to that bill
as to the present one; yet the gentle
man had remained silent. Was it be-
cause that bill was to inure 10 the bene-
fit of certain persons in Ohio?
Mr.. MoRRrs said he did not know
whether the same provision was in both
bills or not; they had been so much
modified and changed that he scarcely
knew exactly what the bill did contain.
1t was contended, in behalf Of the
present bill, that its practical effect
would be to- benefit the Government;
that it would bring large sum OF mo-
ney into the Treasury, and that very
soon, which was very desirable thing
IN the present posture of affairs. The
lessees being bound by this bill to buy
the whole amount of their leases at
SO SO, and not TO select small tracts
supposed to be rich in minerals, large