The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-30

fhlDA 4, JANUARY ~, lSi7
SENATE.
Deferred Debated
ARMY BILIr-LAND BOUNTY CLAUSE
The question being concurring in the amendment of
Mr.. BENTON addressed the Senate at much length in
opposition to the amendment adopted on the motion of
the senator from Ohio lMr CoRwiNl in relation to the
land bounty to soldiers and volunteers without any guards
against improvident and fraudulent transfers. For
bounty in land which would enure to the benefit of the
person to whom IT was granted he entirely in favor
neers who offered themselves far exceeded the number
that could be accepted and for the soldiers Of the reg
ar army, the bounty in money had been restored and
for the bounty because it good way OF distributing
public land among the laboring part Of the cosnnunity
provided il was guarded from mroSdent and fraudulent
transfers until they had time to know the value of their
property In this sense he in favor of the bounty
and always had been it fell in with his SYSTEM advoca-
ted Tor twenty-five years on that floor, in favor OF giving
quarter section OF land to every person who would cul
yate IT. But without any guard against hasty thought
less, mpovden alienation, before the patent issued
he was opposed to ii and should labor, as he had
DONE to protect the soldier and the volunteer from being
defrauded OF his land before he had time know it's val
ne The amendment as introduced by the senator from
Pennsylvania Wv Mr. CAMTRoN and as adopted and alter
door to the most stupendous system OF fraud upon the
soldiers and of depreciation upon the United States which
Yazoo speculation had been seen-the plage OF the old
soldiers revolutionary certificates had been seen-the
specuatons in the soldiers bounty land in the late war
had been they were all res compared to the enor-
nifty OF what might take place under the present bill
lie spoke OF no ones motives-no ones intentions. He
had nothing to do with motives or intentions he took
cordng those words and enacments he construed r.
and denounced to the Senate and the people as opening
the door-settng It wide oPen-to the most stupendous
OF speculation and of depreciation upon the public
property and of imposition the soldiers and volunteers
and their wives and Children that country had ever
behed He lMr BENToN) had introduced bill granting
nCfI ,nAt -
musician, private, in the regular volunteer service
who should serve during the war, for twelve MONTHS
unless killed or dying in the service or discharged for
to protect the soldier from improvident alterations,
until he had time to know the value of his property and
also to save the land to his family in the event Of his
death This bill was before the Senate, and showed that
he for the soldier and against the Spectator Tho
whole subject had been referred to the military commit
tee; and that committee had unanimously reported in ia
OF guarding and protecting the soldier and volunteer
from the arts and articles, frauds and impostons OF the
merciless spectators That committee had unanimously
reported in favor Of these guards now different policy
prevailed All the guards invented for the soldier and
his heirs thrown down. and the field is laid wide open
to the operations of the Spectator and vast is the
thousand volunteers are now authorized by law;
sixteen thousand regulars are also now author
zed this bill proposes, ten, thousand more-in all
entitled to the land it would be twelve millions Of
acres estimated at fifteen millions OF dollars. All would
not be entitled to it, but the deficiency would be made
ain To this class there would be no limit neither in
number nor in time. century of time, and hundreds
of thousands could put limit to the obtaining OF frau
dulent warrants But TO proceed the basis Of even
the authorized number, or even reduce them to fifty
thousand: that would be eight millions of acres and ten
millions odollar immense for the United States
to give up to speculation and plumber, without benefit
to herself or to the mertorious for whom it was in
tended And what would be the operation on the treasu.
r. to exPT%tnge the land revenue from our system Of
signmentor endorsement the soldiers the back
OF the warrant, no matter how put there, as pawn
pledge as power to enable another to act for him.
transfer without consideration or for few dollars
even by imposition or fraud, forgery until his heirs
could dspIove it. in any, Or all Of these cases, OF
comes the property according to the modern construction
Of "egl representat,res Of the person who writes
In Sen 70 bsc@e oyer tSa ne % Inc
entitled to location any public lands liable to entry
private sale This lays open the public lands from he
sale private entry is almost the universal mode
Here them eight millions of acres besides the raudu
lent warrants which will be obtained are to fall upon the
public lands and to be satisfied before the United States
sell Agents will be despatched far and wide
to buy up these warrants sentnes will be stationed
every land office door to wayay the farmer that brings
discount and turn his money into the SPECTATORS pock
ct instead of going into the public treasury If all is
fair this will expange the land revenue for half
the greater part will be foul and those land warrants
will breed with fertility an incontnence and perpetui-
y unknown to the gestatve powers of the animal crea-
ton all the common names the army-a the John
Smiths, John Joneses, Billy Wiliamsesl the Blacks,
Browns, Grays, Reds, Whites-al the Longs and
Shors--all the Youngs and Ods-all that nterminable
nomenclature OF common names, which identity no.
bodyand thousands of others, will become breeders of
warrants And after the first generation dead the
ond and third will come on; and the breeding will go on
with an accelerated pace. So il has happened and will
continue to happen. Tennessee, even few years
ago, satisfying land warrants Of fifty years
ago. Yazoo claimants now petitOning Con-
gress; and Virginia military land warrants still knock
ing at the door OF Congress for satisfaction
Mr. B. said that hundred years OF tme and the whole
landed domain of the United States would not 30 sui-
cient 10 satisfy these warrants and he said that upon
data that gave If the authority OF positive knowledge
He alluded to the Virginia military land warrants only
faint example of what would happen Sixty-two
years had yet satisfied those warrants few as they
supposed TO be, when Congress assumed them in
1852. They were then supposed TO be few, and small
district of country between the Miami and Scio&o was
set aside for their satisfaction, and few years limited
for their location. Yet what has happeneds Instead Of
instead of the few years allowed for their location they
now, at the lapse of sixtytwo years, still demand
ing land instead of the small district allowed for their
satisfaction, they extend to all the lands Of the Uni
ted States Mr. B. verified this statement by reading the
titles of long list of acts for about fifty years,
opening and extending the time for locating these
Virginia land Misunderstanding to limit and stop
their procreaton, sometimes by tme-sometimee
by neutrality-suspicious. fixing year beyond
which warrant should be located-sonnetimes
quantity above which should be recognised and
ali in vain. Time or quantity could impose limitation
The thing was getting worse and worse. Professional
agents had taken the thing in hand-were hunting int