Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-05-13

But why, he would ask the gentleman from Mississippi
| stop At six months
Mr. THOMPSON was understood TO say that he had fol
lowed the preceden which had been set by the friends Of the
| gentleman from Ohio.
| Mr.. vlNTON Why succeeding Congress might com,
and that they had done half enough and that
stopping months they should have stopped hre,
months But proceed Why should they not include th,
militia employed in the Black Hawk war Why not nclul,
those who served in the Florida war Why not nclud.
those who sustained the honor and glory Of the country
the lakes and the ocean Why should sailors and
nes be shut out II this proposition agreed to- every
other who bad rendered service in defence Of the
try should also be provided for by bounty lands dogr
10 service for single month. The who served for
month suffered much, and perhaps MORE than others
His loss of crops would perhaps be great by months
| service six months
Now, then, the gentleman from Mississippi, (Mr Tnoar
son, and the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr. McCLERsASp,
had stated the committee that the proposition in this bill
would be satisfied, probably, by six millions
OF the public domain Only from six TO millions
amount equal toa the bounies granted by this Gov
eminent for the entire of military services rendered
during the of the revolution and the last with Grea
Britain But instead of being confined to that, the bill
tabhed principle which, adopted, would admit Of
stopping place until bounty should have been provided o
every who at any time, any period, had done mill
tary service Instead of seven millions of acres, involved
appropriation which forty millions Of acres would no
satisfy.
Mr. said he understood from the intelligent chairman
the Committee the Public Lands and Mr. " stated the
fact here lest that gcnteman probable, might a
to obtain the foo) that he had found examination tha
three hundred and eighty thousand had served, for
longer or shorter period, during the last war alone How
had done during the revolution could
conjecture From this one fact the committee would be able
to something Of the consequences Of adopting
like that proposed
Again Mr.. " objected to the amendment in consequence
of the principle establish proposed 10 throw
open the land offices of the country every soldier who
tanned warrant, just as if his certificate much
money IN hand Once adopt an arrangement like this and
there end at to the landed branch OF the public
revenue The revenue derived from two sources, the
and the public domain From the sales of the pub
lie lands this Government had already derived hundred
| and twenty millions of dollars.
THE House being here in some confusion Mr. " observed
that he perceived the committee We're not disposed to listen
him. he did desire longer ntrude himself upon their
attention And be took his Cries Of Go !" ego
" from all quarters. The order Of the committee being
measure restored Mr.. " prevailed to proceed
He had been observing that the proposed, it
should be adopted must inevitably put end to that branch
Of the public which derived from the public lands
this amendment should pass into law, what would hap
pen Immediately who had money in all parts Of the
country, and who understood the process of land obbng
would hire agents just who had capital in Connec-
cut hired go about the country and pedde n who
would spread themselves all quarters and hunt up old
who had served in Harmars and Waynes campaigns their
widows descendants and would buy up their claims for
song and then enter the land Ii this sacrifice of the public
domain the benefit of the soldiers who had
fought for the country, the proceeding, whatever might be
thought OF its policy, would be less Objectionable but who
did not know that in all these of donations Of land
the soldier who got the benefit Who igno
rant OF the past hope such result II the specu
laor who got the lions share, while the who had
done the service and borne the burden and heat Of the day
got but pltiance of what given reward to him.
Every body knew that the standing market price Of the land
bounes granted in the last $40 and years ago.
when had been proposed IN Congress TO provide bounty
lands for soldiers serving in this Mexican de-
cared in debate and disputed ii, that unless some
vas To IL of as
saleable commodity their price the market would inevta
bly, run down to lutte nothing. As of guarding
against this evil Mr. V. had himself proposed that the Gov
enment should certificates Of stock bearing interest
per and should then grant the returning soldier
his option take his reward either in land in stock this
would efecualy prevent land warrants from depreeating
much below that point and those warrants in point of fact
stood at that price now Mr. " had recently seen notice
| in a New York paper Of warrants to be had at S95
Mr. SMITH, Of Illinois, here stated that be had recently
i learned that they worth Sl24
Mr. VINTON resuming, said that the other hand one
gentleman him had just informed them that they had
Gently been sold 40 and another added that he had
them sold by thousands in New Orleans at 500 II
always These certificates always commodity in
/ the hands Of spectators and land jobbers
Whenever law proposed for land bounes nothing was
heard that ball but the services and hashps Of " the
soder-his patriotism and his sacrifices the theme
many pathetic speeches, and the obligations Of public graft
tude urged with burning zeal a word said
about the spectators II usually pressed on the House
under the peex that the effect Of such grants would be
settle the country would do such thing not one soldier
fifty entitled these bounes his land or set his foo
within hundred miles Of it. The grant always went to tho
benefit Of somebody else and the land remained as il wa
| before.
The measure warmly urged upon the House would
practically total surrender of the public lands
had granted land bounes for the soldiers OF the
revolution and those who had served in the last war bu
there this wide distinction between those bounties and
those in the bhe former were all TO be satisfied
out Of designated tract the lands lay in body within
certain prescribed and bounds the revolutionary
be located particular tract in the Stat,
OF Ohio while those Of the last lay the States OF Mis-
souri, Mississippi and Arkansas within limits in each
Of those States laid down and specified in the law But
be receivable in all the land Offices Of the Union and
CURED prophet perceive that each Of these Offices
not converted into broker shop, there would speedily b
found such shop far from the door where these
would be bought up The purchaser required by law
pay for his lands gold and silver He with 5000 ir
hard cash farm for himself and his sons but b,
would be very tipped the elbow by who woult
offer him that would get him the same amount
land for $780, possibly for s60, and the broker who msd
this offer would at the time pocket probably $3.50 by th
operation That the way this thing would go. gentle
him said going in regard warrant
issued for the present This result bad been foretod
the time the law passed, but the law all for th
benefit Of the poor soldier" gentleman from Tennesse
assured him that the grants under this amendment wou
amount % fhy-one millions Of acres
Mr. McCLERNAND here interposed and, the floor bein
yielded him for explanation observe that the gen
teman who made that statement mistaken Mr.. McC