The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-12-13
Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON Dec 10 1870

WARRINGTON, Dec III, looO
The House-7hs Land Reform, or Free Farm
Questio~- Curious Case Of Sple~did Lasd
Warrant.
From the movement made in the House to- day,
il is evident that the question of land reform,
free farms to everybody, is soon to become an
ctive and leading political question.
Early at the last session, Mr. Webster, Mr..
Seward, Mr.. Walker, Mr.. Houston, Mr.. Douglass,
and others in the Senate, moved in the matter, to
secure the benefit, most likely, of the political
capital which is NEST undoubtedly to be made out
of it, Walker, of Wisconsin, however, finally
took the lead, and bill introduced by him at the
last session is now upon the calendar of the Senate,
which covers the whole platform of land reform,
as far as the public domain is con cerned. Private
property can only be subdivded by State laws, and
therefore the warrant in Congress is necessarily
limited to the lands of the general government.
Excluding the mineral lands, the plan of Mr..
Walker proposes, after deducting the expenses of
surveys, &c, to cede the public lands TO the
States in which they lie, to be by them parcelled
out in farms OF 160 acres, deducting expenses of
survey and transfer, TO actual settlers, not pos
81 ssed of any other land-the farm to be secured
to the family as home stead, against all liabilities
This ID substantially the plan. There is no doubt
of its popularity. There is no question of the
constitutional power thus to dispose of thr public
domain.
From the report of the Com missioner of the
General Land Office, II appears that the Mexican
bounty land warrants have made the heavy deduc-
ton of nifty per cent from the proceeds of the
public lands-that the emigration to California has
essened the sales; and that the immense grants
by the bill OF last session, in the soldiers bounty
b covering gratuities TO 250, 900 people and that
the heavy draft of the alternate sections along
strip Of twelve miles wide, through the States of
Illinois, Mississippi, and Alabama, to the Chicago
and Mobile Railroad, will materially diminish the
receipts for the future
Bat, again, the evil increases, or the good, or
whatever men choose TO call it, OF bills for grants
of land to vast speculations in the form of internal
improvements in the Western Suites. In this re-
source, the old States cut of from all partici-
patton, and the log rolling among Western MEM
bers, IN bundling together vast schemes OF rail.
roads and canals, harbors aud dykes, is very de-
cisively operating in favor of Mr.. Walkers grand
scheme ct Jumping the whole business in a single
Job II would certainly be an effective plan of get
ting rid OF this corruption fund Of the public do
main; and next to the popularity of giving to every
body free farm the consideration that in this dis
position Of the public lands, there would be an
end TO all future stock -jobbng in them by the pol
iiicians, works in favor OF the plan TO divide TO
all corners as they come.
We undertake TO say that this scheme Of Mr..
Walkers will become leading element in the
Presidential campaign Of 1862 that we shall have
candidate, If not most OF the candidates, running
upon that issue; that IL will enter into the Con-
gressonal elections for the next Congress that it
will carry them, and that the public lands, during
The ne NJ administration, II not BEFORE Will ne voted
away to actual settlers in farms Of 100 acres, more
or less.
curious case Of the loo lton Of a land warrant
is reported here. An old soldier, in the full ac-
ceptation of the word, living at Harper's Ferry,
being entitled to l60 acres Of land for his services
in the army, according TO the bounty land law OF
the last session, for the sake OF convenience, To-
Gated his "patent right" on tract Of government
land unoccupied, or in some way open 10 location,
at Harper's Ferry. He has consulted of our
ablest lawyers on the subject, whose opinion is
that the old soldier will get the land which Is said
to be. from its locatien worth ut least Sl50, 900.
the land will go ~ the old soldier, if the law