The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-23

ecusson.
Mr.. DODGE, Of Iowa. do not think the
amendment Of the senator from Virginia ought 10
prevail under any circumstances. made the as
sertion when was up before, that the language
Of this bill was precisely that Of the last rsemp-
ton law of Coogress--being an act 10 divide he
proceeds Of the xales Of Tho public lands anaone
the States, passed December, il, lsal. II will be
borne IN mind that there Was q requirement
made of foreigner coming here, making this
country his home, and settling upon the public
land, that he should file declaration Of his int~n-
uon TO become aclizen prerequisite 70 pre-
emptloD, until the enactment Of this law in le4I
The tenth section Of that law enacts
"That from and after the passage Of this act,
any person being at the head Of a family, or
widow, or single nan over the age Of twenty-o one
years, and being citizen Of the United States or
having filed his declaration of intention to become
a citizen, as required by the naturalization laws,
who, since the first dsy of J.ne, l840 has made
or shall hereafter make settlement in person"
DC
That was the first time in the history Of legis-
lation IN this country that there was any such
quIrement that the settler occupant should have
filed his intention To become citizen Of the United
States.
Well, now, sir know something Of the opera
ton Of that law myself As register Of the land
Office, granted hundreds Of presumption certi6-
Gates to foreigners who settled upon the public
law Of l84l, and who had never even filed their
intention to become citizens Of the United States,
but who were, nevertheless, good citizens Of
the United States as any who settled there More
over, know that there were in Wisconsin, from
the year 1897 to 1892, IrIshmen and Germans
who, long before they had flied intentions TO be-
come citizens, had fnttened tie soil with their
blood. They were good citizens as any others.
They paid their taxes, worked the roads, and did
everything else that any man was required to do.
] hope, therefore, that this new and anomalous
amendment will not prevail.
Mr.. CASS. merely wish TO observe that
see no objection TO the limitation Of time; but
really, as practical measure, it appears to me
one of the most useless propositions
quired. Here you require the foreigner to make
his declaration. He comes upon the land hav
ing made il; he gets possession Of il, and begins
tn improve it. Now, ask the gentleman from
Georgia if he supposes one in ten thousand
would arise where the individual would not take
out his patent? Why, he would do it to perfect
his title. Every man in the West knowa that the
first anxiety Of the settler is get good patent.
We all know that. He does not relv upon the
mere possession for the title, but lie wants his
patent before he is satisfied There is not man
in the Western country who does not know that. |
He is actuaied by the same motive to get his
patent which led him to make declaration of his
intention to become citizen. However, il linn
itation is desired |, for one, will make no objec-
ton to it.
Mr.. BERRIEN. | desire to say few words, !
for the purpose of noticing the want Of analogy
between this and the case Of presumption. |
This is n bounty--a donation. The party acquires
his possessory title simply by his Of declara-
ton of intention, that he may or may not ex-
ecute at his leisure retaining fJr an unlimited Pc
Rod of time the possessory title The senator
from Michigan tells us that there is objection
to this limitation of time, but practically it is OF
use, because the party will IN all cases seek
for his patent. 1t seems not to be understood. |
according to the idea of the senator from Michi-
gan, that possessory title is available title |
when that possion cannot be disturbed. do not
know whether this is misunderstood IN the west |
country, but suppose il is not. suppose
they are competent there to understand their
rights as elsewhere. But the argument is founded |
upon this fact; that heretofore persons who have
gone upon the public lands have been anxious to
perfect their titles by obtaining patent. No |
doubt persons who upon pubic lands, exercising
the right which was given to them by the pre-
emption law, did that, because they have paid
their money. 1t is privilege of purchase which |
is given under the presumption law. The accept
ing Of bounty under the provisions of this bill
and that which renders them anxious to perfect
their title as they have laid out their
money for it, by getting complete title granted
by patent would also be an evidence of their in
tention to carry into effect that declaration Of in
tention which they have made. If man goes
and exercises his right under the presumption law
and pays for the land on which he was at the time
of his declaration of intention, there is an evil
dence of the sincerely ofthat intention in the fact
of his having vested his money in the SOIL But
if you allow man TO go upon the soil upon
mere declaration, You leave HIM without limit as
to the time when that intention shall be carried in
to effect.
Mr. MASON called for the yeas and nays,
which were ordered.
MIR. SEWARD. shall vote against this amend
80 81 I
every senator would who might have taken the
trouble to go into the Western States, and see
how they are colonized. | shall refer to Wiscon-
sin for illustrations. | think it is now fourteen
years since the State of Wisconsin, or what is
now the State of Wisconsin, contaued a popula-
ton Of only about FIVE thousand souls, then or
gained as q territory, together with Iowa, under
the care of the honorable senator from Wisconsin
| Mr.. DoDGE] as It's governor. In the space of
fifteen years, Wisconsin has grown to be State,
numbering four hundred thousand people, which
is population nearly equal to one-seventh part of
the population of the greatest State in the Union.
Any person who has visited that region cannot
have failed to see that in all which goes to consti-
tute the elements OF political strength and wealth
of moral and political powers, it is worthy of be-
ing ranked among the most prosperous and happy
in the world.
Now, sir, think if census were taken SO as
to discriminate between those Of foreign birth and
those who are natives of the Unued States, there
would be found among the whole population of
Wisconsin one-half who by birth are foreigners
And yet think no community on earth shows
more of industry and thrift, and gives higher evil
dence of social improvement, and of republican
10 yaty and patriotism. IL is upon such observa-
tons as these that have adopted the conclusion,
that the welfare of this country required that the
if may call IL so, should be freely ex
tended to foreigners, and that the privilege should
be allowed to them, well as to own citizens,
to FIJI up the lands fthe West, and that the more
speedily they shall be so filed the better.
Mr.. BADGER. 1t is not the purpose of this
amendment to make that discrimination between
the inhabitants of THE country account of their
birth place That is not the object; it looks to no
such thing; it can be interpreted to mean no such
thing. The only purpose Of the amendment is to
conhne the bounty TO such as have become citizens
Of the UDed States without reference to the place
of. their birth They are all to stand upon an
equal footing the moment they consusnmate their
allegiance 10 this Government. That is the object
Of the amendment. 1t is not to make an invJdi-
Gus distinction between persons born upon the
soil and persons born elsewhere.
Mr. Under WOOD There are tu-o oec,;o,s