New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-01-24
Dir. Webster for Land Reform (.

We do not often record an incident with more
lively pleasure thhn We experience IN chonlclns
he accession Of DAxIrL WEBSTER 10 the ranks Of
,he Land Reiormers. Mr Websters resolution,
submitted to the Senate on Tuesday, is as follows
Resoted That provision ought to be- made by law the
every male citizen Of the United States aud every male per
who had declared he intention of becoming cuHcn
according the provisions Of sw of twenty years ui
upwards shall be entitled upon. and take any
quarter section the public lands whci be open Q,
private sale for the purposes OF residence ana cur
fyanon and thai when such cizen shall have resided
the land for three years and cultivated The same or ~
dying the meantime, residence and cultivation shull lt
held aud carried by his widow his heirs or devsce
for the space fun three years from and amer making
such land such residence and cultivation Tor me d
I,ee venrs 10 he CONNECTED within four years from
une such entry then patent for the same To the
person making such entry living or oiherw re To hs hei
or A. the case may REQUIRE P5oridcd thSss
Thai such person entering aud taking The quarter sec
ton Aforesaid shal not have nor shall ms de'sees or
have power to ALLEVIATE such land nor create H
nile thereto M law equity ty deed transfer lease q"
any other convey Hnce, except By devise by VIII
This resolution does not entirely accord with our
own idea of what true Land Reform bill should
be, but it is nearly good as any proposition yet
submitted to Congress Two vital elements of thu
RIGHT measure are here Free Land to those VIII
need and provision against aggregation or mono.
poly as a consequence OF such freedom. We be
heve the RIGHT bill will coniinc the freq grants O.
| Public and TO those who are otherwise landIess-
will enable them to ALLEVIATE, but only 10 the land
] lcss-wili prohibit Purchases on speculation or bc
| yond reasonable limit except at high prices Oui
own plan would bc, already set forth, subsian
italy tins 1. Secure to every person who had no
| and right to settle upon any unoccupied quarter
section of Public Lands and improve the same Tor
| FIVE years > Upon due proof OF such settlement
and FIVE years improvement, give him or her n
free right to occupy in perpc,ui,y any designated
forty oi said quarter section, or Il Me mar
rcd head Of family. give iorty acres each g.
| the settler and has wife Let him buy the
balance Of the quarter section nj any timo within
five years further as the presett minimum price o'
ten York shilings per acre. I. The land 50 bought
% be held IN tee simPleas now, but that which was
obtained without payment to be shsnsble only 10 a
| person who would have Including this not more
| than quarter section OF and S ANY person who
should purchase Public Land Tor other than his ow "a
| use and improvement or who should purchase So as
to make him the owner in all OF more than 3go
| acres % pay i've dollars per acre. such are the
rude outlines OF system which would. pa our judo
meut. secure free ACCESS t. the public lands 10 Oil
who needed them not merely Tor the present bu'
| for ages T. come discourage and cripple l. and Sps
| culation and yet secure TO the Government rev
enue ircm those Lands adequate 10 the cyst OF eN
tinsuishinc the Indian title. surveying. recouiing
and disposne Of them We believe these TO De
fair and lust charges apon the lands bat not to De
| urged in such manner IS 10 prevent the poorest
from settling and living unmolesGed thereon. We
believe the above plan the only enc yet offered
which combines the three cardinal features OF Free
Land To the Landess. impeachment u Land Nono
pny, and Reimbursement TO the Treasury OF the
money drawn from it ON socount OF the Pabic Do
main
However the question ct details must wait IS
tora- For the present We VIII bet reiserate the
expression OF our gratitude to Mr.. WEBSTER IN
his timely and powerful interpretation on the side Of
| and Reform