The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-23
ncsr- 10 extend the influence and ediarev the

ncsrs. 10 extend the lnnuencc ann enldfgQ tile
powers Of the F, deral Government and they
deserve a recompcnse for the enterprise Which
they have eyinced and for the ben fits that will
he ref cted upon the Government by the extern
sion of its powers upon the Pacific coast The
benefit, that will recur to the Federal Govern
meat will more than rmpensate il for the dis
posal of every acre that may be Granted to emf
grants. The resources of Oregon are said to he
immense The lands are fertile; then why moi
give them To those who will cultivate them,
do not care IL the same provision is extended to
California. | should be very willing to have me-
chancs and agriculturists 70 to these countries,
and think il is well To hold out an inducement
for them to do so. The lumber trade of Oregon
would become Of Va Importance and il is ono
of the finest wheatgrowing countries in the
world Then, why not induce orr citizens to
go there, and compete with Chill and other
South American States in supplying the markets
of California We have enough OF surplus
population, who wouldSdo well to 20 there.
Whv not aid them in emigrating, or at least ex-
tend to the u sufficient inducements to 90! They
will not lose their citizenship by going. They
will continue to be Anieriaan ci liens, and
America should engage in any enterprise that
lakes them to that country. II should give them
every facility for emigrating for they will still
be citizens of the United States, and this gra-
tuity VIII not be conferred upon strangers. II
Will be aiding to develop The vast resources of
The country, and creating aew springs Of wealth,
of enterprise, and of commercial power. These,
sir are the objects you would be siding to ac-
co,nplsh.
am Gle rIv in favor of giving the bounty, and
would be willing to give even more than is now
proposed and to convince hon. gentlemen that
/ al 10 thor, 10 9TH
portions of the Union in the distribution of the
pnbIic lands, lwould give section to any indus
trious family that wond emigrate to these onds.
woJld aid IN building ~ the population Of the
South MS well rs thr North. J have no preu-
dice ar last either the North or the South: and
it gentlemen will bring in Il making prov-
sion for giving 800 or 6I0 acres to every indus
trious family that viii cniigrata to the vacant
lands Of FIorid,, viii cheerfulv vote for such
measure | ain sure this would not he making
fish of one ant flesh of another ! viii willingly
extend the policy wherever and whenever there
is an opportunity of redcingsthe lands within
the jurisdiction Of the United States TO state
Of cultivation and will always support that
policy rs long rs occupy seat upon this floor,
or while we have an almost boundless extent of
uaculIha.e,l, unreclaimed and unnhabited do,
main.
Mr.. YUIEE demanded the yeas and nays;
which Were ordered.
Mr.. WALKER. Is not that section before
stricken out susceptible of amendment
The PRESIDENT Certainly.
Mr. WALKER. Then, wish to Offer an
ameld ncnt to come at the close of it. as a second
Wilmot Proyiso. will read it,
The Reporter could not obtain copy Of this
amendment Its object, however, was home
stead eXcmp tion
shall ask, beiore the vote is taken upon that,
the yeas and nays; and Propose to oifara very
few observations upon it. i he discussion which
we have just heard, strikes me as somewhat pc
cu r. 1t is an argument and II discussion which
certainly applies m re to the present moment
than legislation ought to be applied, or argu.
lncnts in favor Of legislation Now, sir, if we
take the b;lrthea of lis argument ms indicative
or the wis es OF senators, it IS not that their
wishes are directed TO the future welfare OF the
country, but to the present moment me ely. aud
10 the present intcrest--the selfish interests-of
those who exist 1T the present day. Their minds
seem not to be directed TO the future welfare OF
Orrgon or the United States The argument is
that this grant of donation is too SIN II. ] sy
TO those gentlemen that the time will come when
people will 90 to Oregon with ut bounties: and
when they 90 therc--mark my words--they
will not thank those senators for having given
this land in whole sectionsto those who happened
TO go there before them. Then they will seek land
for themscl es, and they will look bick upon
this Legislation with dsapprobation. Sir, if you
rc going to legislate in favor of the perma-
Jcnt interest of the whole country, do not adopt
the policy Of granting these Lands in large
lunnlies to individuals. Let the quantity be as
SIN III MS the ultimate interests of that country,
~
comes heavy and dense tie land of the country
IN ~ b.. literally distributed as its then present
now future, interests require Gentlemen seem
to lie vicing with each other who shall make the
biggest proposition with regard to this matter.
Why, sir, they arc aiming their mighty energies
In Il direction That seems to me to be unavailing
to them in one point OF view, If their object is
to make the biggest bids over one anothcr--
They are bidding for \ section ofcountrv where
there are no voteg. One of the senators has
spoken of tliis--that they have got no votes.
! heard Of politician once IN the State of H.
linois, who took on n friend, who happened
to be from the Emerald Isle, to show him
steam dredging machine that had been invent
ed by a friend, TO plough through the low
prlires of Illinois, AMI dig their canal He
saw il operating how it scoored up The earth
in carts, and deposited it in the right place
He looked at it, and then said, " 1t DIES operate
admirably; it scoops up the earth beau fullv;
and does the work of forty lrishmen; but the
thing cat't vote" Faith" says the operator,
as no tapped him on the shoulder, shat is true,
md ! would not give one lrlsunan for twenty
dredging machines"
Let It's look to what they will be hereafter,
when the necessities of The community the ne
cesSiics Of the settler, demand what they now
al. a.. At n.