The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-09
Sir Samuel ROmilly, late Solicitor General.
CONGRESS-.
MIR. BENTON on THE FINANCES-MR. WEB
srER AND THE AUSTRIAN MINISTER.
In SENATE, DEceMBRR 80, 1850.

In SENATE, DECEMBER 80, 1850.
Mr. Douglas presented the memorial of Johr
Wise of Pennsylvania, asking an appropriation
certain experiments with an immense balloon
which he purposes bringing to Washington. lie
wishes TO show how easily such an fundamentally
can be used for the destruction Of forts and
armies and for travel to any part of the earth
Mr.. Douglas seemed in doubt as to what Com
mittee to move its reference. The Territorial
Committee would not do, as that had respect to
things belonging to terra flma. He suggested the
Committee on Roads and Canals, but Mr.. Bright
declared that Committee had nothing to do with
the navigation of the air. and suggested that the
Committee on Foreign Relations would be the
appropriate one Mr.. Mangum protested against
this and at last the memorial was referred to the
Committee on Naval Affairs.
MIR Benton obtained leave TO introduce the fol-
lowing bill, which was referred to the Committee
on Public Lands.
Bill accelerate the sale OF the public lands and
pay the public debt to ex,in2uis the Federal title
to lands within the Stairs, secure homes to
lands to the states Ia which they lie.
Be il enacted &C., That all the public lands
which shall have been offered at private sale, and
shall remain unsold on the 30th day Of June,
1851 shall thereafter be offered at one dollar per
acre until the 30th day of June, 1853 and there
after all remaining uusold at that price shall be
offered at seventy-fve cents per acre until the
3Oth day Of June, 1885, and thereafter all re-
naming then unsold shall be offered fifty cents
per acre until the 30th day Of June, 1857 and
thereafter all such land still remaining unsold
shall be offered at twenty-five cents per acre un-
til the 30th day of June, 1859.
SIC 2. Aad be Il furthr enneted, That every
head Of family widow, or single man over the
age of eighteen years who shall on the 30th day
of June. 1851, be an actual settler on any Of the
public lands then offered for sale Mt one dollar per
acre shall be entitled to donation Of forty acres
10 include his or her settlement, and to preGmp-
tive right TO a quantity not exceeding one hundred
and twenty acres, adjacent or contiguous to the
donation, at seventy.five cents per acre, but not
TO include any other actual settler; and thirty
DAYS shall be allowed such actual settler to enter
his or her donation, and to purchase his or her
pre6mption And every such person 70 settled
on the 30th day Of juno, 1853, on public land
then offered at seventy FIVE cents per acre shall In
like manner be entitled To like donation, and to
a like presumption at fifty cents per acre. And
every such person 80 settled on the 3Oth day Of
June. 1855. shall be entitled TO like donation,
and to like presumption mt twenty-five cents per
acre And every such person 80 settled on the
30th day Of june 1857, shall be entitled to like
donation and TO like presumption at five cents
Der acre And where two or more persons shall
be tiled on contiguous forty-acre tracts, then
the prcsmptive right of each may he satisfied ont
of the nearest vacant land and all questions be-
tween actual settlers shall be decided immediate
ly and equitably by the register and receiver
SIC 3. And be Il {nyfter en0rfed That all persons
owning lands to which the public lands offered at
graduated prices Ia the FIRST section Of this bill
by AN actual settler within the respective thirty
days limited for bis prt6mptive right, such per-
son shall be entitled, for thirty days after the
piraton Of such settlement preemptive right, to
purchase the same, TO the extent Of one hundred
and sixty acres ut the price fixed In the said first
section Of this act and II said public land should
adjoin two OF more owners, each Of which should
apply for the same, then the adjacent land shall
be equally divided between them, and the guam
tity Of one hundred and sixty acres made up to
each, IL required, out Of any contiguous public
land, free from a settlement preSmptive right
SIC T. Axd be II (urth,r enaoied, That In all cases
in which the public lands In any State shall have
been, or may hereafter be, reduced TO less than
three millions of acres the same shall be granted
10 the State In which II lies; and all the public
lands which shall have been offered at the gvsda-
stsd prices established In the first section OF this
bill, snd which shall remain unsold on the 30th
day Of June, 1859, shall be osded TO the State 10
which they lie