Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-01
TUESDAY, JANUARY %, 1851.

The SPEAKER stated that the regular order Of business
was the call Of committees for reports The first business in
order the consideration of the bill to encourage agrcul
ture commerce. manufactures and all other branches Of
dustry by granting every who is the head of family
and citizen Of the United States homestead Of hun
dred and sixty of land Of the public domain upon
condition Of occupancy and cultivation Of the for the
riod therein specified reported by the gentleman from Ten
nessee, (Mr JoHssoS,) from the Committee Agriculture
the pending question being motion TO refer the bill to the
Committee Of ,hS Whole On the state Of the Union
Mr.. BROWNs Of Mississippi, who entitled to the
floor on this subject notice that be intended at the pro-
per tme to substitute for the bill under consideration,
which be proceeded explain He stated that the first sec
ton Of the proposed substitute contemplated continuation OF
the present PreemPson laws, which had been IN existence
long series of years. and we'll understood BY those nte-
rested in the administration Of the laws relating TO the public
lands and by the whole country The SECOND clause Provd
ed that the preempon right should be perpetual to enable
the settler pay for the land He did not propose to give
the land absolutely and his for doing this was to pro-
the individual from sposng Of the land 10 cancel debts
which he might improvdenty by misfortune
traced He did to be any part Of the duty Of
this Government 10 provide homes to persons that they might
sell them TO pay debts extavagany unfortunately incur
red His design place the individual in possession Of
home and him in that possession against his
mprovdence misfortune He desired TO see in
possession Of place that he could call his own, where he
might live in comfort and gather around him the comforts Of
the world for his family What the land worth in state
of In its wild and unculvated condition, it was
worth nothing the Government but absolutely in
cumbance to the Safe in which it was situated He pro-
posed to place upon occupant who by industry and labor
might improve and make it Of value 20 the Govern
ment and Of value to HIMSELF while at the time
would tend increase the and wealth of the
ton. He thought reasonable could object to this
for be proposed give nothing away but to allow the
pant to retain possession OF the land until BY industry be
could pay for it, The Government would lose nothing but
the Interest," which would be amply compensated for by the
labor bestowed upon the land The existing preempton
laws provided that should occupy land for year.
and il the end Of that time be could pay for it, was
exposed entry sny who would give IS per acre
for it. The effect Of this law in bis opinion had been more
detrimental than advantageous 70 the settler for he coud
not in the short period Of year. realize sufficient from his
labor to enable him 10 pay for his land " g..
Mr. VlNTON moved to lay the bill on the table which
motion was decided in the negative, as follows
YEAS--Messrs, Ashe, Ayeret, Bayly, Bocock, Bokee,
Booth, Bowie, Beyd, Breek Burt, George A. Caldwell,
p CALDWELL Carter Casey, Clarke, Cingman Colcock,
Daniel, Deberry, Nnmisk, Dixon, Duncan, Edmundson,
Alexander Evans, Freedey, Fuller Gerry Goodenow Grim