Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-01
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES..
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 20. 1851.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1851.
The SPEAKER stated that the first business in order
the consideration Of the motion made by the gentleman from
Indiana CM JULIAS) to reconsider the hy which the
House referred the Committee of the Whole the
Of the Union the bill to encourage agriculture commerce,
manufactures and all other branches of industry by grant
ing every who is the head Of family and citizen Of
the United States homestead Of hundred and sixty
acres Of land out Of the public domain, upon condition Of
occupancy and cultivation of the for the period therein
specified.
Mr.. JULIAN, who was entitled to the floor, made brief
statement OF the various grants of land made the Govern
men from its formation to the present tna He said that
there yet remaining undisposed Of about fourteen mil
hons Of He declared himself in favor Of abandoning
the present land policy and of granting the public domain
in limited quantities to actual settlers, provided they would
occupy and improve it, He advocated this policy in the first
place. the broad ground of natural right In his opinion,
wrong for the Government to make merchandise Of the
earth. belonged originally to the people, and its free and
unbought occupancy belonged equally to ALL The right Of
life carried with il necessarily the right to the Of liv
Ing, and land Of these The right to nome
upon the soil Daural as nalsnabe the right to
beity life and Congress should recognise this principle
In dsposing Of the public lands
He in favor Of this policy ALSO because would pro-
mote the greatest agricultural wealth the country by giving
employment to our landsss laboers, multiplying intepe-
dent cultivators and giving dignity to labor He enlarged
upon this point and illustrated 1t by referring to slave labor
lie was in favor Of this policy because give sacred
ness to home Il extended the parental wing Of the Cow
eminent that greatest Of all institutions the family He
uWe upon tne nviOlaby OF the homestead and its
importance TO public and private virtue and individual and
ma onal prosperity.
In conclusion he referred the duty Of the Government
to protect the great agricultural interest the country by the
policy in question He spoke Of the public expepd ture for
other and less important obc and proceeded to show that
the public sods longer be source Of revenue and
that the true to raise from them would be 10
A promote heir settlement and Improvement This ALSO he
con'ended would give employment TO labor and in eyery
point Of view promote the prosperity and wealth Of the
country. -
Mr.. JOHNSON, Of Tennessee said tha, be had no dis
position TO detsn the House the present time being well
aware OF the condition Of the public business So far "A he
was concerned rather than that the public business should
impeded u was the pleasure Of the House to commenc ce
the c, OF committees for reports he was willing that this
question should be passed over informally If was not the
desire OF the House that the committees should be called he
would move that the House 90 COMMITTEES Of the Whole
/ the state Of the Union. -
4 DEFICIENCY BILL
4 On motion OF Mr. BURT the House then wen, into Cam
m',,se OF me whole on the Of the Union mr. MyApx
Of Virginia, IN the chs and resumed the eop.era,ion o
the bl to suPy dhcencss in the appropriations for the
4 vce OF the h.csl year ending June 30 1881
The CHAIRMAN stated that The gentleman from Pennsy.
ssna lMf sfnese) had yesterday submitted an amend
men % separate clsuse, TO 10 st the end of the bill
having In viev . modification Of the tariff The seule
man nom Tsnne.es MR. Josss) bad made hs point Of
der that The smendmsnt irrelevant and contrary The
rules of the hous hwss Necessary Cor the Chair dc
eide this point Of order be,e any further business could
, done By the committee.