New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-07
THE HOMESTEAD AUTHORIZATIONS STATED
AND C0NSIDRRED

Ink Hun DiLI-ufS htllVNo clAl0O
AND CONSIDERED
The National In.eiligencer is perhaps
the abest and strongest opponent OF the bill
now before the House of Representatives
proposing to permit any citizen Of the
United States Tor immigrant who shall
have declared his intention to become such)
to settle and improve any previously I'M
claimed quarter-section of the Public
Lands free of charge. As we are anxious
that our readers should have the whole
case before them, we copy from that Jour-
nal the following letter. setting forth what
the Richmond Wing pronounces "a host
of unanswerable arguments against this
inequitous measure VIZ:
CUMBERLAND Monday, April 26. ls52
GENTLEMEN: Having read your article OF ihursday
last upon the proposition for grafutous dstrouton Vi
the Public Lands permit 10 submit few hasty sug-
gestions in addition TO those presented IN thar article
In the first place beg leave 10 ask gentlemen whs'
will be the effect Of offering fourteen hundred mnons
of acres of Public Land gratis the cdae Of the ands o.
their constituents throughout the Uuion and especially IN
the new Staesl Is not land ITSELF Ike i.s products and
all other articles in the market governed as TO prce oy
the same general laws of trader What would De the
eec, then on the price of grain ii the United States
were to offer fourteen hundred millions OF bushels oil
wheat gratis distributed the public lands throughout
the Western States are proposed to bel Would NOT
utterly destroy the value OF grain at the points OF dstr
button and depress it in all the Stses more or less Ia
proportion to their proximity to these points VIII all
the rest Of the people Of the United States be willing 10
have their land degraded in value for the oenent
seem very generous toward one class would nor De
very unjust other and numerous classes OF PEG
pei Would it be just thus to destroy the value oil the
lands of all those who have purchased and paid Tor mil
lions Of of the public lands by Offering the contsu
Gus tracts Of equal value for nothing Would DC ust
to destroy by these means the saeable value OF the
thousands of warrants recently given to the warworn
soldiers and their widows from which they expected to
derive some aid in their old age For who would pur
chase these warrants when good land 10 offered for
nothing
If YOU give away the public lands, what becomes Of
yeur revenues Who will buy what 10 offered for moth
ingi A distinguished Representative from Pennsyl
vania contends that by giving away one section 70 SET
tiers you enhance the value Of the adjoining section
and thus enrich the treasury How can this be, when
the adjoining section is offered by the same law gratu
tousyl Must ii not be weak cause that compels an
intelligent gentleman to resort to such paipaoie alb
surdity for an argument in its favori
But let ask, what right has Congress 10 take from
Pennsylvania, dor exsmple) one hundred and forty
millions of acres, worth as many dollars her d,ssriou
tive share of the public lands, and give away Leaving
her with debt OF forty millions, and the value OF all
her land greatly reduced by the operation Of this acti
But this act would not only degrade the value OF land
in the old States. II would take from them most OF
their young and vigorous population tempted by this
bride TO abandon their present homes for the Western
wlds, where they are now going quite fast enough,
leaving the old States the old people, with the old lands
burdened with old debts and heavy taxes TO die or live
as they may How can the Representatives from the
old States vote for such measured What right have
they give away these lands in violation OF the plain
terms Of the original grant made by Virginia and other
States the United States In trust by which, after the
payment Of the Revolutionary debt the lands were
to be equally divided among all the States including
the States making the grant, Can these vested rights
be thus consttutionaly vioatedf Have not all these
States equal rights in these and all the other public lands
since acquired by the common blood and treasure Of all
But will not the rors people In the Old World be thus
attracted by these lands What does the restriction
to- when they settle on these lands and be
come naiurazed citizens within the time required to
secure a PATENT Gentlemen seem TO think this
popular measure but when its demoraizng effects are
the thousands who have bought land from the Govern
tiop find suddenly In value by this measure
find these warrants rendered worthless when the
people of the old States find themselves robbed Of their
share of the public lands, robbed of their population
and of their money and left with their debts and bur-
dens increased and their ands reduced in value there
will be day of reckoning.
Regardirg this az a very important measure, have
ventured these hasy suggestions a. mere hints to be I'm
proved by others. Yours, very respectfully, s.