The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-05


ton from the Commissioned Of the General Land
Otlce, accompanied by the annual report Of the
Surveyors General of Illinois. and Missouri, and
Oregon, and not received IN time for the last an
nual report which latter WAS referred TO the Com
nnittee on Public Lands, and ordered TO be printed
Aiso, a communicated from the War Depart
ment containing the report OF the AdJutant &C.
neral with abstract of The returns of tho militia
OF the States and Territories, with the arms, &C
coutroments, and munitions from the latest
| turns. Referred TO the Committee Military AT
| fairs, and ordered 10 be printed.
Also, communication from the Secretary Of the
| Navy, containing a report from the commission
! appointed 10 test the merits of the various conden
sers for supplying the boilers Of marine engines
| with fresh water; which laid upon the table
| and ordered TO be printed. And from the same
Department, a communication in reply to the
| snloton of the Goth u!tiuo. containing report
from the Fourth Auditors Office, relative to claims
paid since March 1, 1919, which had been previ-
ousiy suspended disalowed. Laid upon the table,
| and ordered to be printed.
EXTENSION or A PATENT.
The bill TO extend for fourteen years to Moore
and Hescali their patent for a grain. cutting and
gathering machine was passed.
ENcouRA CEMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The bill upon the Speakers table 90 for the
courasemeut Of agriculture" introduced by Mr..
JOHNSON, OF Tennessee, was taken up. II pro-
poses that every man widow, no ia the head Of
family and a citizen OF the United States shall,
after tho passage OF the act, be entitled to enter
the same on certain conditions.
Mr.. HALL moved an amendment, so to make
the law apply to ''white'' citizens.
Mr.. JOHNSON, Of Tennessee. merely wished to
say that bill similar 10 this had been reported
| from the Committee on Agriculture, and had been
| referred TO the Committee OF the Whole on the
state OF the Union, and the first on the calen-
| dar. AS this was measure Of great importance,
and one in which much interest had been felt and
expressed throughout the countryside public
| mind being directed to the making of essential
changes In the present land system-he expressed
| the hope that general consent would be given to
TeIer the bill TO the Committee Of the w hole on the
| state of the Union, where the two bills could be
considered together, and that they be made the
special order Of the day for the first Tuesday in
March, and to continue as such until they shall
| have been disposed of.
This was agreed TO.
Various Senate bills were referred to the appro.
pirate committees
PUBLICATION OF THE LAWS.
The House then took up the bill to regulate the
publication Of the laws OF the United States and Of
| the public advertisements.
Mr.. SMART, who introduced this BILL explained
i,s provisions. X authorized, he said, the publica
ton Of the laws of the United States, and public
advertisements, in two papers having the largest
| circulation, in every Congressional district. II
| disconnected the newspaper press from the control
OF the Government, which, like all others, ia tend
ing towards centralism; and he wished to do what
he could, so to speak, to decentralize tho central
| power. The increase Of the expenses Of the Gene
| raj government Is enormous. Under the admins.
raiion Of j. q. Adams the yearly expenditures were
5 10, OO0,0 900, under that of this Wing Admnstra-
ton they almost S so 900 900. Look the city Of
New York; in the custom house there are a thou
| sand employees, receiving each thousand dollars
per annum on an average-a regiment OF men in the
| employ OF the Government In single city. The
| Administration selects two newspapers in each
State, sympatbizing with its own feelings, to pub
lish the laws Of the United States; while the whole
Democratic press Is excluded in every single in
/ Ef. ltcr hath
Louis Napoleon or any other man, wishes to sub
vert the liberties of the people. he seizes upon the
public press and monopoizes control over il; and
this done under of the first decrccs of Louis
Napoleon Having these examples before u.s.
should he admonished to restrict this great power
over tho public press. The money for advertising
| is now paid 70 twelve fifteen hundred persons,
who are thus pensioncd. Thi. Is dangerous TO the
public liberty, and tho time would come when this
would be fearful power in the hands of any Ad.
mnistra'ion, equally applicable to any party, whe
| Their Wing Democratic.
| Mr.. HARRlS, OF Tennessee said that he bad the
| honor to report back this bill, with recommends
ton that il do not pass; and that he should have
moved 20 lay 1t upon the table but for the fact that
/ the gentleman from Maine was not al the time in
his scat. Under tho present system the Secretary
of State selects two newspapers in each State for
tho publication Of the laws; but this bill proposed
90 select two newspapers in each Congressional dis
I triCt The expense now Ia $ IL 200 per annum for
publishing the la~s OF the United State,; but under
tins bill the expense would be $50 300 per annum
making difference Of Ss0.0OO yesr. lie could
/ not see that by The change proposed there would
/ be corresponding bcncht to any ono, except to
tic man who gets paid for printing the laws, for
when a persOn wants 20 know what the laws
! he consults the s,atute-books and not the news
papers
fcssional man; aud be asked him whether he had
not frequently been asked questions 20 the pro-
visions Of the Bounty Land law, printed in the
newspapers. lie thought that the gentlemaD, in
t,
ing the lave IN the newspapers, proved too much.
MIR. HARRIS repeated that he could ace no ma
tcrial benefit 10 any one by the publication pro-
poscd. The gentleman ia opposed TO the system OF
constellation; but under the present law the See
taiary q State sclccts two newspapers in each
State while the gentleman proposes that two
newspapers si.aN be selected in each Congressional
district
Mr. SMART remarked that the Secretary Of
State would have discretion in the preuises, bot
would have to give the advertising 10 the papers
having ibc largest circulation.
Mr.. HARRIS. Then the Secretary Of Slate will
have tho payment u S92, 200 per Snnum in place
Oi sl2,2 200. lie apprchonded no danger Of con
solidation from tie newspaper prcss; and moved
that tho b be laid upon tie table.
The yeas and nays Wcrc ordered, but the ques-
ton was no, nov taken.
BoUNTY LAsp Law.
The House went into Committee Of the Whole on
The state Of the Union, (Mr on. in the chair) and
resumed the confederation Of the senate bill making
land warrants sssignabie md for other purpose,
together ~ith the bill Of lie House explanatory Of
the ROuniy Land Law 81 September -, 1850
Mr.. CAMPBELL, of Illinois, advocated tho pro
visions Of the Senate bill, gave history Of both
bile, and advocated adequate compensation TO tho
land otiioers for tho performance Of their duties.
Mr. BRENTON spoke u the equity and justice
q properly recommending the land officers. and,
without concluding bis remarks, gave way for
motion that the cOnmitle rise; which prevailed.
And the House adjourned.
FEriTtoEs, ETC.
by Mr. SCUDDER The petition Of John Jen.
Kins and others, citizens OF Massachusetts, askisg
On appropria ton for the preservation of Woods
Hole Hsrbor. Referred TO the Committee on Com