New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-06


fling consequence, and at best but alb
stractly and distantly related to popular
wants or the public welfare. If he
Judged by the respect paid to it by the
House itself, he could not suppose 1t other
than proposal for scientific exploration
of the Mountains of the Moon or for the
establishment of National Bureau of En-
tomology. Very few of the Members who
pretend to speak upon it ever allude to it,
Init each devotes his hour to the duty far
more interesting Ito himself) of defining his
position, putting his favorite Presidential
aspirant, discussing the doings of the late
Wing Congressional Caucus or rowing up
Gen. Scott for not writing electioneering
letters. What must be that sage's aston
ishment when informed that the bill thus
slurred over by the Honorables who pre-
tend to discuss it is one proposing to allow
every landless person in the Union to
choose for himself piece Of wild land from
our almost lmitless Incorporated Public
Domain, and to make himself Home
thereon, where he may henceforth dwell
securely under his own roof without fear
of being again an outcast and wanderer I!
Must not our visiter imbibe high estimate
of the good nature of the People who per-
NIT their chosen servants thus TO trlfle with
their dearest interests, their most precious
rights
HOMES FOR ALL .-beneicNt, inspiring
idea. Every bird, every least, has
home, which he inhabits and enjoys with
out apprehension of ejectmeni or depriva-
ton, at least by his own species. Man
alone erects houses fer Others to inhabit
and gathers products for Others to appro-
pirate and enjoy. And is not the time at
hand when every free citizen d this proud
Republic shall have his own home if he
will! We have land enough which no
man yet claims, yet which spectators are
constantly grasping by thousands of acres !;
Why not set it apart for allotment, in limit
ed areas, to our ever increasing Millions
who own no Homes! What other use
could contribute half so much as this to the
growth and greatness of our whole Coun-
try?
We know it is said that the Cid States
have rights of property in the Public Do
main-that the Nation has just claim to
Revenue therefrOm-and that our older
States would continue to overflow with
handles. people in spite of Free Lands at
the West. We admit-nay, insist on
the Rights of the Old States; bat we con-
tend that the policy which will fill the
New States soonest with a compactly
settled and industrious Yeomanry is that
which best accords with the interests of
the Old Thirteen. 1t will crowd our work.
shops with orders, our Canals and Rail-
roads with freight, while draining off our
redundant thousands and providing our
more adventurous sons and daughters with
unfailing homes. 1t will enable US to ap-
peal forcibly to the settlers of the New
States for Protection to the exposed Indus
trv of their Atlantic brethren by whom
they have been dealt with generously. 1t
will be a recognition of the mutually of
interest between the East and the West
which cannot fail of its reward.
As to the National Revenue, the Public
Lands now supply about a t,centieh part
of it, leaving the residue to be raised almost
wholly by Duties on Imports. Even with
out change of the Tariff, Half a Million
new cabins on the prairies or in the forests
of the West would contribute vastly more
to the Revenue than all that is now derived
from sales of Public Lands. The Treasury
can make more by giving the Lands away
in limited allotments than by selling them
in unlimited quantities at ten shillings per
acre, and this fact alone ought to ensure the
passage Vi VIC 11OIiltSltuu Dill'
That there would be landless people In
the Old Statesin spite of Free Lands, we
know; just as there are probably some
topers left in Maine Notwithstanding the
inhibition of the Liquor Traffic. But let
it be known that all the Public Lands are
open to settlement without charge, while
the cost in time and money of transporta-
ton Westward is constantly decreasing,
and there would very soon be current of
emigration from the cities and older States
to the Free Lands which could not fail to
stifien wages and diminish the dispropor-
all over the Atlantic slope. Every thou