Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-05-19
The Homestead Bill.

After having been discussed in the lower House
of Congress, and used as pretext for all kinds Of
irrelevant specialization for many months, this
bill was passsd by that BODY on "Wednesday last.
The majority in its favor was unusually large
there being l07 ayes to So noes, while, however,
serenity members were absent, or, being present,
failed to vote. OF the Virginia representatives,
Messrs, THOMPSON and McMULLEN only, voted
in the Affirmative, and Mr.. MEADE was absent.
The bill provides that any head of family who
is citizen of the United St,,es, or resident of
the country who shall declare his intention to be-
come citizen, shall be entitled, free of cost, to
one hundred and sixty acres of Government land,
on condition of occupancy for five years. 1t en-
cudes from It's benefits parties already in the pos
session of land, or who may sell land with an in
tention to obtain free grant; and land acquired
under its regulations shall not be held liable for
debts contracted prior to the issuance of the patent
No measure probably, has ever passed Congress
fraught Awith more dangerous consequences than
this bill. Besides the injury it inflicts upon the
old States, as one of series of measures for de-
priving them of all share in the public lands, and
by its tending to drain of their population its agra
ran character is most Objectionable, if not alarm
ing. The public lands belong to the whole peo-
pie, but Congress undertakes by this act to give
them away to certain individuals, and to the eX-
tent of the Donation dispoils others Of their right
ful portion. The argument in favor of the meas
ure, derived from the needy circumstances Of tie
proposed benefciaries is the only plausible OF pop
ular one that can be adduced, and may hereafter
be urged with as much force in behalf of some
scheme for taking away the private lands of far
mers with view to an equal distribution Of prop
erty among the community. The whole affair is
the legitimate offspring Of prolific and pesferous
denagogueism which infests the country.
The National htelligencer referring to the. pas
sage of the bill says, 'In time of danger to the Re
public heretofore, we have called to the people to
Look to the Senate!' A crisis which is to de-
termine the fate of the Republic-we do not mean
immediately, of course, but consequentially-is
presented by the passage by the House of Repre-
sentatives of this bill to strip the nation of the do
UldlH WHlCu ID tilG UuSS vi lto Clcult
and that passage accomplished by turning its back
on all the legitimate aud important measures for
the public good, which it has,as if Systematically,
neglected for the previous six months of the ses-
sion. The crisis appeals to the Senate with
greater solemnity than any that has ever hereto
fore arisen in the history of this Government. For
who does not see that this bill is but the entering
wedge to further and total dispossesson ofthe pub
lie domain And who does not see that-the pub
lie domain once exhausted by these gratuitous do
natons-the next thing in order will be the distri
button of the landed property ofland owners among
those who own none,o not enough to satisfy them,
with all the conceits and consequences which fol-
low in the train of such agrarian measures? Those
gentlemen who support this measure, we are sat
isfied, fear no such consequences. But ne who has
no latent apprehension of them must have read the
history of the Republics of old with other eyes
than ours, and in sense entirely different from
that in which they We're understood by their an
cestors, who in framing the Government of this
Republic adapted its partsand restricted its grants
of power, with determined purpose to guard it
from the errors and coruptions which led to their
downfall"