Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-04-16
Speech Of MIR. Adams, Of Mississippi, on the
Homestead Bill.
Delivered in the Senate of the United States,
February "a, 1853.

The Senate having under consideration the bill |
in relation to the Pacific Railroad-Mr. ADAMS
said
Mr.. PRESIDENT The amendment under con-
slderatlon, proposing, it does, a disposition of
the public lands, shall avail myself of the liber
ty 1t affords to give my views the various propo
sltions pending before the Senate, for the dispo-
sltion of the public domain. shall first consider
the bill which has acquired the title, by common
consent of the Homestead bill;' term which
gives it popularity throughout the land that no
other could confer Perhaps there is no NAME
save that of wife, children, or friends that is hal
lowed by many endearing associations as that of
the family homestead 1t forms common plat
form on which the affections of all-the rich and
the poor, the old and the young, meet as upon
level Every Senator in this chamber, yielding to
the impulses of his own heart will testify to the
truth OF the poets declaration, that
"There is no place like home"
Every cotager's heart in this broad land beats re-
sponsively to its TRUTH and as we all take delight
in comforting benefits upon the necessitous | feel
confident that every Senator on this floor is dis
posed to vote for the bill when it shall be taken
up, or for some proposition that will embody sub
stantiay the great object sought to be attained by
1t, if he do consistently with his duty to the
Constitution and the country
propose, sir, to enter upon a brief examna-
ton of our powers over the public domain, and
our duty upon the important question of its prop
er disposition. | assume the position postu
late, that the public lands have been acquired by
the common blood and treasure of all the States of
the Union-that the citizens of each State have
common interest in the fund, and that Congress is
the trustee, charged with the duty of dsposing of
the lands in such manner shall best promote the
interest of all, without doing injustice to any
The power of Congress over the public domain
differs materially from its power money in the
Treasury. If the best interests of the ceStui gue
trust will be promoted by it, it is not only the
right of Congress, but it is its duty to give the
lands away. But we have not the power to col
lect money in the form of taxes to give away, for
the conclusive reason that the Constitution has
not conferred the taxing power for any such pur-
pose, and we cannot appropriate money when col
lected and in the Treasury for any other object
than that for which we were authorized to collect
it. With this view of the power and duty of Con-
gress over the subject, l proceed to consider the
merits of the bill. The object sought to be at
tanned by the bill is, that every head of family
shall have and enjoy one hundred and sixty acres
of the public land upon his or her making the ap-
Ipllcatlon in due form, taking oath that he or
she is the head of family, and not the owner of
any estate in lands, and with the additional re-
qurement that the applicant shall occupy and Gull
Itivate the same for FIVE consecutive years-that
after all these requisites shall have been complied
with, patent shall issue. These are the leading
features of the bill.
Mr. President, l am by no means certain that
it would not be money making operation, having
in view It's effects on imposts to give to actual set
tiers the public lands in preference to the present
mode of selling them at s. 25 per acre. Bear
in mind that the Government has adopted the
principle of raising revenue for its support almost
Low 1v d,,tio IL
me to the dwelling of the poor man, who feel:
that he is but tenant at will either of the Gov.
: eminent or of wealthy speculator. Observe
that man toillng for years upon rented farm; he
pays one-third of the proceeds of his labor to hi
landlord, and nine years out Of ten he secures blu
: a scanty subsistence for his family. His improve
ments repairs, and cultivation of the SOIL are car
ried on from year to year to meet present wants.
> Not knowing what day may bring forth, his la
bors look not to the future for their frution But
sir let some fortunate turn in his affairs occur, 81
that he is enabled to secure freehold in his owl
right, and you will see him work with new ener
Icy. His improvements are made with view t
permanence, knowing that he, and those who ar
most dear to him, will reap the benefits of his la
bors in years to come. His farm is enlarged, hi
property improves, he begins to count the year
e when his orchard will yield its various fruits hi
d garden blooms, his children are educated he ha
: artificial wants which he knew not before, he
. able to purchase and pay for imported goods, an
:. by these means the receipts in your Treasury ar
= swelled far beyond his contribution of two hundre
dollars for his one hundred and sixty acres of land
IS which when once paid he never pays again.
As many of the Senators from the older State
are not personally acquainted with the character
of those who are intended to be the benefciarie
of this bill, and with the prvations they are con
PEELED to endure, shall be pardoned for advertin
r briefly to them In the first place, your lands al
absolutely worthless in the wilderness, until til
ii pioneer prepares the way for others. By his Ell
q, terprise and labor he makes the settlement attra
y tive, and your contiguous lands valuable. Th
n fact itself entities him to the favorable consider;
ton Of his Government. But when you add
g this, that our complex yet model Government
II maintained and supported by the confidence an
s. affection of the people, we see that it is the hg
est duty of the Government no less than its trt
policy, to afford every facility for its citizens to
come freeholders, because by having an interest
the soil, you increase their interest in the Cover
= ment.
u / have witnessed scenes at land sales that co
he WINGED of the love of the settler to bis hous
n have seen men attend such sales who had e
Of countered all the tolls, hafdships, and prvatio
~ of a frontier life; who knowing the Governme
,ot price, had managed by pinching economy to sa
,le barely enough to pay for the quarter section
he which they had erected their humble hut, clear
and fenced small field. If the speculator shou
bid one dollar above the Government price, tn
3, homestead was swept away, and their wives a
children left without shelter to protect them FRI
the pelting storm. have witnessed the settler
the erier nrocppdinr IN numerical order