New-York daily tribune., 1854-07-19
TIE HOMESTEAD BILL.


Senate, can surprise 10 one Aside from the ig-
norence Lot merely of popular impulses but OF poPa-
lar rights in or into which majority of its members
have been trained it is perfectly wei understood that
the slave breeding States cherish special aad in
tense hatred of this measure, aud require the ffes
ident if needful to veto it, which he will feel con-
strained to DO As. therefore, the measure mas ior
weeks had no chance TO become law at this session.
We have felt little interest in the progress OF the de-
bate concerning it. Had that debate contemplated
the real merits AMI fundamental principles OF the
/ bill we should have eagerly followed and dwelt on
IT, regardless Of its inevitable termination But from
/ the beginning of the discussion in the Senate, we
/ have heard scarcely one manly assertion OF THE
/ RIGHT OF MAN TO CULTIVATE THE EARTH AND En-
JOY THE FRUITS OF HIS LABOR, provided he does
not thereby encroach upon the natural or acquired
rights Of others All has proceeded the quiet as
sumption that the Government is asked TO gire the
Nition's property to class; while the idea of land
less man having any right to work, save as the more
fortunate shall see fit to employ and subsist him. Is
treated as unworthy of consideration. Meantime,
petty personal wraDglngs discussions Of the policy
of permitting aliens 70 share equally with citizens in
the advantages prOfered to settlers by the BILL and
other Incidental if lot trivial controversies. have en-
crossed the time of the Senate nomnay given to the
consideration of the Homestead bill. Who can even
affect an interest in such squabbles
The bill as DOW before the Senate, is poor affair
at best 1t ought to consist mainly of three sections,
as follows:
l. No Public Lands of the United States shall hence
forth be sold except as hereinafter provided at lower
price than FIVE dollars per acre; and shall hence
forth be allowed to buy hold greater area thereof
| thon three hundred and twenty acres.
H. ANY citizen Of the United States, or resident who
shall have recorded his intention TO become citizen and
abu1ed all allegiance TO any foreign power, may a any
time enter and Of right any legal subdivision OF
forty acres for his and occupancy home and
an equal in the and for account of bis wife
wife he have; and any already in possession OF forty
acres as single person may odd thereto in the of
his wife another forty in right and the homestead
of his wife, upon bis legal marriage thereafter if within
seven years from the date of his claim.
Ill The residue Of the quarter section 'one hundred
and sixty acres which claim shall have been made
as aforesaid shall be reserved for years from the
date of such claim in order that the forty acres only
so much be originally TAKEN shall therefrom, be duPlca-
ted in case Of marriage and in order further that the
eighty acres remaining may be acquired by the claimant
as aforesaid upon the payment within these seven years
of dollar and quarter per acre. with ega interest from
the date of his claim. If not acquired and paid for
within the seven years it shall be open purchase by
others or TO claim and settlement by any landess citizen
or emigrant as aforesaid.
We concede the facility Of acquiring one hundred
and sixty in Difference TO the inveterae popular
greed for land, though conviction is strong
that eighty acres to each family would be every way
preferable No man ever cultivates one hundred and
sixty acres except by the labor OF others; few men
can cultivate even forty acres thoroughly except by
the aid of hired or stolen labor; and the end OF a,
Homestead bill should be the enabling and encour-
aging of each man to work for himself. We do not
Grpct the advantages in the use of machinery, &c.
which are attained through the employment OF many
hands together; but TO this end let several farmers
/ combine their labor aud means to any extent which
their Judgment or experience shall dictate To have
every man who chooses to be- farmer, and every
farmer q freehOlder is the true object of Home
stead bill. And, under the Conditions above sug-
pested every qualified TO more than forty or
eighty acres would obtain more, and pay Tor II;
while those whose highest aim is to live would have
all the land they could but little or none TO SELL
There are always some choice locations which, be-
cause of their timber minerals, location har
Dor, head Of navg cation, or water power will naturally
become centers of commercial manufacturing
activity, and come in time 10 be sold by the lot or
foot. These would be bought at - or per acre
under such bill as we have proposed and, indeed,
might be specially reserved with view to such use.
Such lands are legitimate subjects of bargain and
sale; not those which fitted by Nature for the
homes of an industrious and virtuOus yeomanry The
man who plunges into the wilderness, clears off
spot of ground puts uphis cabin puts in crop, and
so continues battling with the forest the stubborn
earth the destroying wild beasts aud insects until he
has wrenched from the good farm with comfort
able buildings on it, has fairly earned all he has with
out being required to pay for it. Nay: he better
deserves pension public beneiactor than two
thirds of thofe who now obtain pensions soldiers
in this or that war.
The social, moral and intellectual benefits of such
change as we suggest would be infinite. Our settlers
now crowded apart and dispersed by the greed of
land speculation, would take u2 whole townships in
body and be able to have regular schools churches
mills, &c, at whereas they often COM
PEELED TO wait years for them Thousands of of
prairie forest owned by nonresidents interpose be-
tween neghborng settlements preventing any effect
i've cooperation in educational social OF moral effort
Our pioneers are scattered worse than the builders of
Babel and when they ultimately dig out of the
woods, generation has often grown up in ignorance
! OF even the rudments of intellectual culture We
only obyiae this by discouragng land speculation
and restricting ii to the thographic villages and
bryo cities which it may exercise the rights of
parent if not q creator.
But then the Revenue - says cautious conser-
yative you don't mean to make us pay for surveys,