The true Democrat., 1854-05-09
Letter From Hon. R. w. Johnson.
Washinqton. April 2Oth. 1854.


 citizen in the State who is interested, and save every one who can be saved by 1t.
 The existing pre-emption law is so stringent, and as I conceive illberal, as to require that in every instance where citizen shall settle upon public land, he shall file in the proper land of flee notice of his intention, within THIRTY DAYS after he shall have made such settlement, Ii he intends to claim the benefits of the pre- emption law.
 Thus no one can acquire pre-emption unless he has first given THIRTY DAYS NOTICE. And some land officers have gone so far as to decide, so am informed, that unless that notice was given within tue first thirty days after the ac- tual settlement, that it could mever be given, and consequently that pre-emption could never be obtained. This latter is so absurd decision, that I must doubt whether it has in fact ever been rendered; the first thirty days with the settler upon public land, and in the woods, is always the most busy, and requires his constant personal presence and labor, (for all such set tiers are poor) to build houses or camps and provide for the immediate wants, necessities and protection of his family.
 The meaning was and is that the notice of intention being given, the period of the settle ment shall in no case date back of the notice a greater length of time than thirty days, but never that the failure to give the notice in the first thirty days chall prevent notice being giv- en at any subsequent time.
 Many of the settlers on our puclic lands were ignorant of the imperative character of this provision requiring thirty days notice to be given; many of them were careless, and did not reflect upon the importance of it; and many again were compelled to remain at home and wait upon and labor for their families; or lived remote from the land offices, and had not the means at the proper time to enable them to de- fray the expense of the travel to the office, where the notice should be given; and thus they have ill all other respects been entitled to pre-emption, and yet for the want of the mo- tlce are deprived of the right altogether.
 Many who were in this situation found them selves entirely cut off by the reservation of lands for railroad grants. The lands were withdrawn from market, the settler had acquired no pre- emption previous to the withdrawal, and as the lands would only be restored to market after the railroad grant should have taken effect, all settlers on the even numbered sections, would find their land owned by the State and granted to the railroad company, unless our Legislature took steps to protect them, (which, however, is quite possbe;) and all the settlers on the odd numbered sections would find the price of their lands raised to two dollars and half an acre.
 Now, sir, l sought in the first place to get the whole pre-emption law changed, and so amended as to dispense altogether with the preliminary notice of thirty days. 1 found the general land office utterly opposed, and know ing that it was impossible to carry the measure with necessary promptness, against the advice and wishes of that department of the govern ment gave it up for the present.
 then turned my efforts to the relief of that class of our citizens who were in immediate danger of loosing their homes by the acts grant ing railroads In that, procured the approval and aid of the land department. I accordingly passed a bill through the Senate immediately, giving us new pre-emptlon law for the relief of all persons upon the public lands within the limits of any railroad reservation, in our or any other State It went to the House of Repre- sentatives and Col Warren secured its prompt passage there.
 It's substance is as follows and it is the very best that could be done and will save the homes of a great many.
 It applies alone to persons whose settlement lies within a railroad reservation.
 It dispenses with the preliminary declaration or notice of thirty days, altogether.
 All persons who may have been actual set tiers on the lands before they were withdrawn from marketare entitled to pre-emption when ever they shall have acted as required under the general pre-emption law
 They are entitled to pre-emption at the price of one dollar and twenty-five cents whether on the odd or even sections.
 But tue settler must 1orove up his rights, and pay for the tard bore H is released from reservation and unless SC paad Jo, e right to any pre-emptloo is lost to tue settler, a1d Mis act ceases to haue any force or eject
 To this last feature 1 call the serious atten- ton of all our settlers upon the public lands, inside of the railroad reservations, because the Legislature will act upon the railroad survey of the Cairo and Fulton grant, (and branches) in December next, and in all probability by the 1st of March or April thereafter these lands will be restored to market
 As to the time at which the reservation will cease to operate on the M. o. & Red river route and branches l cannot say. All can judge, probably as well as 1 can; but 1 would say about the same time with the other, though in fact, 1t may be sooner.
 To do justice to all 1 must say that am n- debted to Governor E. N. Conway for sugges- tions as to the injurious and unjust operation of the general pre-emption law; and to the Hon. Arthur Hays, of Conway, 1 am indebted for having brought up the subject of the ruinous operation of the railroad reservations taken in connection with the existing hardships of the general law. Very respectfully,
 R. w. JOHNSON.
 GeneyoZ Lond Offce 2Oth Anril 1054