Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-08-01
THE LAND BILL.

II ,-ops;cr Of its powers 10 tic executive department "
the government.
~ THE LAND BILL.
r The cour., Of the Virginia Senators, i'll voting fol
Mr. Hunters Land Bill, is sustained by the three
Democratic pupcrs ui the STATE, which reached liz
- Yesterday morning.
r The Lvnchburg Republican republisiles our ar'i'''
:, Of Tuesday, clearly meaning t" endorse 1t fully
Thu. Wheeling Argus SAYS thu; the Homestead bill
: which passed the House, WIS "otJrr'i"nanic L" Demo
oro.;, Senators As il should have been 10 democratic
REPRESENTATIVES Mr.. Hunter brought before Inc
Senatea substitute for the House bill which, upon the
tiual vote, received the sanction III the whole de!H"-
cratic delegation in the Senate. The graduation Prln-
c;pla in this bill, fixing the rates at which the ruoie
lands sh,l h.. -old, is in accordance with the policy
yvbicb should obtain in the disposition "i the pubic
domain. The great principle of revenue Is contained
in this par. Of the bill. The lands are 10 be sold al
their value. In lcgislating upon this difficult SUBJECT
sigh, should not bc lost Of the fact, that the domain
ran he, and has been, made a source oi revenue 70 the
government, and when the funds ARISING from Tier
.ol. nre diverted from that object. either by the ex-
ploded notion of distribution among the Statcs, or are
prevented from accruin. To the government by dona-
lions such us contemplated by the Homestead bill, n
system of prodiraiitv will be established that will not
br cnsilv remcdicd, and which will require an add
rional revenue 10 be raised from duties on IMPORTS
Besides this there can he 10 injustice in requiring
citizens TO pay Il just equivalent for the pubic lands
| The Homestead clause OF Mr.. hunters Bill is no; 80
Objectionable ~ the House bill. II provides that
persons who are twenty one years oi nge or The hcad
Of u family who are capable OF holding real cstutc III
| the State where they locate, may, after they hav" set
tied upon and cultivated one hundred and slXt" acres
for u tern, OF five years, purchase the same nj the
rate Of twenty-five cents per acre, provided 1t has
no, been in market twc:ty-vcars, and II It has beer!
in market twenty years, then they may purchase 1t At
the rate of twelve aid Il hall cents per acre. II il
impossible 10 Ray, at this time, whether the substitute
will be cuncurrcd in by the Homestead advocates III
the House OF Representatives, but there Ii more OF
reason in il than they sent 20 the SENATE, and some oi
the constitutional objections To the House bill nrc
ovcrthrown."
The Norfolk Argus has II long and interesting arti-
Gle, putting the question in 4 strong light. We give
it entire, so us to do no Injustice to the writer;
HUNTERS SUBSTITUTE.
Ii has not been long since the Homestead Bill YVES
introduced in Cungrcss-at first under very uhiaF"r-
able auspices. amounting almost 10 cSecrhticil-Ici II
has successfully gained popular favor ana secured "
mnjuritv, both in the House and i'll the SENATE ana !a
passarc retarded bv the suspicion of Executive veto,
I'm. bc.n prcvc,tci nv IL vigorous and noble opposi-
ton. The bill is peculiarly fitted tor the PURPOSES "l "
dcnluyo.ur, being very promising rs to dement's accrt-
ing 10 .hhe muses. and appealing directly totha' ac-
lrt.riuuS public sentiment winch - NOISY anu actN'
and looks moi beyond the bill itrclf. Senator Hunter,
like n true and faithful wntchinar, fcrcseei'iS me "!i
mate success ui this bill, and ANXIOUS I" avert the c'ih
Inherent in it from the country by sIpprcssihSi s mos
injurious and pe-licious Objects, proposes hr Il shDs'-
tutc the bill, oi winch IL Hyiol'"'s IN gwen !" "o'"'
The substitute Of SenutGr Hunter passed the Sen
ute with n unmni.nity surprising nnd agreeable win
only eleven negative votes. and none OF those demo
crntic, and shows :he aspect .. the honorable Scna-
tors standing in the Senate. But even IN the subS'i-
tutc, though coming from 70 pure n state riGh,S man
aid strict coiIs:ructinniat, there nrc principles Ia
which ns Il democrat Of the s,ric!cst sense We cannot
agree; but we had rather relax our exclusivencss
aud accept the substitute, ilian have the original blll
passed. If VIC view only the abstract principles OF
the bill and substitute, both would receive our warm
and urgent disnpprova!. But cSprdic' must somc-
times come into play 1t must he law when there -
no law, and the Senator's scheme, not contemplating
ori,.iuul aud absolute benefits, and which asserts no
pernicious principles, j, IN r~xpcdient whereby Il ,ncns-
urc Of evil import and misclicvUus abstract princi-
pies will be defeated and superseded.
Such is the view we take OF the question. An
issue il closed upon us, aud upon that issue we are ia
Judge. And the question is, shall we condemn the
scheme of Mr.. Hunter because it falls short al ON
standard of abstract principles, or allow the original
bill 10 go down with IL triumphant passage! IL the
substitute lcss obnoxious than the Original d. In the
present emergency had we not better take the subsii.
lutte Ms itis 50 well adopted 10 serve the purpose, n II is
so sure of success, and is no way furnished by unwise,
pcrnicious, aud evil principles f! Mr.. Hunter would
save the country from that miscellaneous and most
un,oward principle that il ia the duty of the govern
mcnt to provide for the wants OF the iinprudcnt md
the azzuronis,-that prtnclp!c OF aGrarlurlsih which
.... 49,, a la, ,,,-ll hnL sopAnunnn1 1n ,vnulI
save the South from nm undue prepondcrance of the
North by restricting hctriiing compensation cHactcd
OF the government 10 such ns may avail themselves
Of the present sy~stCm-thus preventing that benefit
Of the Homestead bill too fully extended 10 aliens
and which would impart too great stimuli to lnlmi-
, grafton; he would provide against the squaliderllig "i
the public domains ON most unworthy subjects
: and for pcrniciuus purposes, by giving n presumption.
| right to the States. by demanding colnpclsations for
; honestcads, and by which II wise graduation OF the
public domain appropriatcs them to Judicl"us puT-
poses, and gives back TO the United States a more
profitable return Ia tho treasury than now. lie fol-
lows closely in the footsteps Of the Great Calhoun
which he anncxcs IL his substitute Il measure that
will receive the APPRECIATE of the country, aud es'
, pccialy of the democracy, TO withdraw the question
If the distribution OF the public lands from Congress
] and from Presidential contests.
: We have thus presented the important features OF
! the Till before our readers, both Wings and Demo
Gratis, md we would turn our attention 4 while TO say
something with regard 10, aud i'll which nc involved,
Democrats only. The preservation OF harmony ad
aseendancy in the Democratic party is secured. II
the Homestead bill hid been vetoed or signed by the
:, President, IL schism would undoubtedly have taken
= place, but Mr.. Hunter has parricd the blow. and
gives 10 the Democracy ri Ill sections n hill around
!. which they eau rally uniicl !, rs is clearly evinrrd BY
the passage nj the bill in :hc Senate. L: has united
more firmly the Democracy together and guaranteed
: the faithinl cooperation vi the Northwest with the
J. South. There IS no Socr.trr Of pr'ncJphc IN the SUI.
I statute, IT is consistent. Let the whole country cvince
, it's gratitude to the true source for the defeat Of a
t.,,n nc la, pr1,rtpp1 o,,..t III
Wecannotc close these remarks ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
5 ing our high regards and praise to ths distinguished son
of Virginia. lie has shown the tactics Of the mos,
/ communicate ~sta:esman-he has proved the ability III,
h.reut in his nature to escape the disasters of divi.
sion; to convert an onward pressing defeat into vic
tory. lie has overted what was regarded as inevita-
bis. and without compromising the pure principles of
Democracy, has brought forward 4 device agreeable
to all parties, and thereby. settles a difficult and ha.
zardous principle Of public policy, Virginia cheers
OH her son and will ever give him that credit which
he deserves, not from fortuitous circumstances, but
from the hard, laborious efforts of n whole-souled
Il DnnocrBt.