The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-08-05
1)olitifal.
THE HOMESTEAD BILL.
From tie Congressional GloJe. I
DEBATE IN TIE SENATE,
MOEDAY, Jus II. ISL

donations ofpublc lands before they arc nat.
uIalizcd! Have they any claim of right !
Some gentleman, think, l,.S spoken Of it rs
measure Of Justice Whether he meant
justice to ourselves or justice to them, do
not know: but what clam can they have il,
the nature CT right to an equal participation
in these benefits Naturalization itself is a
boon 10 them. They have no right to it cx-
cept as the laws confer ii upon Them 1t is
true sir, that W. open our arms to them,
we admit them to come into our country, to
receive all the benefits Of our general system
Of equal laws, to acquire property, and to oh.
tain that protection for life, person, rcputa-
ton and property, which every native and
naturalizcd citizen enjoys. Is not that
enough! Arc We so destitute of merit among
ourselves that we must seek TO invite this in
fusion among lis with view 10 the improve.
mcnt Of our national character? It might be
thought SO, il seems to me, from many things
which have fallen from gentlemen on this
floor, though cam hardly suppose that such
| WAS tHClf lntalillT.
We boast of this being the f,ccst the most
enlightened, and the greatest nation on the
earth. 1t is often asserted in congressional
speeches. Though we are the greatest, frc-
est, and most enlightened of nations yet it
seems we must invite, by extraordinary in
duccncnts, such as never were heard Of be-
fore, these foreign immigrants, Of all classes,
and conditions. and characters, to come
amongst us, as if for the purpose of cXalting
our national character hardly think that
our intellectual standard is likely to be more
highly elevated by bringing in this class Of
people d, not know that our moral char
actrr is likely to he greatly improved.
suppose, myself, that no foreign adnixturc
can raise the morals and mend the heart of
the American people. If | thought 50, !
should blush for ny county.
We'll, sir, have We not all the practical
skill and sagacity among our artizans which
any other nation on the Garth can boast of =!
| had supposed that Yankee ingenuity, Yam
kcc perseverance, Yankee un:irng energy
could not lie beaten in the world. Why,
thW, do we invite foreigners by these extra
ordinary Inducements | admit that | am
willing that they should come on the terms
on which they have heretofore come; but |
am not willing TO offer these supcrnuous
boun,ics to swell an immigration from what
we call the down-troddcn nations of opprcs-
sed Europe, which is already as large as a
prudent libcrality would desire.
But, Mr.. President, notwithstanding the
responsibility ola very large portion of these
foreign immigrants, there is another very
large number who "lcayc their country for
their country good and who do not come
here for ours The statistics of crime prove
this. In table furnished by the Census
Bureau. ! find that Of about twcnty-scycn
thousand convictions in our criminal courts
during The year cnlns the 30th of JUNG,
1850, fourteen thousand were foreigners, and
but thirteen thousand Americans. And
what is the proportion Of foreign population
to the native! In 1850 there were two mil
lion two hundred thousand foreigners, and
upwards Of twentyone millions of native
populations; so that whilst the proportion of
native TO foreign population was as ten to one
the amount of crime is absolutely greater
among foreign immigrants than among native
citizens; and it is to be rccollcctcd that among
these native citizens, as enumerated, arc III
Guided the negro population, among whom
the smaller classes Of olcnscs such as petit
larceny arc very numerous. am not will
ling to furnish inducements to the vicious and
dcpravcd to come among us. | wish to keep
this class out If we could scgrcgatc them,
if we could discriminate between the worthy
and unworthy foreign immigrants, should
gladly receive the former, and treat them
with all the libcralty which we have hithcr-
to shown them, and more if that were posi-
bic; but the other class should desire TO cx-
clude altogether if could But ITO system
has yet been devised by which this can be ac-
complishcd We arc to look at things as
they are, and to consider that I'VE adopt
this system by which new inducements to
immigration are held out, We shall be in fact
inviting that class, amongst whom there is
the greater proportion of criminals as well as
those who merit our kind feelings.
Mr.. BRODIIEAD. should like to inquire
of my friend from Maryland whether he has
turned his attention to the statistics as to
paupcrs or not? How does the number of
paupers in our aims houses and other public
institutions compare, as between the foreign
and native-born populations
Mr.. PEAKCE. | had looked at that though
did not intend to mention it, lest might be
misunderstood. do not mean, when an
swer the Senator's question. TO throw any re-
proach upon these people for their poverty.
but the same census report states that there
were l34, 900 paupers who received support
in 1850, and of these, 68, 900 were foreign,
and $4,000 native-born. will not weary
the Senate by repeating or expanding what
have already said, but content myself with
saying that numerous as may be, and are,
the respectable people who come to our shores
from abroad there is a very Eerpe closs IF