The daily union., 1854-07-22


hictng with the great object of the House BILL all
apprehension the of the Executive Mr.
Hunter turned his attention this subject and, after
aborous investigation of the whole question: aided we
doubt not he was not only by the wise suggestions of
General Jackson but by the profound discussions of other
eminent statesmen including those Messrs Boyd Perkins
and Others of the present Congress he framed and pre-
sented to the Senate the bill which has just been adopted
by that body substitute for the House homestead bill
As had opportunity of examining Mr..
Hunters BILL after its introduction into the Senate,
spoke oft as follows
% THE PUBLIC LANDs.--GRADUArIos.- CEssIos.--THE
HosEsTEApWe look with deep olicitude the result of
the pending action of the Senate the questions
When Mr. Brodhead moved to postpone the homestead bill
until December next the motion resisted with spirit Of
and animated eoquence by such senator's Messs
Dodge, Petit, Cas Stuart, Gwin &e which satisfied
that the temper of the Senate favorable final
and decisive policy regard to public lands The vote,
however, by which Mr. Brodhead's motion rejected,
although decisive yet had aspect which to be
regreedwe aude TO the fact that the vote indicated to
extent sectional division the homestead proposition
The debate well the vote, indicated that this
far less popular with southern than with northern
The tendency ectonasm questions connected with the
public lands constitutes leading incentive to the adoption of
policy which shall far possible withdraw the whole
subject from Congress- We have INDUCED the belief that if
spirit of liberal compromise should mark the deliberations
of members they would ultimately agree upon general
system applicable to the lands situated within the States
which would be eectua in relieving Congress from those
irritating assng questions which much
time The great idea which have looked in this
connexon been the transfer of the land subjects from the
federal to the State governments so far at least as regards
the lands within the limits of the States In other words
have hoped that the principle of congressional nonnter
venon would be applied to the public lands rumphanty
as it has been applied to the slavery question.
The bill introduced into the Senate by Mr. Hunter on
Monday last to hope that the present session
of Congress may sgnazed by the adoption of the
Intervention policy combined with the graduation principle,
fair provisions for actual settlers would be salts
factory every section of the Union. Mr.. Hunters bill
seeks establish and comprehensive land policy by
combining into system the several great objects OF gradu
alton of price, transfer of management to the States and
the security actual settlers of their homeseads terms
as to be entirely satisfactory The propriety of
such combination Of objects impresses itself mind
peculiarly important and upon examination of Mr. Hunters
BILL think he has succeeded in framing system which
not only practicable, but which, when reduced to practice,
would prove emnenty servceale to the country The
TEN recommended to favor especial because
ops off from the federal large amount OF its
executive patronage and transfers it to the State govern
mens where be exercised without embarrassment 1t
another decided movement in the direction of State rights
and popular sovereignty because looks to the removal of
that anomalous of things which limits the actual SOW
ereigny the State the lands within its limits and
seeks transfer the entire jurisdiction to the people of the
price of the according the time they may have been
in markehe scale ranging from dollar twenty five
down to twenty-five cents thus adopting principle OF
equity which long been contended for by statesmen
The bill does not overlook that feature in the Internal
policy which based upon the idea that rail
roads give greatly increased value to the lands in their vcn
ity But the last and by the least important fea
bill that which and provides for the actual
settler. Although this is not done, as in the pending home
b without any consideration yet the consideration
md The
nominal and hence the retains substantially the
homestead principle We doubt that which
embraces objects important would be received with general
satisfaction by country. We sincerely trust that the few
weeks of the session may be gnazed by the set
of the land subject upon principles that will tend to
the different sections of the conederacy and knit
closer than the bonds of happy Union The bold
and defiant spirit of disunon which seeks to imbody its fol-
lowers compact of treason the North ought to
teach patriotic everywhere to cultivate sentiments and
feelings of iberaity and compromise this subject well
that of slavery The prevalence Of such sentiments has
given national glorious triumph in the adoption of the
non-inerventon principle savcryhe devotion
will produce similar result the
land question:
These remarks will give the reader general idea of the
measure, it when proposed and it is as
passed by the Senate They will also convey fully
necessary the Importance which attach the result.
As an isolated proposition intended only hasten the
ement of the public LANDS by holding inducements
emigration actual settlers should have preferred the
House BILL with such notifications would have freed it
from all doubt its consuonality but have left the
homestead principle unaffected We thorough be-
lever in the sentiment of General Jackson that il is our
true policy that the public lands shall cease as
practicable to be Of revenue and that they should
be sold to settlers in limited parcels at price barely su
cent to reimburse the United States the expense the
present system and the cost arising under Indian
pacs This was the great IDEA intended to be carried out
by the House BILL and its real importance can only be mp
precated by those who like Gen Cass and other western
men, witnessed the true character Of the hardy po
neers in our frontier settlements With the fullest oppor
ings we have had difficulty in responding the decla
ration of the Michigan senator that the homestead
bill was "the great measure Of the age"
But whilst the proposition invite the entcrprisng and
to settle upon the public lands met cordial
approval Gen jackson advanced another idea which the
on our mind After speaking Of the necessity of accurate
surveys and undoubted titles secured by the present land
system Gen jackson said II is desirable hocerer that in
conyeaicnt time his machinery be wihoraoH from the States
and that he rtgh Of sod and he future disposition, Of IL be
surrendered 10 the States respectively IN rhich iesp In
this remark we see the combined suggestion of graduation
and cession so successfully Introduced into Mr.. Hun
ter's bill We believed that the convenient time referred
to by Cen Jackson had arrived and hence the anxiety
which we have manifested the result of the debea-
tons of Congress the land subject The bill passed