Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1854-03-23
EEKLY TIMES, THURSDAY MORNING. MARCH %. 1854
Homes Stead Bill-Mr. Lindley.

Homestead Bill-Mr. Lindley.
In the House of Representatives, on the
3rd, the Home Stead Bill being under cen
sideration, the following proceedings took
place :
"Mr. LINDLEY. offer the following
amendment: ft A#
Add to the end of the second section, this
proviso:
AND PnovIDrD FURTHER, That any per-
son, being citizen If the United States, and
the head Of family, who shall be the owner
Of tract pf less than one hundred and sixty
acres Of land in any district of public lands
shall be entitled to enter, free of cost, so
much Of the public lands adjoining, or as
near thereto as may be, as will when added
to the same, amount to one hundred and
sixty acres; and at the expiration of five
years from the date of said entry, if the per-
son making the same, his widow, heirs, or
devisees, as the case may be. shall prove
that he, she, or they have continued to reside
upon and cultivate said tract of land so
previously owned, or so entered, or any part
thereof, then, in such case, he, she, or they
shall be entitled to patent, as in others
cases provided for by law.
/ desire to make few remarks in ex.
PLANTATION of that amendment.
Mr.. DAVIS, of Indiana. l rise to a
question of order. Has not that same
proposition already been voted down?
The CHAIRMAN. Not in the same
words; il was different proposition.
Mr.. DAVIS. 1t was the same horse,
only Of different color.
Mr.. LINDLEY, The gentleman is
mistaken; there has been nothing of this
kind offered as on amendment, nor anything
like it. The object of my amendment is
to extend the benefits of this bill to large
and meritorious class of the citizens Of the
West, without, at the same time, requiring
them to sacrifice more than would counter
balance the benefits proposed to be conferred
by the bill. There are great many people
III the western country who removed there
at an early day, and have succeeded, by
hard labor and toll, in securing the title to
forty or eighty acres, and the cultivation of
that land, the fencing, breaking, and putting
upon i! the improvements usual in the wes-
tern country, will amount to more than the
value Of the land.
The object Of this amendment it to en,ble
those persons to enter, under the provisions
ofthis bill, as much land adjoining their own
or as near thereto as many be, as will make
them equal with the settler from the old
th HEM When an Individual has forty acres
for instance, which he has raised money
to enter, and has placed improvements upon
it, desire that he may be permitted to enter
free of cost, other three torties adjoining, or
as near as may be, without being compelled
TO sell or remove from his improvements.
The cost of his improvements is more than
the value Of the land; and the improvements
of which I speak are generally so small tia,
persons coming 10 the West at this time to
purchase improved farms will not buy them
consequently the owner Of that land has M
market. and cannot sell the little forty acre.
in order to take advantage Of the provision.
OF this bill; and if you require him to remove
from his forty acres to 60 on the public land
il would be 10 demand of him great sacri
flee. He cannot sell or remove from
without sacrificing more than is proposed t,
be given him by the provisions Of the bill.
The bill requires that the person shall re
side on the one hundred and sixty acre
which he enters under its provisions. M,
amendment proposes that he may reside Of
the tract of land which he has previousl,
entered, and enter, free of cost, as nue.
more as will amount in all to one hundret
and sixty acres. 1t is nothing but fair AM
) right to those men who emigrated to tn
West years ago, when the country was yer,
, wild, and endured all the privations @
poverty, and the hardships OF frontier lii
e 10 place them thus within the provisions G
the bill. Being actual settlers, they shout
n not be deprived ofthe righi which you pro
S pose TO extend to individuals who have ney
$ er been in the West, and who are now Twin
u in the East, or may come from foreig
i land.
Adopt this amendment, and you will the
n carry out fully the object Of the bill, and d
: instice to the actual settler.
}, Mr.. CLINGMAN. think the gentle
q mans amendment makes the bill more Of
e iectionable to me, and therefore am oppose
a toit.
n The question was taken on the amen'
81 ment, and it was disagreed TO.
1 N y