Washington sentinel., 1854-07-12


tions, and to regulate our intercourse with
foreign nations, we are asked TO attend to the
business of the States, by aiding in the con
struction Of railroads, the support of the poor
and insane, &c. State politics aud politicians
are made subordinate 10 federal power, although
the reverse was intended. Ny opinion is, and
have before expressed it to the Senate, to
gether with some of the views which | have
just advanced, that ifdiscord among the States,
rebellion, and anarchy, shall ever destroy this
air land, it will be because this government
has assumed powers not granted by the Con
stitniion. With these remarks, press forward
TO the execution of my main purpose, which Is
to assign my reasons against the homestead
bill, which has not yet been much discussed
and which consider much more Objectionable
than the one now before the Senate.
THE HOMESTEAD BILL.
The first section provides that any free white
person, whether the head of family or NOT
and who is citizen Of the United States, shall
have, free OF cost, one quarter section Zone
hundred and sixty acres) of land. The sixth
section enlarges the operation a little, and
extends the privilege to foreigners nop re-
sdent in the United States. and who have
fled their declaration of intention to become
citizens; but it says they shall not have a
patent for the land until they become citizens
under our naturalization laws. And why should
its benefits be confined to aliens notc in the
United States? Are not those who intend IT,
come as good as those who are now here
Why give land, designed for the use of man
to those who come this year, and not to those
who come next? And why withhold patent
from aliens until they have been five years in
the country, and complied with our naturaliza-
tion laws. Many of the advocates Of this bill
refused to support, with me, the Clayton amend
ment to the Nebraska BILL which withheld tn.
right to vote from aliens until they had CON-
Piled with our naturalization laws, and become
citizens So that they are willing to give
| aliens, not citizens the right to take part i,
elections and govern; for the right to vote i.
the right to gorern; and yet will refuse them
| the means wherewith to live. Sir, in view o
| many considerations / would much rather give
| them land as soon as they arrive in the country
| than | would the right to vote before they havt
| complied with our naturalization laws and be
come citizens. as was done in the Nebrask.
bill. Several democratic papers in Pennsyi-
vania, of abolition proclivities, attempted ID
| raise hue and cry against me for sustaining
the CLAYTON amendment, and congratulated the
country upon its defeat; but in so doing, the,
only followed the example of two senators
CHASE and SEWARD. who are so much dis
tinguished for their advocacy of abolition doc
trines. Immediately after the defeat of the
| Clayton amendment, the honorable senator
from Ohio Mr. CHASE said:
The rejection Of the [Clayion] amendment,
! fpon Vi hch we have just voted is a great triumph
fprinciple NOR heLss raiuabie because eoerced from
is opponents by necessity to which they have
| yielded reluctantly
| Upon the same occasion, the distinguished
senator from New York Mr. SEWARD taunted
those who had voted for the amendment in
about the same style, and informed the Senate
that he had, day or two previous met twelv.
! thousand foreigners, who had Just arrived in
one day In the country, and were on their way
t. take possession of the new Territories. The
truth is. the yielding of the Clayton amendment
Was concession to the spirit of abolitionism
in violation of the spirit of the Constitution.
and nothing more.
The second section provides that the person
desiring one hundred aud sixty acres of land.
shall make an affidavit before the register OF
the land Office; and at the end of five years he
| must prove, by two witnesses, before the same
officer, that he has cultivated the same for FIVE
years, and has not alienated the same, &c.
so that the register of the land Office is made a
kind of judicial officer. The door to periur,
is opened wide; for mans title depends upon
his own affidavit, and that of two Of his friends:
and large business is provided for lawyers in
The shape of litigation.
! The third section provides that the register
shall note the applications on the tract books
| DC; aud the fourth section saws, that the land
shall, in no event, become liable for the salts
faction OF any debt or debts contracted prior 10
I fhe 1saft rfNtth l.. r..
kind Of bankrupt law for the new States, and
not for the old ones, contrary TO the clause in
the eighth section OF the Constitution, which
says: Congress shall have power to establish
| uniform laws upon the subject of BANKRUPTCIES
throughout the United States" What right
has Congress to say that mans land within a
State shall not be liable for his debts? In the
Nebraska bill we established the non-interven.
ton rule, even In the Territories.
The last section which is material confines
the entries to be made on each alternate quarter
section 'ds near as may be p,dcticoble,n &c
I Upon this will comment before | conclude
and show that it is Of no benefit whatever. and
might as well be out SO far as any practical
benefit may result to the government. Th.
section was placed in the bill for the purpos,
OF enabling It's advocates to say that il would
not diminish the receipts from the sales But
the quarter sections retained are not doubled
in price, as in the case OF railroad grants; and
/ will hereafter show that the section is a mere
preiext to avoid an objection to the bill.
There are some considerations, Mr.. Presi.
dent, that would induce me TO favor this bill.
Some OF my esteemed colleagues in the House
think it good one, and have urged its passage
with great zeal and ability. The whig and
democratic conventions, which recently Assem-.
bled in my State, passed resolutions in favor Of
IL; but, believing as do, that it is a bill sub.
yersive OF principle, and injurious To my State,
] feel bouud, by stern sense of duty. 10 Cd.
pose II to the utmost of my ability. The reso-
lutions to which have just alluded may be re.
garded by some as amounting to instructions
to my colleague aud myself; but do not SO
consider them. | have proper regard Gr
enlightened popular opinion, but do not think
conventions and State legislatures always It's
true exponent i claim TO know something
about the wishes Of the people myself and
especially Of the od-line-strict-constru
democrats. The whig party in Pennsylvania
are not in the habit Of sanctioning what tie
democrats call strict-construction yie~s, aid
hence perhaps, their support Of the bill