Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-04-05
For the Portage Sentinel
The Homestead BiIl--Hts defects.


The Homestead BiII--Its defects.
EDITORS OF THE SENTINEL The passage of the
Homestead bill, by the U. s. House of Represen-
tatives, and its favorable reception in the Senate,
raised high the hopes Of some Philanthropists of
the speedy approach of new era for the poor and
landless, calculated to confer great benefits on
society in the future. But the peculiar provisions
of that bill have since transpired here, so extraor-
dinary, tending to disappoin our hoPes,unless the
bill can be amended.
1t appears that the bill, as it passed the House,
grants land only in alternate quarter sections,
having the intermediate quarters to be grasped by
insatiate land spectators, and held to keep set
tiers apart till the labor of the settlers may have
added greatly to the value of those intermediate
quarter sections; and until all the land in such
region is taken up, then to be sold at greatly adj
vanced prices. This arrangement admits but two
settlers, at first, on each mile square-and to two
miles square-which is about a convenient size
for school dstrct-and near or quite half Of
those may be expected to be, at first, single per-
sons, without families, who can easiest emigrate
to, and secure favor. Thus the settlers, being so
scattered, schools could not be supported for
many years, and there would be little opportunity
ciety. -... ...... .. ...
There is no apparent reason for this foolish pro-
vision of the bill, unless it be to encourage land
speculation. And we may expect that, after a
few years. it will be found that l60 acres to each
person of adult age. will use up the land too fast,
and that Congress will feel compelled to reduce
the amount, or repeal the law altogether, thus to
enable those spectators to realize higher prices
1t would be far better to give but so acres to a
amily, or forty acres to each adult person, man
or woman. Eighty acres is enough for each fam
lily, on an average, and better than more, if it may
be taken SO to settle compactly, instead of al
ternate farms; Eighty acres to each family-32
to each two miles square, would enable the peo-
pie to support the schools and hold social and re-
ligous converse from the first; which would save
society from deterioration, and even aid much
for good progress. Congress has heretofore grant
ed land for Railroads, canals, and other public
purposes, and reserved each alternate section, to
sell at double price, thus making the settlers on
those lands pay for those public improvements;
but in this land bill we find no such provisions.
The increased value of the intermediate land, by
the labors of the settlers, goes all to benefit the
purchasers.
One effect of donating SO large farm as lG0
acres to each settler, would be, that it would in
duce much greater wish for the public lands, sand
induce many we'll off farmers to sell off in the old
States, to secure large farms in the west, and
thus would reduce, too suddenly, the price of
lands in the old States, while it would excite
speculating mania in the west.
We have labored many years TO move public
opinion to induce Congress to be liberal to the
landless-to grant them homes of the lands they
have just right to, and arc now much disappointed
at the bill as it is. 1t would be better to give but
halfthe quantity of land, or even less, and make
the settlements compact, than to give lG0 acres
the country. Or it would be better, if the bill
cannot be amended and pass in better form at this
session, to delay it even year, or two years, for
public opinion will not suffer longer delay than
that, before good bill will be urged through Con-
gress. 49,. ....
This is written, Mr. Editor, to call public at
tention to the subject, that the people may to
it and instruct our Representatives, to urge the
proper amendments to the Homestead bill, to
make it blessing to our country. ]. H.