The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-09-16

Gates, to secure homesteads to actual settlers
on the public domain.
While Democratic JOHN KELLY was thus
ably and eloquently indicating the rights
of the poor white man in the First Session
of the Thirty-Fifth Congress, Republican
GALusHA A. Grow was neglectipg the white
mans rights, and with less ability and elo-
quence, but with more fanaticism, was vim
dicating what he regarded as the superior
rights of the niggers of Kansas. And SC,
both Homestead bills went over to the
Second Session of the last Congress.
The first mention which is made of the
Homestead bills-either Mr.. Grows or
Mr.. KELLY's- during the Second Session
of the last Congress, is found in the pro-
ceedings of the 26th Of January, 1859,
printed on page 6l2, of Part 1, of the Con-
gressional Globe, for that session. This
mention is of the action of the Committee
on Agriculture, which had Mr.. KELLY's
bill in charge, and is as follows:
Mr.. KELSEY, from the Committee on Agr.
culture, reported back. with a recommendation
that it do pass, bill (H. r. No. 72,) to secure
homesteads to actual settlers on the public do.
main which was referred to the Committee
of the Whole on the state of the Union, and
ordered to be printed.
When this bill-which, on the 18th day
of January, 1858, had been introduced into
the House, by the Hon. JOHN KELLY, of
New York, and which had been, on the
same day, referred to the Committee on
Agricuture-was thus, according to the
above extract from the official report of the
proceedings of the House, over year after,
reported back from that Committee to the
House for its action, and with recommen-
dalton for its passage, the Hon. GALUsHA
A. Grow, whose own bill still lay slumber-
ing on the files of the Public Land Com
mittee, first claimed the authorship of this
Identical bill, the paternity of which thus
belonged to Mr.. KELLY, in the following
remarkable language:
which the bill was referred to the Committee
| of the Whole on the state of the Union. Early
| in the last session introduced THIS BILL,
which provides for granting homesteads on the
public domain, &c., Cong Globe, 1859,
page 6l2.l
1t may surprise his Republican friends in
Minnesota, that Hon. GALUsHA A. Grow
would have the dishonesty to thus claim
|
before the whole House of Representatives
the introduction and authorship of bill
with which he had nothing whatever to
do, and the paternity of which the
very records of the House showed to
belong to another. But there were
circumstances which lent impunity to
Mr.. Grows audacity. The author of the
bill was not at that time member of the
House, to assert his rights, and there was no
one there to assert them for him. Between
the adjournment of the First Session, and
the assembling of the Second Session of the
last Congress, the Hon. JOHN KELLY had
been elected Sheriff of the city and county
of New York, and had resigned bis position
as member of Congress. The notice of
his resignation is printed in the proceedings
of the House of Representatives, of the 22d
day of December, 1858, on page l6S, of the
Congressional Globe for the last session, as
follows:
| The SPEAKER, by unanimous consent, laid
| I, Az NJ,
JOHN KELLY resgnng his seat in the Thirty
Fifth Congress, as Representative of the
Fourth Congressional District of the State of
| New York, to take effect on and after the 25th
instant; and stating that he had notified the
Governor of the State of New York, and that a
cancy.
Here is matter seriously affecting the
personal and political character of the
Honorable GALUsHA A. Grow, to which
we respectfully call his attention, while he
is here in Minnesota to respond. He is
heralded over the the State by the Republic
can papers and orators, and on the Republic
can placards, as the "Author" and Father"
of the Homestead bill. He, himself, claimed
such authorship on the floor of the House of
Representatives. He did this, with the
official records of the House staring him
and the country in the face, and demonstrate
ing the baseless, piratical character of his
claim. He performed dishonorable act, and
in the meanest manner. He had nothing to
say on the subject of the Homestead bill
during the whole of the First Session of the
last Congress. JOHN KELLY bore the
burden of that measure then, supporting it
by such rare ability and eloquence, that the
care and advocacy of it was left solely in
his hands, while Mr.. Grow was employing
his labors and influence for the undying
nigger. But when Mr.. KELLY had ceased,
by resignation, his connexion with the
House, Mr.. GROW appropriated the bill
which had been made popular by KELLY's
eloquence, and arrogated to himself not only
the merit of its advocacy, but Of its author
ship. That is not stealing a reputation, but
it is not so simply because the law has moi
carried out the analogies Of theft into poll
tics.
We have traced the Homestead bill ia,
enough already to substantiate the humbug
gerry Of Mr.. Crows claim of authorship