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

The notice of the introduction of Home
stead bill by Mr.. KELLY, will be found in
the House proceedings of January l8, 1858,
on page 324, of the same volume, as fol-
lows: a
Mr. KELLY introduced bill to secure home.
steads to actual settlers upon the public do.
| main; which was read first and second Time,
and referred to the Committee on agriculture.
When the bill of Mr.. KELLY's was thus
referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
an attempt was made to change its reference
to the Committee on Public Lands, as the
proceedings Immediately following our last
quotation show:
Mr.. COBB. That subject has been referred
to the Committee on Public Lands: We have
it now before us, and that bill (Mr. Kelly's)
ought to 60 to our Committee.
The SPEAKER. In the opinion of the Chair,
the gentleman from Alabama made his point
| rather too late.
Mr.. COBB. l hallooed at the time W it'll all
nY The ,ei SPEAKER. 1t is the gentlemans mis-.
fortune that the Chair did not hear him.
So, the reference of Mr.. KELLY's bill to
the Committee on Agriculture remained
unchanged.
The two Homestead bills remained in the
hands of the two committees to which they
were respectively referred, during the whole
of the First Session of the Thirty-Fifth
Congress. The Republicans, during that
| Session, paid their exclusive attention to
Kansas and niggers. Mr.. GROW had
nothing to say about Homesteads for the
poor white man, so long as an opportunity
offered to make political capital out of the
poor black man. Mr.. KELLY tried to get
his Homestead bill before the House for its
action, but failing in that, he delivered
speech on the subject of its provisions, which
we we'll remember to have heard, and which
electrified the country by its eloquence, and
excited universal attention by its thorough
research and ability. And, in view of the
piratical attempts which are being made by
the Republicans of Minnesota, to ignore Mr..
KELLY's authorship of the Homestead bill,
and transfer it to Mr.. Grow, we cannot do
less, in justice to the former, than to trans
fer portion of his speech, delivered before
the House on the 25th Of May, 1858, in
support of the measure which he had intro
duced the January previous. (See Appen-
dix to Congressional Globe, page 43O.)-
The House being in the Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union
Mr.. KELLY said:
Mr.. Chairman: regret that the bill which l
had referred to the Committee on Agriculture at
the earlv part of this session has not as vet been
reported on, as l would have much preferred
addressing whatever remarks l may desire to
offer on the homestead question to the bill ITSELF
But the session is now drawing to close, and
the few weeks yet remaining admonsh me to
avail myself Of the privilege offered by the
rules of the House, which allow members to
speak on all matters appertaining to the general
state of the Union. will take occasion, how
ever, to observe in passing, that the committees
of this House have been uniformly prompt in
making their reports, even on matters that sink
into inslgnifcance when compared with the
question of giving an humble homestead to &C.
tual settlers on the lands of the Government
and, will add further, that, if the comm ttee
should think proper to delay their report much
longer shall feel it to be my duty, at an early
day, to move for their discharge from the furth-
er consideration of the subject, and ask leave
to bring the bill directly before the House. If
the Senate bill does not reach us in the mean
time. may fail even in this way to secure
vote Cd the question; but | will have the con-
ISOLATION to know that have done my duty to
those of our fellow-citzens who are either too
modest or too poor to command much influence
in this Hail.
l am fully conscious, sir, that this theme is
not the most fashionable one could discuss; to
many honorable members it may not even be
the most acceptable in other respects to which
l might invite their serious attention. But,
Notwithstanding, feel that shall not appeal
in vain, when invoke this House, as do most
earnestly, to give at least an hours consdera-
ton to the claims upon our lberality and JUS
tice. which the bill granting a home on our
public lands to actual SETTLERS presents, and
thus establish our claims, as wise lawmakers
and faithful representatives, to the gratitude of
| our constituents and the admiration of the
world. 1t has, already, as we all well know.
become standing subject Of reproach and
obloquy upon our national Legislature, and
upon our Republic, in many of the pampered
| journals of Europe, that the Congress of the
United States can legislate in earnest only when
some question connected with slavery or in
vOlving the negro race is the subject of DELHI
| Grafton and it must be confessed that our pro-
ceedings, SO far, during the present session,
| would seem TO give some snow OF truth TO the
unjust and malevOlent imputation.
Can we better refute such unfounded calnm.
ny, or more forcibly sgnalze our devotion to
| the simple republican institutions under which
we live, than by adopting every legitimate
means within our power-every means which
our unparalleled progress as nation demands
| and the Constitution sanctions, to extend the
| boundaries of our advancing civilization to
| people our almost limitless domain with the
| hardy sons of industry and toll to expand the
wings of commerce, by multiplying our staples
| of production and above ALL to elevate to the
true standard of American freemen, physically
and morally, as we'll as politically, the thou
sands of our fellow citizens who are scattered
throughout this broad Confederacy of States,
who have the heads to conceive, the hands to
toll, the unconquerable will to persevere, but,
unfortunately lack the means to purchase an
humble homestead, even under the present un-
exceptionally system of dsposing of our pub
lie domain. 10 me, sir, it is a noble theme
one worthy an American Congress; and, more
than ally other which can claim our attention,
calculated to illustrate the simplicity and gran
dear of our admirable system of government,
and to demonstrate its entire capacity to insure
to every citizen the full enjoyment of those in.
alienable rights with which he is endowed by
his Creator-life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness.
The main provision of the bill now before
the committee consists in the liberal appropria-
ton contained in the first section, in the follow
ing words:
THAT any person who is the head of family, who
has arrived at the of twenty yesrs and is c
zen of the United States, who shall have filed his
en,on become such, required by the naturaliza
ton of the United Sates shall from and after the
passage of his act be entitled to enter free Of cost one
Sf onh nvNpi tod liz