New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-22
THE HOMESTEAD CONFERENCE BILL.

THE HOMESTEAD CONFERENCE BILL
At this closing period Of the session, the Congress
sonal proceedings in Tie Globe in consequence a the
length of the daily sessions are week or more in
arrears But, knowing the deep interest felt by our
Western readers especially in the details OF the Home
stead bill recently passed. have procured copy OF
the report from the Conference Committee the voteo y
Yeas and Nays on concurrence, and the bill tset "a
finally passed both Houses, in advance Of the official
publication:
Mr. CoLFLx-I rise 10 aquestion OF privilege am
instructed by the Committee Of Conference the disa
greeting votes of the two Ilouses ON the Homestead
bill report that, after twelve meetings OF the hree
different Conferences that have been appointed, they
this morning finally agreed hold 10 my hand the re-
port of the Committee which can be read II any gen.
emn desires it, But perhaps it woald render the re-
port clearer and more Ineligible If should breny
state its leading features The Senate b att mem
bers of the House are familiar with. Tie Conferees
upon the part of the House finding after the most
earnest efforts that it would be utterly impossible for
them 10 induce the Senate TO agree TO the Houss DILL
have been discussing What could be made 10 the
Senate BILL 30 as to render acceptable enough for the
House TO accept, rather than the whole should ia.
They have finally agreed upon arePor as follows; IN
the FIRST place, will say that the BILL as passed tne
Senate provided that the preemptors now upon the
public lands might remain there two years before they
should be required TO purchase their ands but should
then ray for them at the rate Of 81 % per acre. thus
benefits which would apply to the settlers hereafter
upon the public lands This point the House Con-
ferees refused TO accede to, and if persisted in, we
should Lave again reported a disagreement. Finally,
however, a compromise was arranged on this point,
and TO protect the pretmptors on the Government
land which was to be advertised this Fall for sale, we
changed the Senate bill as TO protect them ior at
least two wears from land sales and to allow them
then to secure their homes half the Government
price namely, 81, cents per acre. need scarcely ada,
that, if the Senate could have been induced 10 give
them the benefit of their twenty pro-
vision, we should have insisted on 1t inhexioly; bus
what have stated is the very lowest point that could
be obtained The second change we have made in the
Senate bill is in relation to the scope OF land coming
embraced all the Government land, offered or
unohered except such as was specially re-
served The Senate bill confined its provisions
to land subject TO private entry, exclusively. as
have explained former occasion, the expression
subject to private entry ans such as are eft aer
the lands have been regularly brought ato mar
ket exposed opublic sale and the SPECTATORS have
taken such they fit 70 purchase. The difference
between there two bills seemed 50 radical ~ 10 be IN
car able of adjustment and the scope Of farmi land
cover. d by the Senate bill so limited, there being
but little if any, in Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska,
California, Oregon and Washington, that the House
coDf-Iees declined TO accept IT, But on this, too, we
finally effected a compromise. BY our report az the
land subject to private entry 10 included, and, an add.
tiOa, all the odd-numbered sections OF the surveyed
public lands, which have not been opened TO public
salea most material and beneeent enlargement Of the
Senate bill. We offered, alter this agreement,
whichever half of the unot.red lands We chose and
we took the odd-numbered sections. The reason for
this was that the 10th section OF township being re-
served for school purposes by our land laws, the four
adjoining sections TO it, on the north, west, east aud
SOUTH aIe sections g. l5 H. and 81, all odd-numtered
sections which are thus saved for Homestead settlers,
who have reserved for them IL out Of the 80 dspos-
able sections in each township Of six miles square,
On all these lsnds actual settlers, who are heads Q,
families, allowed, after having occupied the land
for five years. TO purchase at - cents per acre. which
is about the average cost prize Of the public lands to
the Government. We struggled, Of course, TO include
all young 81 who are not heads Of families,
ana adopt the Free Homestead principle of the House
bill; but these points the Senate was nfexble and
we took what did b. cause il was the very best we
could get. The Senate bill originally provided th the
Homestead settler might acquire title TO his land NJ any
time by paying full Government prices but desiring
to promote actual set lement, now provide that he
cannot do this till after be has been on the land months
When stays OF his family if he deceases the full i've
years he obtains it at - per acre. The Senate
have also agreed TO strike out the eighth section OF
their BILL which made 1t imperative upon the President
TO expose all public lands to sale within two years
after they shall have been surveyed, which We
held would be peculiarly oppressive upon the pioneers
who had gone 20 the frontier to settle upon the public
lands and TO which we could never have consented.
Now, MIR. Speaker desire to state in conclusion,
thai the compromise we have made apon this subjeet
is not in accordance with what should desire to have
passed, If l had the power to frame the bill myself
but s the very utmost we could obtain from tho SEN
ate as now constituted. The Senators who served
with us on the Conference have been notified by me,
and also by my colleague Mr. Window Of Mnnesotsl,
that we regard this but single step IN advance
toward law which We shall nand from the American
Congress, enae,ing comprehensive and hberai home
stead policy. This we have agreed 70 az nerely IN
arant courier We shall demand at tie nsxt ses-
sison Of Congress- and until is granted; uns OIL inc
public lands shall Be open all the people Of the Vn,
ted States; and state this pubicy, thsa no one snsl
this HALFWAY measure rahsr than 10 Allow the wnols
to fail. should have added that all ,'ersoas whether
citizens or tbose who have only declared then irtsn-
iions, are allowed to go on the lads under TINS eu
the five years expire. and the patent issues. now
demand the previous question on ooncurrng on the ~
port Of the Committee and passing the bill a. thss
amended.
Mr. FAuSswoErn-I desire 10 ask the. senuervas