Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-10-19
From the N. Y. Tribune.]
Mr.. Hamlin On Free Homes.

tizanlfslsehood, but the following is too gross
"HoMEs FOB THE HoMELRss.-When Blacl
Republican orators profess to be in favor OIL
giving Homes to the Homeless" they should
also be requested to explain how their party
ident, Hannibal Hamlin, the only U. s. Sen
ator from the Northern States who voted
against the Homestead bill at the last SEES
sion Of Congress.-Bufalo Courier.
We beg every honest reader to compare
the above reckless assertion with the follow.
ing recorded facts ....r..
The only thorough Homestead bill Of the
session was first reported to the House by
Mr.. Grow of Pennsylvania on the 9th Of
March last, and on tho twelfth of that month
was passed-Yeas lis, mainly Republicans;
Nays 65, mainly Southern Democrats - not
one Republican Nay. The bill went to the
Senate, was referred, and, on the 18th oil
April, Andrew johnson of Tennessee report.
ed half way measure as o substitute,
charging twenty-five cents per acre for the
lands, (instead of Ct cents for the cost of
survey, and sale in Mr.. Grows billy, and
excluding from its benefits all pre- emptors
now holding Public Lands. Mr.. Wade of
course moved restoration of the House
bill, which was defeated-Yeas &c, (23 Re-
publicans, including HANNIBAL HAMLIN, with
Messrs. Douglas, Rice and Toombs); Nays
3l-all Democrats. The Senate then pro.
ceeded to pass the partial measure of Mr..
Johnsou-Yeas 46; Nays S-Mr. Hamlin
voting Nay with seven Democrats. His rea
son for SO doing is tersely stated in the
Chicago Republican Platform, as follows:
"That we protest against any sale or
alienation to others of the Public Lands
held by actual settlers, and against any view
of the Homestead policy which regards the
bounty, and we demand the passage BY
Congress of the complete and satisfac tory
Homestead measure which has already passed
the House," .cs g..
The hearty advocates of Free Homes in
the House concurred with Mr.. Hamlin, and
voted to restore the original House bill. The
Senate would not concur. Several Commit
tees of Conference between the two Houses
failed to agree. Finally, (June l9th) the
Senate's conferees made such concessions
that the House oonferees agreed to repor:
the Senate bill as amended-as Mr.. Grow
we'll said, mot because it is what we want
but on the principle that half q loaf is better
than no bread" The compromise bill thus
agreed on passed the House-Yeas us
(mainly Republicans y Nays 81, Gall South.
ern, and mostly Democrats } and the Senate
concurred-Yeas So, Nays 2, (Messrs. Bragg
and S'earce, Democrats Hannibal Hamlin
voting with all the Republicans present, in
the affirmative So that Mr.. Hamlin not
only voted for the original, whole -souled bill
of Mr.. Grow, but for the bill that actually
passed-the only one. lie declined to vote
only for the wretched half measure of Mr..
Johnson, which no Republican approved,
which every Republican voted to supersede
by the House bill, which the House indig-
uantly rejected, and which no earnest Free
Homestead man accepted, but under the
direst necessity.
Well, the Republicans, MI. Hamlin inclu.
ded, finally acquiesced in and voted for the
'half Loaf which was oil they conld get,
and it passed sohen President RucAqnon
cctoea IL We had consented to take '.half.
loaf" because we could get no more, and
the President snatched that away from US
So the bill came back vetoed to the Senate,
and the question as now-'Shall the bill
pass Notwithstanding the Presidents OBJ
jections ?'-When it was lost: Yeas 81,
(including Hannibal Hamlin and every
other Republican presently Nays Is, (all
southern, and all Democrats but Mr.. Crit.
tenden). So the bill was lost. VOICES -.7n
What must be the cause, what the party,
whose success requires the diffusion Of such
statements as that we have quoted from the
Buffalo Gourier3