Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-06-22
The uOmossead min.

From present indications the Homestead
Bill is likely to be lost in the Senate. II
passed the House some weeks since and was
sent 10 tho Senate where the whole bill was
stricken out and a miserable subterfuge in
serted, which, without tho aid Of Repub-
lican votes, passed, and was returned
to the House, where they again inserted
their own bill and rcturnedit il to the Senate.
A second committee Of conference was then
asked, aud on the 18th, the House resloved
to ADHERE 10 its own righteous and benefi-
cent Homestead Bill aud defini,iyely re-
jected the miserable mockery offered by
the Senate. We especially thank Mr.. Col
fax for having put the points of radical diff
ference between the two bills so clearly be-
fore the House and the country. The issue
on this question is now clearly made up
we are ready to go to the jury upon it,
After repeated efforts to effect compromise
between the two bills, it is settled that
none can be made--at least none till the
people shall have been heard from. Only
madness can doubt their verdict.
Mr.. Colfax, from tho second conference
committee on the bill, reported that they
we're unable to agree, and in moving that
the House should ADHERE to its own bill
gave a synopsis Of the two bills, which is
as follows:
"They differed, he said in five prominent
features-as regards the persons who are
to be the beDeficiaries, the pre-emptors now
on the Government land, the description of
land brought within the purview Of the
law, the price, and the policy of tho Gov.
eminent as to compulsory land sales.-
First as to persons: The House bill includes
all citizens over 81 years old, and all who
have declared their Intentions; the Senate
bill excludes all but heads of families, cut
ting off our young men over 2l, large
and valuable portion Of our population
Second, the House bill includes in its bene-
fits all pre-emptors now on the public land {;
tho Senate bill excludes them, but allows
them two years to buy their lands at the
Government price; under the Senate bill
pre-emptors now on the land cannot take
the quarter section they are on, but must
abandon or pay for it. Third the
House bill applies to all land subject to
pre-emption, which covers all Government
land not reserved for special purposes,
whether surveyed or not; the Senate bill is
confined to lands subject to private entry,
which are only those remaining after a pub
lie land sale, and the spectators have had
their pick; land warrant spectators after a
land sale, could acquire title at once un-
Der the Senate bill, but an actual settler
would have to wait five years, and then pay
twenty-five cents per acre, and the land Of
flee fee. Fourth, the House bill gives the
land to the settler at $40 for quarter sec
ton; the Senate bill requires $40 for a
quarter section, twice as costly rs the grad
uated lands in Missouri Fifth the Senate
bill compeIs the President to expose the
public land 10 sale in two years after n sur
vey; the House bill does not; but the
the House has passed a separate bill, now
pending in the Senate, preventing sales nm
til ten years after the survey. Mr.. Colfax
added, there was no land of any conse-
quence in Minnesota, Washington or Ore
gon, to which the Senate bill will apply, and
but little in California, Kansas and Nebras-
ka. Under the House bill, the government
land everywhere would be open to the pio-
neer.
Tho House then resolved to adhere to
their own bill without division.
Later.