The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1860-07-10
A Homestead Bill.


which has passed, and, unless President Blu
chanan should, in his wisdom, see fit to with
hold his signature. it will become law II
comparison with the benefccnt measure, pass
ed by the House, the compromise is poor a,.c
neagre in tho extreme; but the Republican,
could do no better than to accept st undel
protest, expressing determination to urge
the House bill at tho next session.
From the Press d Tribune Of the Dist plt
we copy The following in relation to the lncas,
ure:
"Perhaps the passage Of the Homestead
bill in any shape is better than its defeat in
any other shape. So far as the Homestead
principle is concerned, the prncipl to- wit
that she bona .tids settler on the public do
main, the subduer and civilizcr of the desert,
is fairly entitled to the ownership of one hun
dred and sixty acres Of land-nolh hing has been
accomplished by the bill which wac accepted
and passed by the Senate, and concurred in
10y the House, on Tuesday last. Pre-enp;ors
already on tho public lands are still required
to way sixty.two and one half cents per acre
'or their farms, anu person who may hHreaf-
ter settle on tho unoccupied territory of the
United States is required to pay twenty five
cents per acre, or double tho price of access
ible farming lands in Missouri rnder the Grad
ua,ion Act, for their prc-emptions. Unnar-
ried men are excluded from the benefits Of
even this halfway measure.
"Only the odd numbered sections--one,
three, five, seven, etc.--or one-balf the public
lands are open to settlement under the provis-
ions of the modified bill We infer, from the
imperfect synopsis Of the bill sent by tele
graph, that the lands embraced in the various
railroad grants in Michigan, Wisconsin. Iowa.
Minnesota, Missouri. and some Of the South
orn States are excluded from the provisions of
the bill. Indeed. the only approach to a con-
cession OF the justice Of the Homestead prin-
ciple which we find in the bill, is the striking
out Of the section of the Senate bill requiring
the President to sell the public lands at auc.
tion within two years after the survey. IL
this was the best measure which tho Senate
could agree to, it is a pleasure to know that
the Republican members Of the Committee of
Conference entered protest, declaring that
they accepted the measure only as choice of
OWLS, and that they should insist upon the
naked House bill at the next session.
or will become so when the Presidents sigma
ture is obtained. We cannot believe that Mr.
Buchanan will veto the measure, or allow it
10 fall dead by Withholding his signature un.
til after the adjournment. He may do either
but we trust he is not prepared to give blow
30 fatal, so merciless, so uncalled for, to the
pioneers Of the West and the vast army Of
those in other sections Of tic country who
have been looking forward to the Homestead
bill to give them each new home and new
start in the world. One year ago the Presi-
dent vetoed TIE Agricultural College bill, be-
cause, a. he alleged, it was calculated to re
tard the progress Of the nation in scientific
knowledge. He may now veto the Home
stead bill on the ground that it threatens to
obstruct the settlement Of the new Terrific
lice: but we trust he will not.
"The essential difference between the Sen
ate and House Homestead bills have been ,'g.
erol times exposed in this paper. yet for the
purpose OF setting forth the inefficiency of the
measure which has been adopted. we give
them in brief terms again. The House oil
provides that settlers on the public lands
should have the same privileges on the alter
nate sections Of lands embraced in railroad
grants, as in the distant and inaccessible tract
Of the Territories; the Senate bill withheld
those lands for sale at So SO per acre. The
Aouso bill extends the right Of pre- -emption
to American citizens and to all who had fled
declarations Of intention to become such; the
original Senate bill extends this right only to
native born or fully naturalized citizens. or
those now residents Of the Territories. The
House bill extends the right to heads of fam
lilies, male or female, and to all male citizens
over twenty-one years of age; the Senate bill
gave ths privilege only to heads of families.
But, 'oost signiti cant of all, rs affecting the
interest Of the new States and the settlers
therein, tho House extended the salutary pro.
visions Of the Homestead principle to those
Who have already made locations and filed in
tentions to pre-empt; while ihe Senate contri-
vance applied only to those who should here
after settle on the public domain.
1T appears that the measure fnally agreed
upon does not throw open the vast tracts of
railroad lands, hitherto held at So so per
acre. The bill says to tho poor man who is
looking out for home and quarter section
Of land, II you will 60 far away from the
reach Of markets, railroad', schools, churches
and society-if you have never made claim
under the pre.emption laws, or if you will
consnnl to leave it and 60 farther into the
prairie or the barrens-you may have one
hundred and sixty acres Of land provided you
are the head Of family, for the sum OF forty
dollars Again, it is certain that all young
men, not vet head. Of families, are cast out of
the reckoning 10 tho bill passed on Tuesday;
and 10 this connection we cannot forbear re-
printing the following brief extract from the
able speech Of Senator Wilkinson, of Mime
sofa:
"'The men who euigrats in youth to the
Western country, t" build up for themselves
a fortune and reputation, are the men Of all
others to whom the most liberal provisions of
this ACT should apply. We need their servi.
ces. They are, in plain fact, the vanguard of
civilization upon this continent. They pene-
trate the wild s,litudes, far beyond the safety
and comfort Of society. They traverse and
explore regions in which, for the time being,
families could not reside securely. They pitch
their tents, baild their houses, break up and
improve the soil and open the broad acres o
occupancy and culture. They furnish more
sure and perfect protection Of our Western
iontier than can be given BY all the armed