The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-06-28

of all the wild schemes that have ever been dig
nifed with the name of legislation, the Homestead
Bill lately passed by Congress, is the most absurd.
1t is difficult to conceive of any measure which
would be more calculated at once to impoverish
and demoralize the nation. In refusing TO sane
ton it. Mr.. BUCHANAN has done the country an
inestimabe service The. substance of this extra
ordinary Act is thus briefly stated in the PREsI-
DENTS veto message, of the 22d inst:
'This bill gives to every citizen of the United States
who the head of family and to every person of for
egn birth residing in the country, who has declared his
intention become citizen, though he may not be the
head Of family the privilege of appropriatng to him
self hundred and sixty of government land,
settling and residing upon it for five years and should
his residence continue until the end of this period he
shall then receive patent on the payment of twenty
cents per acre. or onehfh oil the present government
price During this period the land is protected from all
the debts of the settler.
This bill also contains cesson to the States of all the
public lands within their respective limits which have
been subject to sale at private entry, and which remain
unsod after lapse thirty years. This provision
braces present donation to the states of twelve million
two hundred and twenty-nine thousand hundred
and thirtyone acres and will from time to time transfer
to them large bodies of such lands which, peculiar
circumstances may not be absorbed by private purchase
and settlement
The arguments by which Mr.. BUCHANAN has
INDICATED the exercise of his prerogative on this
occasion are conclusive, though it was scarcely
necessary for him to enter upon any defence of his
course Most people were convinced of the enor-
nifty of the proposed measure long before it was
consummaed, and it is impossible to believe that
the majority of those who voted for it thought it
expedient or just The PRESIDENT, however, has
deemed proper to place on record his reasons for
declining to approve it, and those who fail to re-
cognize their conclusive force must constitute an
infnitesimal minority. He first shows that Con-
gress has practically given away the public
lands. The settler is TO pay only twenty-five
cents an acre at the end of. five years,
so that in effect he purchases at the paltry price
of eighteen cents per acre, while to the States
immense tracts are assigned absolutely for moth
ing. Mr.. BUCHANAN first asserts the unconsti-
nationality of the Act, and cites the highest
authorities TO prove that Congress has no right to
dispose of the public domain in the manner pro-
posed. He then proceeds to point out the i'm
policy and unfairness of the whole project. 1t is,
he saws, unjust to the old soldiers who have
received land-warranis, for the latter have fallen
in value during the tendency of the Homestead
Bill ito sixty-seven cents per acre. and there
are still outstanding unsatisfed land-warrants,
amounting in round numbers to seven and
"a half million acres" which, if this Bill |
were signed, would be comparatively worth
less. 1t is for the benefit, almost exclusively,
of one class of our population, 'the cult
''vators of the soil, for mechanics and laborers
can derive no advantage from it, unless they
abandon their respective occupations for an avo-
cation for which they are unfit 1t would also be
al.
different States. Those west of the Mississippi
would receive an enormous addition to their
wealth, while nearly all those lying east of that
river would be heavy losers, for instead of
revenue of S4, 600, coo, which, under the present
system, the common treasury would derive this
year from the public lands, the SECRETARY of the
INTERIOR estimates that only 81, 000 900 would
be obtained from that source if the Home
stead Bill became a law. Moreover, it pro-
posed a most singular and outrageous dis
elimination in favor of foreigners and against
the native-born citizen for while the latter could
take nothing by the terms of the BILL unless he
was the head of family, such condition APP
piled TO the emigrant newly arrived our shores.
These are some of the objections urged by the
PRESIDENT against this measure, and they are so
patent and so strong that we are led to in uire
how it is that they were disregarded by both
branches of Congress. The question is, we think,
easily answered. The adop ion of the Homestead
Bill was simply undiSguised bid of the various
parties for popularity 1t was reckless appeal,
on the part Of politicians, TO the selfshness of our
own people-to the sensbties of our naturalized
citizens-and to the sympathy of the pauperism of
the world 1t is therefore not difficult to account
for the passage of the bill. We may go further,
and presume that it would not have been rejected
by the House Or Senate even if it had been doubly
as unwise and hurtful as it is. Both parties are
partly responsible for the measure, but the Repub
licans, beyond all question: are chiefly account
able. They have claimed the project as their own,
and battIei incessantly to forward it. They have,
for many months, been crying out DANGEROUSLY
for land for the landless - and at Chicago they
took occasion to cmbody this demand in their
party platform. Whatever, then, may be the po-
litcal results Of this offer to grant free farm to
every individual between the Caucasus and Ireland
WhGmay condescend to come and reside among
US, the Republicans must answer for them They ,
may assume the honor as they must bear the dis
credit which may in future attach to the authors
ana advocates Of this impudent but impotent BILL
lhey are welcome TO the reward which awaits
ueM, Tor we cannot doubt that the country
Will sooner or later pronounce against them a YER
ulct OF uncompromising reprobation