Daily national Democrat., 1860-10-25
Douglas and the Homestead Bill.


Stephen A. Douglas has always been a
warm advocate of Homestead Bill, When
the Homestead question came up in the SEN
ate, he voted for the House bill as a substi-
tute for that Of the Senate because the House
bill was far more favorable to the settler
Falling to carry the substitution, he then
proposed an amendment to the Senate BILL
which would have the effect to dlaw dis
tinction between the Settler and the Specu-
lator. Mr. Davis, of Mississippi, having OBJ
jeeted to the amendment and given his aristo.
cratic reasons, AIr. Douglas said;
at is true that this amendment to this bill
will make radical change, and it is simply
this: As the land system now stands the
speculator and actual settler are on terms of
entire equality, taking the land at 81 % an
acre; but, according to the proposed change,
the speculator will be required to pay 81 %
an acre, and the actual settler will only nav
twenty five cents an acre. The legal effect
will be to make one dollar an acre difference
between the man who buys for speculation
without settlement, and the man who settles
upon the land and makes it his home. and
that is my o9jectin the amendment"
Mr.. Mason not having, during all the dis
cussion, been able to get through his head
what Douglas was driving at, got up and
said:
81 wish to ask the Senator from Illinois
whether the effect of his amendment will not
be to enable the pre-emptioners who now are
such to take their pre-emption lands at a
quarter of dollar an acre"
"UpQaestionably," answered Mr.. Douglas.
! And Immediately after, the vote on Douglass
amendment was taken, and the amendment
lost, Mason and Gwin and the Buchananites
generally voting against it.
Thus Douglas has always shown himself
the friend of the poor man, and labored in
the Senate to protect his rights, while those
men who are sustaining Breekinridge have
uniformly been against him in all such efforts.
The Senate Homestead Bill finally passed,
Douglas considering it greatly defective. but
supporting it in preference to no bill at all.
The following is the record:
desire to say word in this stage of the
proceedings If the object of the friends of
the homestead bill be truly and sincerely to
promote the interest of the settlers on the
public lands do not think there can be a
moments hesitation in voting for the bill as
II now stands before the Senate. No man can
deny but what there are provisions in this
oil OF vast Importance to the settlers. 1t
may not accomplish all the objects we have
in view. 1t does not accomplish near All the
objects had in view. 1t is not what | de-
sire.
had entertained the fond hope that we
could have done better. But sir, we have
done so much now that we can not stand
justified If we refuse to take what is now so
generously extended to us, merely because
we cannot get all we want Sir there is one
feature IN this bill Of itself of vast Importance
III gives TO these settlers two Years. at least
to save their homes. If they do not Get anv
better provision at the end of that time tbey
have, at least, that two years respite. and
then it gives them the lands at 25 cents nm
acre, instead of s 25. Is it of no service to
the settler that he gets his farm at 25 cents
instead ofSl 25 an acre
Mr. Trumbull-He has to paw 81 25 inst
the same under this bill.
MIR. Douglas-Then it is not as satisfactory
as had hoped it is still more Objectionable
but stu 1t gives two years and how can we
refuse the grant of two years, ACCOMPLISHING
all we ask for that length of time and giving
them chance Of saving themselves after
wards, instead of taking it away from them
now and afterwards? Even that two wears
provision is enough to control my votes
The bill then passed by vote of A to s.
Mr. Douglas voting for and Mr.. Hamlin
against it. The following is the negative
vote.
Nays-Messrs. Bragg, Clingman, Hamlin,
Hunter, Mason. Pearee, Powell and Toombs.
When the Homestead bill came up again
before the Senate, on the Goth of Nav Mr.
Douglass name does not appear in the vote
taken, and the Black Republican papers in
Hnuate that he was absent because he desir-
ca 10 dodge the question" Their editors