The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-03-30
Political.
speech Of Mr.. WigfalI Of Texas, on the
Homestead Bill.

Mr.. Johnson, from the committee on pub.
lie lands, reported back the House homestead
bill. amended by the substitution of the Sen.
ate bill.
MIR. Wade of Ohio moved to substitute
the House bill.
Mr.. Clingman of Ga. explained an amend.
ment offered by him, which proposes to give
to every man in the United States, who
comes within the provision of these bills, q
warrant for 16O acres at once, with the pow
cr to retain the same or sell it out if insult.
able. The present bill requires man to
work fye years continuously on the land in
order to get title.
Mr.. Pugh of Ohio spoke in favor of the
passage of homestead bill
Mr.. Hale spoke at length on the same side,
in the course of his remarks expressing SYM
pathy with the strikers in New England, and
hoping their combinations would continue
until they obtained the highest wages COM
patibe with the general good.
Mr.. Wade advocated his motion to take
up the House bill. which he showed to be
more liberal than the Senate bill.
Mr.. Johnson of Ark. opposed Mr.. Wades
motion. and referred to Mr.. Hales remarks
as insincere and demogogic. He wanted to
hold on to the canaille of New England by
the cry of free homes for free men, fearful
that under the pressure of starvation they
would desert him and his party.
/ Mr. Johnson of Tenn. knew the House
bill could not pass this body. and the true
friends of the homestead principle should
take that which they could get. He opposed
making this party question.
Mr. Wade then withdrew his motion.
/ Mr.. Wigfall of Texas regarded the matter
as party question, involving as it did the
power of the federal government. If this
government was eleemosvnary; if it was es-
tablished to provide for the halt, blind, deaf,
&c If it could give land to the landles,. why
not niggers to the niggerless; it might re-
open the African slave trade on missionary
grounds, and bring negroes here to be con-
verted. MIR. Wigfall went into an examina.
ton of the powers of the federal govern
ment, and contended that, as the trustee of
the sovereign states, it had no right to vote
away their lands. In the course of his re-
marks he said. it is nonsense to talk of Q
state committing treason; the thing was i'm
possible. He owed allegiance to the state Of
Mexico, which, conformity with the o:her
states, exercised the same portion of the SOW.
ereign power. Whenever she declared the
federal government no longer her agent,then
it would be his duty to return to his state
and if he should be captured fighting under
the flag of the Lone Star, under the laws op
erations, he could not be treated as traii.
tor.
Mr.. johnson of Tenn. remarked that there
were precedents for the policy proposed in
the bill
; Mr.. Wisfall was sorry to hear any demo
crat refer to precedents; if they are accept
: ed, banks. tariffs, interna: improvements. SC
could be justified. He then denounced ths
policy of New England, which by federal leg
islation had got rich and kept the other sec
tions poor. He thought nothing better could
occur than dissolution of the Union; New
England would then beg the South to come
> back her spindles would cease to turn, and
her ships rot at the wharfs, and her. aailor,
and operatives, turned out to starve, would