New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-06
FREE HOMES FOR FREE MEN.
spEECH OF HON. q. A. GROW,
or PENNSYLVANIA,
D. fse Hcsse Of Representatives., Pee. %, 1860.

HY
.,Ion;., claimed dominion based upon their respective
grants from the Crown of Great Britain, over
:. unlimited wilderness Of 10000 OOO acres of land,
,x,epdpg to the Mississippi the west, and the Can
.S., on the north The disposition of these lands be-
same .ubtct Of controversy between the colonies
before the Confederation, and was an early OBJ
saee 10 the organization of any government for the
pro,s ction OF their common interests.
The colonies whose charter from the Crown extend
Cd over none Of the unoccupied lands claimed, in the
lsptuace Of the instructions Of Maryland in l779, to
her delegates in Congress;
Tbs eountry unsettled the commencement. Ct this war
ap BY the Biih Crown aud eeded TO by the treaty az
n,s II he thirteen ssstes sbcaa be considered
men and sSvenment. In such manner and
At uek the wisdom Of tia, Assembly shell hereafter d.
The propriey and the uttice Of ceding these lands
&c the Confederation TO be thus parceled out into free
and independent States, having become the topic OF
discussion everywhere in the colonies, Congress, IN
order 10 alay the controversy and remove the only re-
nairiDg obstacle to final ratification Of the Articles
Of Confederation declared by resolution, on the 10Th
October, 1850:
TSst the Incorporated ands which may ceded
as ushed the UiSted States by any particular State"
s.. ard BE settled and ced into distinct republican states
Which shall become members Of the Federal Union ard have
he Tt ne said londs - ~ s. granted o.
Ssssresd ne Unised States Congress asseH5ied or iHe
In pursuance of the provisions of this resolution,
Hsw-Ycrk Virginia, Massachusetts,, Connecticut,
South Carolina, North Carolina, aud Georgia, coded
thsir claims, including title and jurisdiction 10 the
waste lands they called outside of their re-
Ereetye State limits; all Of them except Georgia and
Ronh Carolina without any conditions annexed 70
their resrecve grants those contained IN the re-
solution Of Congress jus. referred to- The reserva-
Ern in The grants Of Georgia and North Carolina were
net however 10 the future deposition of the lands,
bat condition that Slavery shOu not be prohibited
therein by Congress The territory thus condtoatiy
granted II contained within the States of Tennessee,
hissssippi and Alabama. With the exception of the
ttants Of North Carolina and Georgia land the Ieser
vatons event those relating only the form OF their
fs.ure governmeni, the public lands claimed ey the
eeonies 81 the close of the revolution ceded to
the overnmsn. to be settled and disposed of
under such regulations shall hereafter be agreed
on BIZ the United States an Congress assembled"
Snee that time the Government he's acquired by
treaty of France the Louisiana purchaser Of Spain,
TIE Foridas; Of Mexico, Utah. Mexico, and Cali
foIna; containing, altogether over twelve hundred
million acres of land. So the General Government, by
sessons from the original Ststes and purchases from
osber naons has acquired exclusive OF water COM
puted by the Commissioner ofthe Land Office fourteen
Hundred and fifty million acres Of public lands; Of
which there have been Sold TO Septe nber 80 1859
hundred and forty.peven million eighty eight thousand
tEo hundred and seventy -four acres and other wise
disposed Of In grants and donations TO individuals cor
poratcns companies and States per annexed table
including grants sDoe Goth june 1857, two hundred
and forty million seven bar dred aud seventy Afu-
rand and fity-..o acres-lesyiog Of public landa be-
lcrgpg 10 the Government pndspossd Of on the 30ta
september, 1853, thousand and siZty-one million
one hundred and forty-one thousand six hundred AID
seventy FIVE acres
What disposition shall be made of this vast inherit
anse il question Of no small magnitude Three times,
within seveD yesFs, homestead bill has passed thls
HOuse, and been defeated each time by the Democratic
majority in the Senate On the vote the hOmests ad
bill in the House last Congress- ont Of 100 Deuocr ats
3 Tor [. In
between taking up the homestead bill, after it had
passed the Horse and only required the vote Of the
Senate TO make II law 20 far as Congress was con-
eeped take up the bill for the purchase of Cuba
but one Democrat voted for the homestead and only
ak any time while every Republican in The Senate,
and every one in the Heuse with a single exception
wal for the Homestead. OF all the Represen atiYes Of
TIE slave States bat three in the House voted for IT,
sne but two at sny tire in the Senate. 50 the Demo
cratic party party, arrayed itself in opposition TO
this beneheent policy. The Republican party, on the
other hand is committed to this by lie
in Congress- by lis resolves in Stale Conventions and
BY s yoton TO the great central ioea Of its existence
the rights and interests Of free labor.
Early in this session / introduced BILL which 70 Y
awaits the action Of the House, providing that any
person who is q years old or who is the head
Of family, may enter l6O acres OF any land snbleetto
preemption, or upon which he may have presumption
claim ard, by cuvating the same for FIVE years, shall
be entitled to patent from the Government, on the
payment Of the usual fees of the land office, and ten
dollars to cover the cost Of surveyin and managing
The land pO1cy, a. now conducted pefmllb t1e
President in bis discretion expose public SALE by
PROCLAMATION, any or all Of the public lands after the
same surveyed. Every person settled on toe lands
80 advertised for sse must before the day fixed in
Abe proclamation Of the President pay for his lands
hey are liable to be cold to sny bidder who offers
81 %, or more, per acre. During the lays Of sale
fixed by the President, any can purchase, at 81 y
per acre, many of land not before preempted
as be desires, selecting his own location The lands
that remain unsod at the expiration Of the days of sale
fixed by the President subject 10 private entry;
that is any person can enter at the land office any
all Of the lands that al that time nnsod at 81 %
per acre. If the have net been offered for sale
more than ten years; if for longer period then at less
DR. &C. according TO the length of time they may have
btsp IN the market Thus, under the existing policy
there il no restraint on land monopoly. The ROths-
ohds Baripgs, or any other Of the worlds milton
aiIes may become the Nners Of untold acres of our
public DOMAIN 20 be resod 10 the settler 10 be held
sc al investment for future speculation.
Congress, az the trustee OF the whole people, as
vested by the conc itoD Of the grants from the States
and BY the Constitution ITSELF with the sole discretion
sry power of disposng Of these lands. Bat, in the
sxercse Of sound discretion, il becomes It's doty 10
dispose o. them in the way thai viii beet promote the
ereatness and glory Of the Republic And how caa
bat be accomplished well as by policy that will
secure them in limited quantities es TO the actual cut-
evils Of system Of land monopoly-one OF the dres
deadiest that ever parayZed the energies OF
nation OF palsied the arm Of Industry i. needs no
lengthy dissertation TO portray its evils. les history
IN the Old World is written in sighs and tears Under
it, influence you behold there the proudes and most
spleI did aristoc sces side by side With the mos ab-
jeet and debased people; vas. manors hemmed IN by
hedges a sporting ground for the nobility, while
men are dying beside the iDclosure for the want OF
land 20 th Under It's big htDg influence you behold
Industry IN rage, and patience ia despair. S1ch ere
some OF The fruits Of land monopoly IN the Old Worldj
and rrQ Il.