Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-05-05
CONGRESSIONAL. THE HOMESTEAD BILL. SPEECH OF HON. R. w. JOHNSON,
 OF ARKANSAS.
IN SENATE, APRIL IT. 1860.

slderatlon 0lli, which was introduced by the Hon. ANDREW JOHNSON, of Tennessee, to grant to any person who is the head of a family. and a citizen of the United States, homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land out of the public domain, upon condition of occupancy and cultva- ton Of the same for period therein specified much diversity of opinion was discovered, and various amendments to parts, or as substitutes tor the whole bill, were submitted ny different Sena- tors. To these added bill which had passed the House of Representatives ''to secure home steads to actual settlers,' which still further com plicated the propositions The House bill was re- ferred to the committee on public lands, and was subsequently, reported back, with the original bill of the Senate, substitute. and as all the varied propositions previously submitted, were renewed, Mr. JOHNSON, Of Arkansas sought to extricate the Senate from its entanglement, on Wednesiav the llth of April, Iob0, by moving to recommit both the House and the Senate bills and all pending substitutes aud amendments, to the committee on public lands, for the purpose of maturing a measure which should em0ody many grave suggestions that had met with favor ill the Senate. The recom- initial was agreed to; and the committee, with great care, prepared new bill, which, on Tuesday, April IT, was reported to the Senate with its unan
 mous sanction--a bill (S. No. 4l6) 10 secure homesteads to actual settlers the public domain, and for other purposes-which the Senate proceeded to consider Mir. JUHNsoN, of Arkansas, as the ch lirman of the committee on public lands, from which the bill had been reported explained it's pro- visions, and compared them with all other proposi- tions, in the following speech:
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. Mir. Pre- sident, 1 have considered this question with a desire to arrive at something on which we could all agree, and have certainly, as the senator says, been sincere in all the efforts l have made in regard to it, as l trust may always be in anything that undertake We have attained what did not think possible, and what l have never, until recently thought it was competentto attain, point in common between us, mea- sure for the disposition of the public lands to actual settlers on which we could agree We have attained that, whilst the senator from Tennessee has preserved his idea. l mention that simply in consequence of the senator's allusion to myself lmay say, as perhaps the best assurance that we have reached proposition that is practicable in its character, and that Is wise and likely to prove beneficial, that 1t commands the sane ton and approval of several other parties, who have always uniformly and constantly opposed the homestead bill.
 The object 1 have in rising is simply to explain the differences that occur between the measure that is before us now and the bill that has been before us heretofore, and that has commanded the largest support, and was likely either to consume the residue of the session or to become law, so far as the action of the two houses of Congress was concerned. My object Is to explain the points of difference, and to present them practically. have no disposition at all to make any speech on the subject at this time; for the arguments in regard to the whole and an ingenious man may find great many on tle other side.
 It is certain that we have now reached this point: we have drought here measure which, so far as my convictions are con cerned, is not only for the benefit of the actual settler who goes on the lands, but which is also demanded by, and will be satisfactory to, the population throughout the country in other States, and which will also be satisfactory to those who are in charge of the government itself. l cannot speak by authority, yet 1 know that it IS satisfactory to the Secretary of the lnte- rior and to the Commissioner of the General Land Office It is a measure which will, of itself, be productive of or der and symmetry in all its connection with the public land system and will actually bring money into the treasury. l have no hesitation in saying to the Senate that believe can demonstrate that fact And whilst 1t will promote settlement, it will not, at the same time inconsiderately throw emigration forward upon the public lands, and into the wilderness and the forests, in such numbers as to cause suffering and loss to the settlers, or constitute great national deception practised upon them.
 The bill now presented is a bill of con sessions, not going so far as was demanded, either by the opponents or the friends of the original homestead proposition. The grounds of this action have been tolerably we'll stated already by the original advo- cate of the homestead proposition, the hon. orable senator from Tennessee; but 1 will say, in this connection, that there was one distinct understanding on which we acted when we set ourselves down to consider this question, and that was, that we would eschew and reject every purpose of gaining a political advantage by the details of such a measure as this, or carrying on, in any respect, political warfare of any kind.- We sought simply to obtain that which would establish precedent, and prece- dent consistent with our present land sys- tenn; not throwing away the public lands, not coming in conflict with the constitution of the United States, and vet permitting the settlement of the country, and that gra- duallv, and establishing principles which, | if we have not gone far enough now, and it should be deemed well to go further here after, 1t can be done by subsequent legisla- ton, on the ground that legislation is a matter that Is eminently progressive in its character, where it is wise at all: and that on the other hand, if we have gone too far, we have not gone far enough to do damage and prevent restrictions being i'm posed hereafter. It is on these terms that this bill is proposed, which 1 hope will be gene rally supported.
 1 have no doubt that there are those. on my own side of this chamber, who will agree to no proposition at all on this sub- l CNt' l bCiiCNC Ctldt lutIc dIt hOUue SUcn.- | Very well. 1 know something of the cir cumstances that surround them, and I re. spect their position; but I know that there are others on this side of the chamber who are surrounded by no such extraordinary pressure upon their minds or obstacles in their localities as to cause them to pre- judge the measure. There are very many who are free to consider the mea. sure, as it comes before you now, with reference to its own merits. I will say beforehand that if this measure is permitted to stand as 1t is reported, am for it. do not say this with the belief that it will affect the action of others at all I only say it as indicative of the earnestness and sin cerity with which believe that it is right; that it will give what no man can pro- perly reject, that it will only go to test, in some degree, principles and policy that ought to be tested, anl which if we do not test, other measures that are absolutely de- >tructive in their character upon the public interests will be compelled to be brought forward anl supported, and finally passed through It must be evident, think. to our own side of the House that the subject