The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-21
The Homestead 1lll,
OUH WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE

WASHINGTON, March 10, 1850
The Homcxead or Ifee Furm Project IN ne Ssnate-Th.
House hi and he Senate Ba,-1Ae Reps5sioas Prqjes,
the Best for Buncom5e-fhe Charleston Conuaston &C.
From the very thin attendance on the floor Of
the Senate today at two O'Clock, and In tho gal.
leres, would hardly suppose one Of the most ex-
uaordinary, and momenous measures OF Congressions
legislation 10 be under consideration. Yet 30 Is and
MIR. Nicholson (dem) OF Tennessee, is engaged In an
elaborate argument In favor Of the Homestead BILL the
bill granting free farm of 100 acres every head Of
family who may settle the public domain, and cultivate
sad farm for aperiod Of i've years The colleague Of Mr.
Nicholson Mr. Andrew johnson, whose claim TO the pa
,erniy Of this Homestead project be very safely
contested NJ Nicholson opens the debate In order thai
his colleague may himself some Of the
strong speeches which will unquestionably be made
against the BILL There are symptoms Of long and
haastng debate the subject but there also symp
toms that the complete Of the scheme only
arrested by the veto Of the President
There two bills before the Senate the House bill
and the Senate BILL the only material difference between
them being in this that while the House bill opens tue
public domain equally TO citizens and Aliens the Senate
bill restricts this privilege OF settlement actual citizens
Pass the House bill into law and with the receipt OF the
news by the dweller the shannon, the Clyde, the
Thames, the Rhine the Danube he may come over Ct
once and forthwith take up bis claim ana squat on It. and
snu o. ana n hS @ xe out ns title
day. The Senate bill requires the conner 10 our
shores TO through this i've years ordeal citizenship
before he be entitled 70 the privilege OF squang
The House bill is the republican proect-the Senate bill
has democratic origin; and between these the
whole scheme may fall TO the ground Other wise sp-
prehend that the only hope against Is in the Presidents
Veto
The prominent objections Of the South TO this measure
that will squander away the OF three
millions Of the federal revenues and the basis Of large
public credit In time Of need, thus leading high tariffs
oppressive the South and that will 100 rapidly Oil up
Territories, and develope them INTO
States, Of the Kansas pattern, thus completely, IN
short term Of years, overshadowlng the South,
perhaps in the proportion Of twenty. four or
twenty i've free States against sixteen seventeen
slave States These Southern objections will sufficiently
account for the sharply defined sectional division OF the
passage Of the bill in that body Mr. Nicholson however,
pleads that the bulk II not all the present Territories OF
the United States will in any event be occupied ny
white labor and converted into free States that
useless to attempt 10 prevent while the other hand
the general wealth added to the country will thousand
fold compensate the treasury and all sections the
render Of the public domain In free FARMS 10 actual set
tiers The Senate will take It's time in the discussion Of
the measure, and possibly may not to final vote
upon this aide the Democratic National Convention
With regard 10 the Convention, while the pressure for
some opposition to any change beginning break out in
the South We are thus appraised that Southern men
begin 70 suspect that there H something more in this
movement for change than the limited
and exorbtant charges Of Charleston; that Baltimore
would be very convenient place 10 bring 20 werful
outside pressure 70 bear from the North calculated In
fuence the action of the Con yepton At eli events within
the next two weeks may expect solution OF ques
ton, and the chances are still in favor Of change.