Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-04-16
Vhe public Lands.

That respectable and influential Catholic
journal the New York Tablet, in the num-
Der for this week, devotes long article to
the abuses which have grown up under
our present land laws. We extract the
following part of it, narrating the efforts of
Mr.. Grow during the past and present ses-
sion of Congress. The writer is correct in
saying that "the people will no longer al
low the public domain to be frittered away
for the benefit of spectators"
"Honest and philanthroptc men, moved
by the true democratic principle, have, tor
some years past, strenuously endeavoredto
substitute for this system one which would
protect actual settlers, those hardy pion-
eersof civilization, from being sacrificed to
the benefit of the land sharks. Among
these none merits higher praise or more
grateful remembrance from every son OF
toll than the Hon. Mr.. Grow of Pennsyl-
vania. He has been the uDflinching and
untiring advocate of the poor man against
the monopolist. He has ever been ready
with an amendment or bill to effect ms
object Dnring the second session OF the
NXXYth Congress he procured the add
ton to a bill for regulating the sales ofthe
DOOllC l1QQS, Oh du . $500
tide settlers ten years start of the specula-
tors. but the bill as amended was defeated
by the representatives of the great landed
interests of the South, assisted by some
twenty-seven Northern and Western Demo-
Gratis, among whom were Colonel Flor
ence. Davis of Indiana, Valandigham
of Ohio. The southern Kuow-Nothings,
with a single exception Davis of Mary
land) voted against the bill, Only eight
Democrats supported it; they were John
Cochrane, Hatch and Horace Clark, of
New York, Cox and Miller of Ohio, Morris
of Illinois, Phelps and Cavanaugh OF Min
nesota. The Republicans voted in its ia
vor. Later in the session bill to secure
homesteads to actual settlers was brought
forward by Mr.. Grow. 1t was passed by
one hundred and twenty to seventy-six
and the vote showed that the popular
opinion expressed through the press had
changed for the better the opinions OF
northern Democrats, twenty-nine voting
for and six against the bill. The southern
Democrats, with the exception of three,
voted against it, and the southern Know
Nothings without exception. One Repub-
lican, Nichols of Ohio, voted against the
bill. Arrived in the Senate, where the
great landed interest predominates. every
direct vote eg GStR to- to avoid coming to
aside the humbug purchase of Cuba bill
and take up the Homestead bill was voted
down by every Democratic Senator Cn-
Guiding Douglas, Shields and Pugh), ex-
cept Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, and
David Broderick, of California, who from
the first stood by the measure unfalter-
ingly.
S'Not discouraged by these failures, Mr..
Grow has this session again brought for
ward n Homestead bill, which has passed
the House, and now awaits the action of
the Senate. The vote on the bill now in
the House is instructive, and shows the
continued beneficial effect of an enlighten-
ed public opinion on our legislators
Every Northern and Western Democrat,
(includiug Colonel Tom Florence, Davis,
of Ind, Vallandigham, of Ohio, and 9th
ers,. who voted against it last session.
with the exception of Montgomery, of
Pennsylvania, voted for the bill The
whole Republican vote was cast in its IA
vor. All the Southern Democrats and
Know Nothings, with the exception of
Craig, of Missouri, voted against it. So
that now the question rests fairly on its
merits, having resolved itself into strug-
gle between Labor and Monopoly"