Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-04-04
THIRTY-sIXTH CONGRESS-.
TUESDAY, April 8.

Aprll 3
SENATE.
On motion of Mr.. MASON, the bill providing
for the adjudication of the claims of the Rhode
Island company against Paraguay by the ap.
polntment of a commissioner by each govern
ment to sit in Washington three months, in
accordance with treaty stipulations, was taken
up and passed.
Mr.. JOHNSON of Tennessee wanted the
homestead bill taken up and pressed to final
vote 1t was very important measure.
The Indiana appropriation bill came up, and
Senate amendments adhered to, after which
the bill was postponed until Thursday.
The House homestead bill was taken up, the
pending amendment being the Senate bill.
Mr.. FITCH offered an amendment, that all
lands that came under the provisions of this
bill should be only there subject to private en-.
try at the passage of the law.
MIR. WILKINSON said he regarded the amend
ment just offered as not OF any value and so
far as he was concerned he would rather not
see any homestead bill, than one with such
provision i'll it. 1t was known that whole
townships had been entered, settlements OPP
pressed, and the movement swindled by pri-
waite entry. He had Travelled his own state for
miles, where all the lands were subjected to
private entry, and where there were no cul.
ture nor inhabitants. The government was
but land Spectator, and the public domain
was but used to replenish the treasury and
while the domain was used as a revenue, there
could be no faithful observance Of the land
laws. change for this, he was glad
was to be foand in the homestead bill
The Senate bill, the speaker thought,
while it recognized the general princ
pies of the homestead bill, yet it did
not reach the merits of the case. 1t was load
ed down with provisions and restrictions which
tended to destroy the liberality of the law by
excepting certain classes. The bill should
extend its provisions to prospective citizens
those who come hereafter. He did not sup
pose leading men were opposed to the home
stead bill. The senator from North Carolina,
Mr.. Clingman, had said lie regarded this bill
the same as voting money out Of the treasury,
and had offered an amendment to destroy the
bill. He thought if the senator supposed this
charitable measure, he did not understand
the true merits of the case. 1t was to devel-
| ope and improve the country, and extend CIV
| ilization. 1t was measure Of national justice
and wisdom, and it was the duty of govern
ment so to use its common property as to pro-
mote the whole interests of the country. This
was the solution of the whole problem. He
maintained the position that wild uncutivated
| lands should belong to whoever resides on
them and cultivates and subdues them. In
this respect we should adopt policy, older
than the nation, that public lands not sold
forever. He would have the government eX-
tend its support to the working classes of
this country-they who so often are struck
down in the contest between capital and labor
Another objection he had to the Senate bill was
that it excluded young unmarried men, and
he could not see why the government should
be less liberal in the homestead bill than in the
presumption law. 1t was unjust to exclude the
unmarried man, for it would thus cut off all
the earlier settlers who were single men and
who underwent all the hardships of pioneer
life. The young men were the vanguard of
the civilization of this country. They go
where families cannot go securely they clear
the forests, cultivate the soil, and furnish
greater protection than all the army. They
lay the foundation for future states. He want
ed the bill as broad for them as the pre-emp-
ton act in this respect. BY this bill the hardy
pioneeris entirely disregarded. They have to
pay for the land, while less fearless ones who
come after them get homes free. 1t was not
common fairness that this class should be TO-
nored He also objected 70 the clause excluding
the foreign population, and the clause allowing
only the lands subject to private entry to come
under the provisions of the bill 1t would be
| imperative in his own state. His last obiec.
ton to the Senate bill was, it only allowed set
| Elements on alternate sections. He opposed
entirely, speculation by the government in
public lands, and keeping settlers apart on
alternate sections. In conclusion he advocated
the House bill, which favored the prosperity of
the country. The homestead bill was not a
party measure. 1t was above sectionasm
lie hoped it would be considered with harmo-
ny and unanimity, and would be welcomed by
the whole country, as beneficial to all.
Mr.. GREEN, from the territorial committee,
reported bills organizing Arizona and Colora-
do. He also offered preamble and resou-
tions setting forth that VIM. Medi, comp.
| TROLL nff hof ho1,
tlce OF the department in settling the post office
accounts, and also the laws and had therefore
justly incurred the disapprobation of Congress,
and that his conduct renders it improper for
him longer to continue in office. Laid over.
MIR. MASON, from the committee on foreign
affairs, reported bill defrayng the expenses
OF the Japanese embassy on their arrival in
the country
Mr.. GREEN introduced an act to amend an
act from the House, relative to the overland
mail service.
On motion of Mr.. BAYARD, the bill concern
ing appeals and writS of error, and the bill
providing for the supply of vacancies in GER
tam offices, were taken up and passed The
latter provides for allowing the courts to fill
vacancies in district attorneys or marshafs
offices, accruing during the sessions of the
courts until appointments can be made by the
president.
The House resumed the consideration of
the ntipolygamy bill.
Mr.. MCCLERNAND proceeded to sustain his
assertion made yesterday, that there was no
instance in which Congress had enacted spe.
cial penal code to operate in the organized t,r
ntorles. lie admitted that polygamy is a
| great evil, and a nuisance in the eyes of chris
| tendon, and that it deserves to be extin-
| gulshed; but as the execution of this proposed |
law Is LEFT to the Mormons, does any man be-
leVe Mormon who has Il plurality of wives,
would enforce it against his neighbor similarly
circumstanced? The great cause of our trou-
Dles is, that the Mormons have been entrusted
with the execution of the laws which they
have constantly disregarded As a remedy |
for the evil, he proposed to divide Utah be-
tween Pixies Peak and Nevada.
Mr.. CLARK of Missouri said in his opinion
that is the best possible way to dispose of the
question, The Mormons can thus be made
subservent to moral virtue and local author-
ty. His information was that Pixies Peak has
now population of twenty thousand, and will
soon receive an accession of at least fifty thou
sand more
Mr.. PARROT said Pixies Peak is legally a
part of Kansas At one time the population
was as high fifty thousand and at no time
has it been less than ten thousand. His cor.
respondence and examination showed him that
the number will be largely augmented this
summer. But he did not wish Kansas to be
curtailed of her fair proportions till she is adj
mitted INTO the Union.
! Mr.. SMITH Of Virginia did not believe JET.
ferson has five thousand inhabitants.
Mr.. McCLERNAND responded that his friend
was skeptical on many subjects, and urged his
plan for destroying polygamy by dividing the
farrt farxr hat r,p1 \