Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-03-19

MOAhAhku WHAlc NAlhtcHSN PAVNNA a4~A-s%SN-
to the best interests of the people.
Yours, de-, q R O PARSeNs. [.
Provisions Of the Homestead Bin.
The bill which passedlthe House 80 unex-
pectedly and SO triumphantly by SvoteOf lis to
Sc, was not Mr.. Grows bin, butt bill intro
dueed by Mr. LOvejOy, Republican member
from Illinois. He managed the matter with
tact and perseverance, and succeeded in the
bringing the House to vote on the bill in face
of the opposition of the entire South. A letter
says every appeal made to divert him from the
main purpose he aatly refaSed-telIing the
parties with significant smile that he would
take great pleasure in accommodating them
hereafter, but that in this case he could not
dsviate from the end he had in view. He was
ably seconded by Asssrs. Grow, Curtis, Aid.
rich, Washburn, COlfaI, and other Western
men. The substance Of the bill is rs follows;
It provides that any person trhO Is the head Of
a family or has arrived at the age of 2l years,
and is a citizen of the United States, OF I0kO
shall hare fled his iassatioas 10 become EHeb shall
public lands upon which said person may have
filed a pre- enptiOR elcim, OF which may at the
time the application is made be subject to pre-.
emption at 81 25 or less per acre, or eighty
acres of reserved railrOHd lands which are held
at 81. per acre. No certificate is to be given
or patent issued until the expiration Of five
years from the date of the entry, and on the
payment Of $40. The rights secured by the
actual settler issue to the heirs and devises.-
The lands thus acquired in no case to become
liable to the satisfaction of any debt contracted
prior TO the issuigg Of the patent, which is five
years after entering it. The charge Of $40 is
to cover the cost of surveying, recording, is>
suing the patent, &C., and for the further pur-
pose of avoiding the objection that giving
away the lands was unconstitutional, an Objec-
ton which the Democrats have raised against
the free homestead principle. But the settler
will have five years Occupancy Of the farm
before ne will be called on to pay even this
trifing sum. The bill provides that if any
person shall abandon bis claim for six months
it shall revert to the Government, and may be
taken possession of by another person; which
is right. t194 4--.- Ela
A great feature of the billi that which gives
the pre-. emptOrs right to the lands they now
occupy. There are in Minnesota alone, writes
the correspondent of the Chicago Press, $4,000
pre-enptOrs, occupying each l6O acres of land,
which they have not paid for, and are unable to
pay for The enactment of this blessed bill
will lift mountain from their backs, and make
every one of the poor fellows feel free and in
dependent There are thousands of pre-. empt-
ors in Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Arkansas,
Kansas, California, Oregon, Washington, Da-
cOtAh, New Mexico and Nebraska, who will be
placed on their feet and made to thank Heaven
that there is free North and Republican
Party.
Another feature of the bill will commend
itself to the masses of the people, and it is
that which permits the emigrant TO settle on
any unenteTed eighty acres of the alternate
section lands along railroad lines, to which
grants Of lands have been made. The policy of
the government is, no longer to look to the sale
of its public lands for revenue to defray its or
dinary expenses, but to imports on foreign
goods. Why then should not these desirable
lands be open to settlement and improvement
Their occupancy will immensely benefit the
railroads. which own the alternate sections. az it
will introduce population along their lines and
them, besides making salSsble their own lands
after the expiration of few years.
This bill is practically the best Anti. Slavery
measure that ever passed the House Of Repre-
sentatives, and if it becomes law, will do
more for the cause of free soil and free labor
than even the ordinance of 's7, which consecra-
ted the Northwest to freedom simply because
its provisions will range over a wider field. Il
covers the whole unsold domain of the United
States, and will be extended to all future acdui-
sitions of Territory from Mexico to Great Brit
ain. No more Slave States will ever be carved
out of the Territories of this Union, after Love
joys Homestead Bill shall have become a law.
But what a commentary is the passage of
this bill upon the peculiar institution Of the
South There are eight millions of white
people in the Slave States. Two millions or
less Of these are interested in slaves That is
to say, there are $4,000 slave owners, and
allowing each slave holding family to number
five persons, it would give l,75O,0OO people
having family interest in slaves; but allowing
a liberal margin for OverseeTs, slave droVers and
Others with indirect interest, the total falls
short of two millions. The other air millions
are poor, "niggerless whites" who so far from
having pecuniary interest in the institution,
are degraded and robbed by it. To al these
IL
as important and valuable as to the white men
Of the Free States. Throe-fourths ION an avs
erage) Of the white constituents of every
Southern Representative have a vital interest
in the enactment of this most benefcent bill :.
yet their wishes and interests were utterly dis
regarded and dsignnminiously trodden under foot.
The small slave holding minority, numbering
less than one-fourth Of the whites of the
South, controlled every Southern vote of all
parties. Who Is sectional now The Repre. |
sentatIves of the North, who voted in behalf
not only Of their own twenty millions of free |
laborers, but for the six millions of non slave
holders of the South or those who represent, |
ed only an odious oligarchy The Southern |
free labOrers must look to the great North for |
protection, for advocates and defenders of theit
rights aud interests. The slave breeders mos |
nOpOlize the entire Southern Representation in |
Congress. The poor white man of the South |
has no Representative to speak and vote in |
hislbehalf The vote of yesterday proves, With |
startling emphasis, the truth Of every state |
ment in Helpers book concerning the condition |
Of the negrOless whites of the Southern States. |
Reader, turn this matter over in your mind; !
think of the amazing fact that three tourths Of |
The whole white population of fifteen sovereign |
States, are unrepresented in the National Con. |
gress T. Can you do less than hate and abhor |
system thbt thus snbVerts the first principles
Of free government? |
SUICIDEs.-0n Friday of last week, Chris |
ian WeTm, residing in the southwest part Of 4
Venice township, committed suicide by shoot /
ing himself in the head. He took his gun and |
pretended he was going out to shoot squirrels,
out when few rods from the house, he put
ihe muzzle to his chin and pulled the trigger,
killing himself instantly. Temporary dsrange.
uent induced by PecuniaFy embarrassment, is