The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1860-09-13

features of homestead law, and many
of the Dem ocratic Senators declared
that il was because it was not a home
stead law that they we're enabled to
vote for it. See remarks of Mr. Davis,
page 2Ol3, and of Mr.. Green, 1891, of
the Congressional Globe.
The points of difference between the
House and Senate bills we're accurately
stated by Mr.. Colfax, page 2988. He
said:
"There are five points of difference
between the two bills. The first is in re-
lation to the persons who may be bene.
ficiaries under the bill. The second is
in relation to the area of the Govern
ment land covered by the bill. The
third point is in relation to the pre-
emptors now upon the land. The
fourth, in relation to the price Of the
land. And the ffh, in relation to the
duty of the President to expose lands
to sale.
"The first point is in relation to the
benefciaries under the bill. The House
bill embraces all persons, citizens of the
United States, or who have declared
their intentions to become such, wheth-
er heads of families or not, if they are
over twenty-one years of age.
"The Senate bill confines the benefit
to heads of families alone, excluding
the young men, who furnish the largest
portion of the defenders of our country
in time of war, and who are a most
valuable portion Of our population.
"Under the second head, the House
bill includes all pre-emptors now upon
the land, and allows them, as we'll as
those who settle hereafter, to have a
quarter section for ten dollars, after five
years settlement thereon. The Senate
bif excludes the pre-emptors now upon
the public land from its operation, but
gives them two years after the passage
of the bill to take the land at full Gov
ernmont price one dollar and twenty
five cents per acre. And l would add,
in regard to this, that the House have
passed a bill, still pending in the
Senate, prohibiting sales Of public lands
till ten years after survey, and which,
if passed, would give the actual settler
ten years start of the speculator. The
pre-emptors already upon the public
land cannot take the quarter section
they are now upon, under the Senate
bill, unless they paid the Government
price for it. If it is not paid for by
them, it must be put up at public sale,
and spectators take an equal chance
with them. To secure the benefits of
the Senate bill, the present pre-emptors
will have to abandon the homesteads
they are on, with what improvements
they have made, and claim another
quarter section.
"Thc third point is in reference to
the land covered in the two bills. The
House bill applies to all lands subject
to compton. This covers all lands
owned by the Government which arc
not reserved for special purposes. The
Senate bill is confined to lands subject
to private entry, which are lands re-
naming after public sale, and after nom
resident spectators have had their pick
and choice. Even then, a speculator,
with land warrant costing him about
sixty or seventy cents per acre, can OBJ
tain fee simple title at once, while the
actual settler must stay on his land five
years before he can obtain his title, and
then pay twenty-five cents per acre, be-
sides the land Office fees.
"The next point is in regard to the
price. The Senate bill requires twenty
five cents per acre, or forty dollars fOr
quarter section, which is twice as
costly as the public lands in Missouri
&c. The House bill requires only ten
dollars, which is charged to cover the
cost of surveying, sc.
"The next print of difference is, in
the clause requiring the President to
expose all public lands to sale. There
is nothing in relation to this matter in
the House bill. The Senate bill re.
quires and compels the President to ex.
pose all the public lands to sale within
two years after survey-an entirely new
feature never before incorporated in a
land bill"
The Senate finally on the 10th of
May, passed Mr.. Johnson's bill, by yea:
A, nays 8, all the Republicans except
Mr.. Hamlin voting for it, on the ground
that it was better than no.bill The bill
went to the House, but that body re
fused to concur, and insisted on tn,
substitution of its bill, that of Mr.. Grow
previously passed.
Three committees of conference were
appointed, the last of which agreed t.
a new bill, called the Conference Com
mittee bill, which was substantially the
same as the Senate bill, with a few
slight amendments, rendering it little
more favorable to the settlers on th'
public lands.
The first of these amendments reduc
cd the price which the Senate bill re
quired to be paid by pre-emptors at tn,
end of two years, now occupying lands
from 81 25 to o21 cents per acre.
The second amendment extended tn
operation of the law not only to land
subject to private entry, Chat is, tn
refuse lands left by speculators,) bu
also to one-half Of all the residue of tn
public lands not specially reserved from
sale.
The third amendment struck out tn
eighth section of the Senate bill, whiol
required tho President to expose al
public lands to sale within two year
after the survey.
On the 10Th of June the Conferene