Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-09-22

to make, that the amount of ten million acres Is low estimate. or at least It IS put a fair estimate, of the lands which are now held by re-emption, and which could be made to realize to the government Sl 70 an acre within three months, if the govern ment would bring them into market under the present law. -,
 New this bill makes proposition which I presume scarcely Senator here would recognize as just and fair, and the results of which he would not forscc at once This bill proposes to reduce to these pre- emptioners the price of the lands to sixty two and 2 half cents an acre where It IS S1 25, if they have got pre-emptions now; but to all men who shall have pre-emptions hereafter it leaves them-in what condition? That they shall come forward under that law and pay S1 25. That is not the right way to legislate. If the design isto reduce the price half to those entitled to pre- emptions now, and who have wealth enough to constitute towns, counties, and States, and if it is right to reduce it to them, cer- tainIy it must be right to reduce 1t to all those entitled to pre-emptions throughout the United States. So sure as we agree now that the lands which are subject to pre-emption, and on which are now due ss1 9 an acre. shall be reduced to sixty two and half cents for the present settlers and the present pre-emption claimants, just so sure will Congress be compelled, by every successive yearly class of settlers, to give them the same relief that has been given to those that went before them; and instead of it's being mere temporary ex- pedient, called for by mercy, called for by charity, that is delusion, and it will become the permanent policy of this gov ernment | do not know that | make myself distinctly understood upon it. l believe l understand it myself. 1t is ut tefly unjust to those who come hereafter. Those who are entitled to pre-emptions, and have not paid for them, we authorize to take them at sixty-two and half cents an acre: and those who go upon the same class of lands tomorrow, and who will be entitled, within twelve months, to prove up pre-emption, shall then pay $l 25.- There is no kind of justice in 1t. That IS one strong feature in this bill as 1t was brought forward by the last conference that was held upon it,
 | l ting in regard to the heavy amount Of land that is now subject to pre-emption, and that the government may offer at public sale, and within three months realize Sl 70 an acre upon, I feel sure there are at least ten million acres of them; and when you shall have stricken off sixty-two and half cents from the price, leaving remaining but sixty-two and half cents to be paid, you will have cut out from the treasury, and have cast away, some seven or seven and half million dollars that you can as well have in the treasury in ninety days as any that you now have there. That IS one provision of this bill; and whilst the treasury is in its present condition, and the country is complaining constantly of want of means and of heavy expenditures, and even of expenditures that are necessary, l do not think it is proper that we should commence in this loose style to cast away many millions. There is no question of the fact that the reduction upon these ten million acres made by this bill must make a difference of over seven million dollars, or about seven million. for cannot now count it in my head 1 will not be positive about it; but certainly it is very large sum that is thrown away by this provision. l do not think the Senate was aware of It when they passed the bill upon the con ference report. If had been here, l should have been compelled to oppose it. was not here. and did not desire to interfere with this bill any further. But l am here now, and tits pressed, and l am compelled to make these statements, and to state further, in regard to 1t, that l cannot con seat to support the bill at all in its present shan, l believe the veto is-well put.
 T know. Afr Preeident, that there are a ,,r-nl 4sofnoints here which I have had no -sssHHFszFy look at. have been absent from the city. and only reached here since day light this morning. l had no chance to hear 1t whilst it was being read. l am in formed 1t contains many points. doubt if single Senator here has gone through with that message, or can even sIgnliy all the noints that are made in 1t. l do not even know that the message touches the points to which I have now alluded; yet those points, I know, are grave, and de- mand serious attention. l cannot belleve that the bill can be passed over the Exec utive veto, even after this slight statement, which I know to be very imperfect, on my part.
 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas asked for the read ing of the report of the committee of con ference. The Chair will inform him that it is now in the possession of the Secretary, and will be read if he desires it.
 MT. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. Then l will ask for the reading of 1t, for l have never heard 1t.
 The secretary read it as follows:
 Mr Johnson. of Tennessee, from the committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses the bill (S No 4lol to secure nomesieaas ,o actual settlers on the public domain, and tor other purposes, made the following report:
 The committee of conference on the dlsagreeing votas of the two houses on the bill (S. Mo- 4l6) to secure homeseads to actual settlers on the pubic domain and for other purposes, having met, ana after full and free conference, have agreed 'o re commend, and do recommehu 'o 'heii ie'PeNi'' houses, as follows:
 That the House of Representatives do recede rom lie disaoreement to the bill of the Senate, and apree to the said bill of the Senate No 4l0) With the following amendments
 Section one, line eleven Strike out the "oru "and.n
 Section one. lines twelve and thirteen. Strike
 
 ont the words ssand become subject to private entry
 Section one, line nineteen After the word .srepster', insert the words "or receiver of sad land office.'
 Section one At the end thereof insert,
 Prorided, That nothing in this section shall be SO construed as to embrace, or in any way include any quarter section or fractional quarter section ofland upon which any pre-emption right has been acquired prior to the passage Of this act: Ana prouided 5urfher, That all entries made under the provisions of this section, upon lands which have not been offered for public sale, shall be confined to and upon sections designated by odd numbers.
 Section seven. At the end thereof insert:
 Propided further, That all persons who are pre-. empors at the date of the passage ot this act shall upon the payment to the proper authority of sixty two and half cents per acre, if paid within two years from the passage of this act, be entitled to natent from the government, as now provided by the existing pre-empton laws.
 Strike out section eight.
 Section ten, line nine. After the word time insert the words " after the actual settlement of six months and
 And that the Senate do agree to the same
 ANDREW JOHNSON,
 SIMON CAMERON, ! Manapers m he mart of the Senate.