Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-03-30

SPEECH OF
ON. a. o. II. NICHOLSON.

ON. a. O. p. NICHOLSON,
or THE HOMESTEAD BILL. IN THE SENATE on THE
UNITED Stairs, MARCH 10TH 1850.
Btr. NICHOLSON. Mr. President. 10y col
league is entitled. as matter of courtesy, to the
floor on this bill, and las yielded to me with the
understanding that I shall explain the object and
in my judgment commend it to our support lis
intimate connection with this subject since the
year lS46, when the measure was originated Dy
him in the other House qualities HIM much better
than myself to perform this task; but as he per
fers TO hear the objections which may be made
before addressing the Senate himself, VIII pro
coed. as briefly as / can, to present my views on
the subject On examining the bill when came
from the House Of Representatives, ma IN II
provisions which are Objectionable to my mind
that / cannot support it. The bill matured by the
Senate committee, and now before the Senate Is re-
leved Of these Objectionable provisions, ana TO that
shall confne my remarks
It provides that any person who IS the head OF
a family and citizen of the United States, or who
shall have filed his intention TO become ctzen IN
pursuance of our naturalization laws. shall have the
right 70 enter quarter section OF me unappro-
priatad Dublic domain but in exercising this right
such person is to be restricted TO those lands that
have been surveyed, proclaimed, and offered for
sale and ara consequently subject to private entry
under existing laws. This privilege OF entry is
further restricted to the odd sections and no pat
be ISSUED uuLl IL eiltll uG Nttl4AdClbIllF
shown that the lana has been occupied and cult
waited for Eve continuous years from the date Of
the entry and that the patentee then citizen of
the United States 1t is further provided that this
act shall in nowise impair or interfere with existing
laws on the subject OF prescriptions donations or
! graduations.
These. Mr. President. are the general provis-
ions Of the bill They indicate, with sufficient dis
/ tinctness the nature and object Ct the measure,
without further reference to its details The policy
- - al
ton that the great leading purposes Of the Gov
J eminent, in regard to our public domain are its
occupancy and cultivation with a view Of the ulti-
/ mate formation Of sovereign States. In carrying
out this policy, il is not proposed TO disturb the
! existing enactments. which provide the rules and
regulations that constitute our present land law
/ system. This system has grown up and matured
in the light Of many years Of observation and
! experience. 1t has proved emlnenty beneficial
and successful in its practical operations. Its ma
cbinery is now working well, and this measure
proposes no modification or addition that can in
the least degree, impede its continued successful
operation.
Nor is it proposed by this measure Mr.. Presi-
dent to repeal or interfere with any OF that series
/ of laws which constitute the established policy OF
the Government in respect to the disposition and
appropriation of the public lands. The several stat
utes which provide and secure rights, privileges
and benefits by means CT donations, gra0uauons
and ure-emptiOns are in express terms. left in full
force. Those who have already acquired inter
ests and rights under these laws will continue tC
enjoy them as fully as they do at present. Those
who may hereafter desire to avail themselves OF
the benefits and privileges of these laws viii do st
as completely as they could do now. The object o.
the bill now before the Senate is in strict conform
ty with the policy of the graduation, DONATION anC
preemption laws and therefore does not in any way
interfere with or disturb them.
The bill proposes no change in the established
policy of extending the surveys over the public
lands at a rate propOrtionate to the progressive
disposition thereof. On this subject the Secretary
of the Interior, in his last report. makes the follow
ing remarks:
As Congress has for series OF years. sanctioned. by it
al pr0poronate to the progressive disposition thereof
this basis has been assumed preparing and submitting the
trate for the surveys to be made durng the next fiscal year
'During the five quarters ending September 3d. 1859 l66s
s OF the public lands disposed o. 4S7O5GO acres
were sold FOR cash. yielding 92O7 i6; 6744J
with bounty land warrantsi l7l2os0 ap
proved the several States entitled to them under the swami
grants IS49 and September o. 1885, and 3S,
certified States falling to them under the grants tu
During tie same period Of time, ISsI7s2I acres were sur
veyd and prepared for MARKET aud acres proclaimed
hs aggregate quantity Of public land that has been suryye
yet proclaimed offered public sale, the 30f
o. September 1859 80 sO9i a'Te and the esunat5a qpanttj
which had been offered al public sale, AID remained subject c
private entry at the various land Offices, sOO0OO0O acres
1t appears. from this statement Mr. President
that the entire Of the public lands subject to
private entry, and within which the present meas
ure viii operate. contains eighty million acres OF
this quantity, learn hyletter from the Commission
er of the Land Office, that fOrty-four million have
been in market for from to thirty years and are
therefore subject to entry under the graduation law
| The statement of the Secretary of the Interior
| further shows that the quantity Of lands disposed
of for all purposes during the last five quarters. is
sixteen million acres or at the rate Of twelve mil
lion for the last year. Assuming that no change
should be made in the laws and that the operations
Of our land system during the past year furnish a
fair indication TO its future operations. the
! nual amounts OF land surveyed and disposed of
would be twelve million acres. If the present meas
ure should become a law. these amounts, to be an
| nuay surveyed and disposed Of viii he increased
in proportion to the extent to which they may in
| crease settlements. We have no data on which to
estimate with certainty the amount of the increas-
| ed settlements. ANY estimate. therefore, must be
| will avail themselves of this law availed them
selves during the past year Of the presumption law,
the annual increase of settlements will amount 30
about twenty thousand families requiring that num-
her of quarter sections or about three million acres,
for their homcsteads. Upon this estimate which IS
entirely conectural, though high enough in my judg-
ment it would be necessary TO add about three
million acres 0the annual amounts for survey and
disposal; making in all the annual amount Of about
fifteen and half million acres. Upon the same es-
innate this amount would be disposed Of follows:
| For clsr...... 7a7.s75 Sl5s0 697
/ Fer military b7uHties l3,OsO
] For swamp land-....-.-.... -..---.l, 2e4u3O
For railroads 80 J5O
For homesteais---.-.- -....-.-5r2Vu,OJo