Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-04-12
THE REPUBLICAN.
Free Homes for Free Men.
sarD 1s5a sei
aaa iasF SPEECH
1H!i tgae OF
HON. G. A. GROW, OF PENN.

HON. G. A. GROW, OF PENN,
DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE or REPRESENTA-.
/; TINES. FEBRUARY q, 1850 ~ a'-
The House being in Committee OF tie Whole
| on the state of the Union
| Mr.. GRow said:
| Mr.. CHAIRMAN: At the close Of the Revolution,
the colonies claimed dominion, based upon their
! rrspectiyc colonial grants from the Grown OF
Great Britain, over uninhabited wilderness OF
two hundred and entv million acres of land, cx-
tending to the Mississippi on the west, and the
Canadas on the north. The disposition of these
lands became subject of controversy between the
colonies even before the Confederation, and was
an early obstacle to the organization Of amy Gov.
ernncnt for the protection of their common inter
cs;s.
The colonies whose charter from the Crown cx-
tended over none Of the unoccupied lands claimed,
in the language of the instructions OF Maryland IN
| l779. TO her delegates in Congress
THAT country unsettled at the commence
] ment { this war, claimed by the British Crown,
and ceded to il By the treaty at Paris, If wrestod
| from the common enemy by the blood and treasure
of the thirteen States, should be considered as a
common property, subject to be parcelled out by
Congress into free, convcnient, and independent
Governments, in such manner and at such times
as the wisdom of that assembly shall hereafter di-
| rect"
The proprictv and the justice of ccding these
I lands to the Confederation, TO he thus parcelied
! out into free and independent States, having be-
come the topic Of discussion everywhere in the
colonies Congress in order to allay the controver-
.v, and remove the only remaining obstacle to a
/ final ratification of the Articles of Confederation
declared, By resolution, cn the 10Th of October,
l7S0:
.sThat the unappropriaicd lands which may be
i Al.
! particular State" "shall be disposed of
/ for the common benefit of the United States. and
/ be settled and formed into distinct republican
States, which shall become members of the Fede-
raj Union. and have the same rights of sovereign
ry freedom, and independence, the other States
&c. That the said lands shall be granted or settled
at such times and under such regulations, os shall
hereafter be agreed Gy the Unifod States in Con-
qress assembled, or nine u,ore Of Eem."
In pursuance of the provisions of this resolution,
f, New York, Virginia. Massachusetts,, Connecticut.
South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia,
ceded their claims including title and jurisdiction
tn the waste lands, they were called outside OF
|! their respective State limits; and all of them,
cept Georgia and North Carolina, without any con-
dtions annexed to their respective grants, save
those contained in the resolution of Congress just
referred to. The reservation in the grants OF
Georgia and North Carolina we're not, however,
a. to the future disposition of the lands but con-
dtiou that slavery should not be prohibited there
in by Congress The territory thus conditonally
granted l. contained within the States of Tennes-
see, Mississippi, and Alabama. With the cxccp-
ton OF the grants of North Carolina and Georgia,
(and the reservations even in those relating only
10 the form OF their future g0vernmcnt,) the pub
lie Lands claimed bv the colonies at the close Of the
Revolution were ccdcd to the General Govern
mcnt, TO be settled and disposed of "audv such
regulations as shall hereafter he agreed on BY the
United States in Consrrss assembled
Since that time the Government has acquired
by treaty, Of France, the Louisiana purchase /; of
Spain. the Flcridas; Of Mexico, Utah, New Mex
ico, and California; containing, altogether, over
twelve hundred millions G. 300 600 .000) of
land So the General Government, by cessioI.s
from the original States, and purchases from other
nations, has acquired, exclusive OF water, as com
puted by the Commissioner of the Land Office.
fourteen hundred and fifty million q .450 900 0O0)
acres OF public lands; of which thsrc have been
sold, to September 80, 1889, one hundred and for
tv-seven million eighty eight thousand two hun
dred and seventy y-four 47,0sS,274) acres; and
otherwise disposed Of in grants and donations to
individuals, corporations, companies. and States
including grants since 30th June, 1857, two hun
dred and forty-one million seven hundred and
seventy thousand and ffty-two (24l ,770O52)
acres; leaving of public lands belonging to the
Government undisposed Of on the Goth September
1859, one thousand and sixty one million one hun
drcd and forty -oRc thousand six hundred and sew
nty-fve Il ,O6l ,l4l ,675) acres.
What disposition shall be made of this vast in
heritance is question of no small magnitude
Three times, within seven years, homestead bill
has passed this House, and been defeated zach time
/, by the Democratic majority in the Senate. Or
the vote on the homestead bill in the House, las
Congress. out of one hnndl cd and thirty Democrats
but thirty one voted for IT,; and in the Senate,
the test vote between taking up the homestead bill
after it had passed the House, and only required
the vote Of the Senate to make it law, so far a
Congress was concerned, TO take up the bill fo
the purchase of Cuba, but one Democrat voted foI
the homestead, and only eight at any time; while
every Republican in the Senate, and every one il
the House, with single exception, was for thu
homestead. OF all the Representatives Of the
slave States, hut three in the House voted for it
} and but two, at any time. in the Senate So tho
Democratic party, rs party. arrayed itself in op
I position to this benefcent policy. The Republi
p can party on the other hand, is committed to tl
measure by its in Congress by its resolves in
State conventions. and by its devotion to the grea
central idea of its cxistence-the rights and inter
, ests of free labor.
. Early in this session introduced bill, which
: now awaits the action OF the House, providin,
that any person who is twenty-onc years, or more
old, or who is the head of family may enter ons
hundred and sixty of land subject to prcemp
! ton. or upon which he may have a pre-emptioT
claim; and, by cultivating the same for FIVE years
shall be entitled to patent from the Government
on the payment OF the usual fees OF the land of
cc and ten dollars to cover the cost of surveyin,
and managing.
The land policy, rs new conducted, permits tn,
President in his discretion, to expose public sale
by proclamation. any all OF the public lands, af
ter the same surveyed. Every person settled
on the lands advertised for sale, must before tn,
day fixed in the proclamation Of the President. pa,
for his lands, or they are liable to be sold to an,
bidder who offers one dollar and twenty five cents
or more, per acre. During the days OF sale fxet
by the President, any one can purchase, at dol
lar and twenty-h cents per acre, as many acres
land. not before pre- empt, ID, as he desres select
ing his own location. The lands that remain un
sold at the expiration of the days Of sale fixed b,
the President subject to private entry; that is
any person can enter at the land ofice any or al
of the lands that are at that time unsold, at ons
dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, if the same
have not been offered for sale more than ten years
it, for longer PERIOD then at less price, accord
; ing to the length of time they may have Keen ir
|, the market. Thus, under the existing policy
c there Is no restraint on land monopoly. Tht
! Rothschilds, the Barings, or any other of the
worlds milonaires, may become the owners Of
untold acres of our public domain, to be resold q
the settler at exhorbtant prices, to be held as
investment for future speculation
Congress, a. the trustee of the whole people, il
vested, BY the condition of the grants from the
States and by the Constitution ITSELF with the sole
discretionary power of disposing of these lands
But. IN the exercise of sound discretion, it be
come iss duty 70 dispose of them in the way thai