The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1860-10-10
Mr.. Douglas and Homestead Law.

Mr.. Douglas and Homestead Law.
The following extract from the speech
of Mr.. DouoLAs, at Cleveland, the other
Gay, will show his position on the Home
stead law:
"a friend has asked me to explain my
position upon the Homestead bill. l am
little surprised that should be called
upon to define my position on that sub
ject. For twelve or fourteen years have
devoted more time to the passage Of the
Homestead Bill than any other live man.
Cries Of 'Good,' and cheers. There
never has been a Homestead Bill before
Congress which l have not supported.
Applause. INTRODUCED one in the
House of Representatives fourteen years
ago, before was Senator, and | have re-
newed it year after year in the Senate.
[Cries of Good.'] When l could not
get my own bill I always supported the
next best one. ['Good,' Good.'l Last
year, when the House of Representatives
passed Homestead Bill and sent it to
the Senate, and Mr.. johnson, of Tenncs-
see, offered substitute for it, support
ed the House Bill in preference to his, be-
cause l thought it was the best. Having
failed to get that, l offered an amend
ment which l believed to be better even
than the House Bill, but il failed, and
I then voted for the Senate Bill, as 1
thought it was better than none. APP
plause. In brief am in favor now,
and have been for years, of that line OF
policy which authorizes every man to go
upon the public lands, record his claim,
build his house and fences, and split his
own rails, Laughter, and when he shall
have lived on it long enough to have es-
tablished his intention of becoming a per-
manent settler, give him his title free
Tremendous applause. I believe that
to be the true policy of the country.
A person in the crowd-"' How long
will he live on it?
Mr.. DoUGLAs-"I hope he will live
on it forever [Cries of Good and ap-
plause.
"The public lands have not been @
proper and legitimate subject of revenue
to this government. On the contrary
they have tended to dsorganize the mon
etary affairs of the country. WheneveI
the country is prosperous, imports arc
large and money is plenty, every specula
tor will fill his pockets with cash, go wes
and buy up the public lands in vast guam
titles. We then get revenue Of ten
twenty or twenty-five millions Of dollars
a year into the treasury from the sale o
the public lands, at the very time we dc
not want it, because we have surplu:
/, without it; but the moment hard time:
come, the imports fall of, the banks cur
tail their issues and money is scarce, moi
dollars worth of land is sold, and the
treasury becomes bankrupt for want o
money. |" Sound doctrine" Hence
the land system brings money to The
treasury when VIC do not want it,
Laughter. I would change our whole
land system, and never have another SAIL
Of public lands in the world. Good
l would apply the presumption law, by
which each settler may go and take NJ
his land, build his home, live upon il anC
cultivate it, and then get his title, and
would not let any man get title whc
was not an actual settler upon the land
That's it, and applause aL 4
al did not intend to refer to this sub
ject, and would not have done so, but fo
the fact that l have been informed tina
the small leaders of the republicans have
E been representing me rs not being in ia
vor Of the Homestead Bill. Cries o
That's true 'They have &c."
The RESULT IN MAINE.-A few fig
ures have wonderful effect upon The
boosted victory in Maine that the blacl
republicans are making so much noise
about. In 1856 the black republican
majority was 2s,o9f
In 1860 it is 1881
Showing loss of 9,72t
The black republican vote in 1856 was
CLIO, and in 1860 it is 69,Os5, show
ing an increase of 2,s06. The democrat