The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-03
Fate of the Homestead Bill In Congress
ce of the Chicago Tribune.


Correspon dence of the Chicago Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Dec. "a, 1861.
The Homestead Bill has gone to the
place where no dogs bark. A few days
after the session commenced, Mr.. Loveioy
reported it, pure and simple, from the Com
mittee on Agriculture, to which it was re-
ferred last summer. There seemed to be
desire on the part of some member to attach
a soldiers bounty to it, and on the part of
Others to kill it entirely. 1t was referred
to the Committee on Public Lands. This
was not the place for it to secure the slum-
Der which some persons desired to accord
to it, for Mr.. Potter of Wisconsin very soon
reported it back with an excellent provis-
ion for securing homes to soldiers or their
widows and children. The bill provided
that, as to ordinary settlers, an occupation
of five years and the payment of ten dollars
should secure patent for l60 acres now
held by Government at 81 ,25 per acre, or
eighty acres at $3.50 per acre-the settler
to be the head of family or twenty-five
years of age, and citizen of the United
States. AS to soldiers or seamen, it provid-
ed that the settler should receive the patent
without the payment of any money, and ir.
respective of his age, condition or citizen.
ship-this, together with cash bounty of
$50 for every three months soldier or sea-.
man, and 500 for every one serving more
than six months, to be in lieu of all other
claims, such as bounty land warrants, prize
money, etc. The bill was admirably drawn
to cover the rights of all classes of settlers
in the public domain, to promote the general
welfare. Nothing can be more foolish than
to attempt to pay our soldiers now with
bounty land warrants,as we did after the Mex
lean war and the war of 1872. Six hundred
and sixty thousand warrants issued stimuli
taneously or nearly so, would reduce the
market price to $40 per warrant, or even
less so that the money value would be no
compensation. But if the soldier should
wish to locate his warrant and secure
homestead, the bill provided amply for
meeting the case, without cost or restric.
ton. At the same time it opened the doors
to the millions at home, as we'll as the thou
sands in camp and afoat. The bill was
postponed till the first Monday in February,
by sectional vote-the East and border
slave States against the West /; yeas SO,
nays so. Kellogg of Michigan, Porter of
Indiana, and Riddle of Ohio, voted for the
postponement, and Blair and Lozear of
Pennsylvania, Clark, F. A. Oonkling, Fen.
ton, Frank and Van Horn, of New York,
against it, Otherwise it was distinctly a
sectional vote. The only member from the
border slave States voting against the posts
ponement was Whaley, of Western Virgin
la. The vote is considered decisicive of the
fate of the bill, and indeed of the homestead
principle, in this Congress.
SECRETARY SEWARD AND THE CURRENCY
QUESTION.
The financial question is exciting some
interest, now that the House Committee on
Ways and Means have taken hold of it.
We have run through with nearly all the
specie that the people will lend US, and
have come to the uncertain resource of pa
per. The banks of issue are making an
enormous effort to induce Congress to add
Treasury notes to the existing paper cur
rency of the several States, rather than to
Substitute Treasury notes therefor. In other
words, they want the paper circulation
doubled, and they ale trying to show that
no bad effect would result from such
policy-that prices would not be so greatly
increased as some people might imagine.
This plan is in direct contravention of Sec
rotary Chase's recommendation. His pro-
position is to put the Treasury notes in the
place of the existing paper currency, and
not to pile it on top OF that currency. He
says that the banks have borrowed some
two hundred millions of dollars from the
people in the form of notes circulating as
money, but the people would rather lend
this two hundred millions to the Govern.
ment than to the banks; therefore let the
banks gradually pay back this money, so
that the people can loan it to the Govern.
ment. The plan which the banks of issue
present, propose to get something out of
noth;ng-to cat your cake and have it too
TO set up kind of perpetual motion in
the Treasury building to furnish the Gov
eminent with funds to all eternity, and new
er run dry.