Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-09-22
EVENING STAR.


THE POOR MANS PROBLIM-.RADiCAL M
PORNs PRoPosED.
The meeting called for last night AT H.yro-
NAL Hall (wOodvard's building) by OoIone,
VIM. winslow Bennett, "Adiutant General
pro iem.,' to form the "National Grand C.n,r.I
Free-Land League" took place, though thar
were only about fifteen persons present. amons
whom were Mr.. q. T. Neidham, Mrs Cria.e
and three eolored men. At : O'Clock the a.
oneI ascended the rostrum, and producing an
,s'S ssso. wiH,en document, (which he read, }
nso before the meeting the call TO form the
ee-Land League" his proposed mode OF
furnishing surplus labor with work-in short
giving ians 70 the landless. His proposition is
70 form subordinate free-land leagues throu gh :
OUT me United states, each one Of which shall
elect a delegate 70 a "Free- Land League Con-
sress," TO De held IN New York on the ed of
feol uary, 1e6S; this Congress, as the author.
Ized mouth-pie Of the workingmen Of our
country, 70 declare FREE Land platform, pledg-
Ang support TO any man or party who raises
the poor mans banner OF Gland for the land.
less" He then read the draft OF n Free LAND
law which he proposes TO lay before the League
Cone rese, the salient points Of which are: after
The United States Congress shall pass the Free
land law, there shall not be any ownership
buying and selling Of public land, there shall
not be any idle occupancy Of any farming
lands, no person shall hold any more than six
hundred and forty acres, any one person
may occupy and work eighty acres and eighty
acres additional for every member of his fami.
by, up 70 six hundred and forty acres. The
IA
after the year 2tOO no land outside OF sst,lement
Limits shall be owned, bought or sold by any
person or government, and that after the wear
2eo there shall be no property in land, water,
or air. The last and most striking Is that (yon
gress shall open any idle farm land that has re.
manned unworked for any previous twelve
months, so that any person who will work
these idle owned farm lands NAV do so
without pay, OF price. or rent for their use, and
the only condition of holding any lands under
this act shall be that the occupant shall work
them.
The reading Of this doc occupied about
fifty minutes, and was concluded by submit.
ung an obligation, pledging the signers thereto
10 support no man for office after the Noyem.
Der elections who is not an avowed advocate of
the tree-land League as set forth in the enact
ments and constitution and bylaws of which
The above is the substance. Colonel Bennett
then called upon those who endorsed his pIat
form TO come forward and subscribe their
names
Mr.. Neidham was the first to respond, who
earnestly and unquallfiedly Endorsed the move
menf, said that he ~ garded Colonel Burnett "a
inspired for he work upon which he had
entered, and urged all present to begin on that
occasion to organize league. He then walked
forward and enrolled his name. Mrs Cridge
followed, and after her, a few others did like.
wise.
An old colored man named Anthony. nnon
beng solicited TO sign, said he had some doubts
IN his ind which he wished settled first He
tnen inquired whether the dispossessiop of the
lands nom the owners would not involve A
civil war. Taking the slaves from their
owners, he said. had already caused war and
now If we take the land from the owners. ne
was sure that there would be another war
Col. Burnett did not think trouble would
all the lands BY Congressional enactment
Besides, he league would be of such a formi
liable character, embracing, as 1t would, too.
a sanId :, mlaIy divisions, that all opposition
folowlng this reply Anthony and another
coi0req man entered their names as members
Of the League.
Conversational debate was then INDUCED in
for short while longer. One gentleman in
CURED II an occupant of lard under the pro.
VISIONS OF the League law, who had made i'm
Proyements OF dwellings and other buildings,
desired tomoye 10 some other place, would he
be permitted 10 sell said improvements! Col.
B. replied that he would not he would have 10
leave them untouched and run the risk of get
ing possession of some other persons i'm
proyement equally as valuable
MS exciteo much opposition and argument,
when nnally Col. b. consented to consider the
OBJECTIONS, and said that the scheme was vet in
embryo, and would be subject 10 many mod
ihcations- Circumstances had led him into
solving the pocr mans problem. and he
thought ne had struck the spring. Before ma
turlty ne had been disposed to work, and
struggled lard for support, but had met
win poor success. He had been TO California
twice, AID had re- urned poorer than when he
went. had always been poor, and willing TO
work Last July had an attack of sun stroke.
IN Georgetown, and while prostrated there.
nom mad reflected upon the causes Of his mis-
fortunes, and became convinced that IN was
because OF the unequal division of Lands. and
tne immense tracts Of unC cultivated lands held
by the mcneyed arIstoeracy
Ine meeting then adjourned 70 meet at an
early day.
THE POTOMAC ER9STr-A days calm in.
creases the demand for steam-tugs, and .lm-
Der of vessels leaving port have had recourse
TO them 70 make their way out. The steamer
loft hor
O'Clock for Mount Vernon, was the only excur.
sion boat which left this port. The steamer
Wawaset, Fawke. made her usual trip to Our
rioman and river landings, with freight and
passengers. Tonight the ferry steamer. CITY
of Washington. has been chartered to take back
TO Alexandra. the Republican clubs Of that
and Colfax dslhonstration. The regular report
will be found below:
HARE IS WRarf-Arrived-Sehr Lucy Jones
nom Philadelphia, with coal for Harvey,
Clark II Given; Steamer Pioneer, Oiden, from
Accailnk, with wood for the same firm.
CGrter's Whayf.-Arrived-Schr.T Two Broth
ers, Capt Barnes, from Spentia Island, with
coal for 9. T. Langley & Son. Sailed-Schr.
Access. Nelson, down the river light; Nanti-
coke, Williams. for Havre de Grace, hight:
PhGoe 5. Williams, SPalding, for Hayre de
Grace, light.
RiIey's Wkurf.-Sailed-schrs ~ ]. Fardy.
Hooper, for Salisbury, light; Ocean Queen,
Cheshire, for 81. Mary's, light; Susan Brown,
johnson, for Virginia, light; Poeomoke, Thom-
49, NHklnld, light, fTOmlse, Taylor, DO.
American Eagle, Chiseltine, do; Cuba, Barnes,
do; Msrcelaine. Trader, do.
FoWttT's WkGrf.-Arrived-Sarah G.. Smith,
Banks, from Philadelphia. with 42l tons of
coal for the Washington and Georgetown Ice
Company. Sailed-schrs. John Wethered,
Green. for Havre de Grace, light Charles A.
Jones, Griffin, for Georgetown, to load coal for
Boston.
Fdys Whdrf.-Arrived-steam Virginia,
Gregg, with wood for market; schr. William
Barnes, Washington, with wood for market
Sailed-sehooners Jennie Baker, Headley, for
Quantico, light Thomas l.. CARROLL Henzon,
ior 90 Great Hira;e, King, for Nabsco creek,
hight.
9sny's FidIf.-Arrived - Schr. Hattie A.
Butler, Stricken, from Portland, Conn.,, with
Hi, Livingston, Wilson, with freight and pas
sengers, from Baltimore. Sailed-Steamer Hi
LIvingtop, Wilson, for Baltimore and interme-
diate landings.
GEindRd-s Wharf -Arrived-Schr. -Four BOYS,
Murdoch, with wood for Windsor d Ford;
schr. Julia L Willets, Bayles. with blue stone,
for Myers; schr Rising Sun, Clark, with wood,
70 market; schr. Chas. Gaskill, II. w Dutton.
with coal, for William H. Barbour & Co.
SaiIed-Schr. Sarah Ellen, Shannon, light
FUNERAL OF JOHN RAINBOW, U. s. N.-The
funeral OF the late John Rainboy. carpenter u.
y Navy. took place yesterday afternoon from
the residence Of his nephew, Henry J. Bright,
Esq, ON sth street east, near Pennsylvania av-
enpe, and was attended by large number OF
the friends OF the deceased, among whom were
many naval officers Mr.. Rainbow was one of
the oldest warrant officers in the Nryy, having
entered the service nearly thirty ID We wears
ago, and n the time OF his death was stationed