Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-08-07

Ing upon the market this im meuso ioS"c
of warrants would necessarily bring down
their price so low thatit would prove
phiful nockery of thee just claim of the
soldier, while spectators would buy them
up in vast quantities, and make them the
basis of the new and most fearful monop-
1 olies of the public domain. These and
kindred facts we're forcibiy set forth, by
the committee in an adverse report, ac-
eompanisd by q bill which they offered as
D substitute, and which has passed the
House, by which the five dollar and ten
dollar fees required under the homestead
Law shsll be remitted in the case Of hon
orabIy discharged soldiers and seanen,
while the existing conditions of settle,
mentssnd improvement are adhered to-
/ Mr.. Chairman. another land bounty bill
has beer reported to the House aud re.
ierred 20 the Committee on Military
Affairs, and majority Of that committee,
as I understand, have agreed to recon.
mend its passage Should il be reported
at this late hour in the session no oppor-
tunity can be given for debate; aud l
therefore avail myself Of the present occa.
sion to discuss its provisions, and to pro-
test sgainst its enactment. Its attempts
to escape some Of the difficulties already
pointed out respecting land bouu,ies. by
providing that, instead of assignable land
warrants, there shall be issued to the
soldiers certificate Of Indebtedness for
the amount OF his bounty, computed at
the rate Of eight and one third dollars
I per month for his time of service. aud
drawing six per cent. interest, which Ger
ti6cate shall be used only by hin, and his
heirs. aud be payable only in land. This,
in effect. though in other words, is the
same thing as 50 many non atsignsble
land warrants. These certificates, as |
shall presently show, would certainly be
made assignsble by Congress st an early
day; but for the sake of the argument
will admit that their non -assignabe char.
aeter is TO be preserved, aud that such Is
the bona Jfde purpose Of the bill. Ii must
follow, then, most concusively, that its
aim is not TO give land to those who
really need il for cultivation. The frac-
tion oil our soldiers who are farmers,
and actually want homes on the public
domain, cal have them pow, under the
homestead law; aud under the House bill
before referred to-. which will doubtless
puss the Seuaie the soldiers can have n
home, on the lands of the Government
without money aud without price, Prob.
ably small portion only for our soldiers
and seamen desire to 60 West and settle
on the public domain; but those OF them
who do, would seek title under the home
stead law, since gilt of lands under that
would be just us good US u gift under law
providing tho same thing under the namo
Of bounty, with the certificates Of indebt-
edness would Of eourse be used Ia the
purchase Ut other aud additional lands.
to be held for some indefinite time for y
rise in the price. Who does not sec that
this would be the exact operation Of this
measnfeY The lands taken under II would
be Withheld FROM settlement aud tilugc,
for the palpable reaso that no man would
buy them when Just such lands could be
had tree OF cost. To argue otherwise Is
hrst rate nopsenre The quantity OF land
which would thus be locked up from tho
IandIess aud laboripg poor Of the country
Ia given in the following tllicial letter
from Secretary Stanton, ip April last, In
answer 10 an inquiry addressed to him by
myself s...,.,..
sln compliance with the request Of tho
chairman OF the Committee on the Public
Lands Of tho House of Represe nta,iyes,
for statement Of the amount OF public
land necessary TO meet the requirements
Of tue proposed bill, (H. X, No. 9lO } to
equaliza the bounlies OF soldiers, sailors,
aud marines who served in the late war
for the Union, in the event OF its becom.
ing u law. have the honor to communi
cate report on the subject by the Pay.
master General Of the Army, dated the
I'd instant, as follows:
In u communication ffcm this office
to the Secretary Of War, and dated March
81, 1866, will he found carefully pre-
pared estimate Of the amount OF money
required to pay the bounties under bill
then pending In the Senate introduced
by the chairman Of the Military Com
4 mitiee.
"That bill was substantially the same 10
It's terms as this House bill No $40, ex
cept as to the manner Of making pay
ment.
"The sum estimated was S253. sol 100,
sTn my letter of August q, 1866, ad-
dressed to General Vincent, assistant adju
tant general, will be found another care.
! fully. prepared estimate, showing the
amount required to pay the additional
boupties provided by the law Of July 2s,
1866
"The sum estimated was s5S,G34 300.
i "Experienee so far gives indication
that this last estimate IL rather short than
In excess OF the exact'truth.
! "Deducting this cost Of tho additional
bounties from the amount Of the 6rst esti.
mate for equalization Of bOunties, the ro.
maindsr gives pretty close approximate
estimate Of the further amount that would
be required under the bill IN question,
namely; sl05,056, 800, which, In land at
1925 per acre, will require one hundred
aud fifty millions iorty-6ve thousand
four hundred aud forty acres, No note Is
taken herein Of the local bounties not
paid by the United States, for have no
means of ascerIaiuipg their amount
Tho local bounties referred 10, could
they ever be aseertained, would somewhat
redace this estimate, but the aggregate
amount may safely be set down as not fall.
ing very much below one hundred and
ffty millions Of acres This immense
area. enough for an empire, being equal
in extent TO the thirteen original colonies,
II sava North Carolina and penusvlyania