New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-28


We present ~ our readers the discussion
in the United States Senate on the sevrn-
tcenth instant on the subject mentioned il
the caption Of this article:
Mr.. Kellogg: move 10 take NJ Senate
Joint resolution No. q. Ii has been bcior.
the Senate two or three tines. and was last
put over under an objection .! the Senator
from Maryland. made ande- II nisanpre
hcn>ion.
The motion VA. agreed to: and the Senate
as il committee OF the whole. resumed the
consideration %; the Joint resolution Senate
resolution No. ~ tor the disposal OF the
public lands in the States of Florida. Ala
bauni. Mississippi. Louisiana and Arkansas.
the pending question being on the amend
ment OF Mr.. Harlan, which was to strike
out the words ''or by location after the
word "pre-cmption 80 that the join:
resolution. If amended. will read:
fie il resoir.d. etc. That from and after
the passage OF this resolution. all the pub
| liz, lands in the States of Florida, Alabama
| Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas shall
| be subject TO disposal under the homestead
| laws. bv prc-emptIo4 under the same gen
| cral laws as NOW govern the public lands i'll
| other States and Territories. eXceptin. and
| rcservin. only such reservations or grants
| a, are by law appropriated to public or
! private uses.
Mr.. Harlan: That Joint resolution. l think.
has not been before the Senate at this ses-
sion. l do not remember Otferiu. that
amendment.
Mr.. Kellogg: The Senator offered the
amendment. and. ss | stated IL moment ago.
there was no objection made to consider
in. the joint resolution the other day COM
ing from the Senator from Maryland under
a misapprehension. Tho Senator from Iowa
last session, when the bill was before the
Senate. offered an amendment also under a
misrepresentation, as was conceded after
ward. would like to see him step 10 the
desk and examine the amendment.
The Vice President: The joint resolution
was reported on the twentv-.tth of January
1870, by the Committee on Public Lands
On the twenty fifth of March it was debated
in committee of the whole, and amended
as read by the Secretary. On the twenty
fifth OF April it was again resumed. and
the Senator from Iowa moved 20 strike out
the words ''or by location.
Mr. Kellogg Now l ask the Senator
from Iowa to withdraw that amendment.
Mr.. Harlan: As l understand. the public
lands in these States have been by law re
served from sale either at public outcry or
private entry and made subject to location
bv homestead settlers. Instead OF repeal
ing that law by the passage of this bill.
think it would be much better to make it
general, SO that all the public lands in the
Cnitcd States shall he subject TO the home
stead OF pre- -emptlon laws and not liable to
sale i'll any other mode. Il will cl liIcnt!y
operate verv harshl. on the poor people III
those States all OF whom are not colored;
but :. large portion of them are. and hereto
fore have not been capable. think under
the laws. to hold land
This modification of the general land laws
in those States, think. was provided for
originally for the benefit of these poor peo-
pie, and | doubt very nuch whether the
time has vet come when they ough; to be
deprived Of this benefit If the operation
OF the general land law should be restored
to those States as heretofore. the presulnp
ton is that all these valuable lands viii be
.obblcd up by men of large means, for the
very purpose Of preventing these poor peo-
pie from becoming iandholders. II is known
to every member Of this body tnat they are
now poor; many of theln are industrious,
bat they Eavc not acquired any surplus yet;
| suppose, as a general rule. that they could
apply in the purchase of land, but tley will
doubtless. from year to year, settle on the
public lands as homestead settlers. and will
thus become il time landhollers. l am
therefore opposed to the passage of the
Joint resolution. think the law as it now
is in regard to those States ought to be made
general rather than repealed.
MI. hellO1S 1 90 not yet flSntlE GnCGr-
stand the objection of my friend from Iowa.
| understood him to offer this amendment
last session, ohicctins to the placing of the
lands in the States specified i'll the joint reso
luton upon the same footing as the lands in
other States and Territories. now under
stand him to object to that clause allowing
the lands TO be located under land war
rants. tor instance, or entered as a quarter
section of land, or two or three quarters.
Now, sir the object of the joint resolution is
simply topiace the public lands in Louisiana,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas
upon the same footing as the public lands in
all the other States of the Union; nothing
more. The argument of the Senator from
Iowa | admit is very forcible, and is very
plausible, and undoubtedly was the moving
cause Of the original law Withdrawing these
lands from the operation of the law that ap-
plies to all public lands in the other States
and Territories; because that law was en-
acted during tho war, think, with view