The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-06-02

by Hon. w. H. Brown,
of Kansas

consideration a bill to repeal section
2,S03 of the revised statutes of the
United States, making restrictions in
the disposition of the public lands in
the States of Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Arkansas and Florida, and
for other purposes.
On this subject our member, Mr.
Brown, said:
Mr. SPEAKER: had not intended to
have opposed this bill had it come be-
fore the House with the amendment of
the committee on public lands confn-
ing its operation exclusively to agri-
cultural lands; but coming as it does
without that amendment, its principle
seems TO me radically wrong and OPP
posed TO the policy inaugurated by the
Republican party during the war and
adhered to since that time with ever
increasing tenacity, that the public
domain is held by the government as q
sacred trust for the benefit of the land
less and should be disposed of to ac-
tual settlers only. It repeats a section
of the revised statutes which confines
the disposal of the public lands in GER
tain southern States TO the provisions
of the homestead law and not merely
provides that they shall be open &c
presumption, but worse still, provides
that they shall, as soon as practicable,
be offered at public sale, and after be-
ing so offered be open TO private entry.
Mr.. Cause. l wish TO ask the gen.
tleman whether the lands in Kansas
are not excluded from private entry
Mr.. Brown, of Kansas. In reply to
the gentleman's question, have to in
form him that while the law allowing
the sale of public lands still stands on
our statute-b books, the policy of the
government for the last ten years has
been to offer lands at public sale, and
until they are offered at public sale
they never can be opened to private
entry. But this bill not merely leaves
them in the hands of the land depart
ment, but provides that as soon as
practicable these lands shall be offered
for sale. That is the difference. This
makes it Imperative. It is not left to
the discretion of the commissioner
OF the general land office, who 1 am
glad to say will never order any agri-
cultural lands In any portion of our
country to be offered at public sale so
as to throw open the door to sDecula-
ton.
Mr.. Cause. All the lands in Arkan-
sas, Alabama. and l presume LOUIS
lana and Floria, which would be en-
braced in this bill, have already been
offered at public and private sale time
and time again, even down to twelve
and one-half cents an acre under the
graduation act, and have not been sold.
Mr.. Brown, of Kansas. I am glad
that they have not been entered, and
IL they are agricultural lands hope
they never will be. And, as q gentle
man beside me suggests, that was be-
fore the war.
Mr.. Cause. | would further Inquire
of the gentleman if the lands in KAN
sas are confined to homestead entries
alone?
Mr.. Brown, of Kansas. They are
confined to homestead and pre-emp-
ton, and are not in general open to
private entry. No general sale of pub
lie lands has been made in my State
during the last ten years.
Mr.. Cause. This bill does not pre-
clude homestead entries any more than
the general law now in force in Kan
sas and every other State in the Union.
Mr.. Brown, of Kansas. That NAV
be so on the face of the bill; but by
the public sale imperative 1
am persuaded that its object is to open
the door to land spectators and enable
them to procure another slice of our
public lands and deprive the poor man,
who has only his labor to depend upon,
Of that which under the present policy
Is held for his use. The intent of the
section was evidently TO give to the
poor men of the south, white and
black, an opportunity to become land
owners through the operation of the
homestead law; and l am opposed to
It's repeal and to any law that in any
repect would restrict its operations in
any section of the country.
Coming as do from a section where
the public lands are not all gone,
have been able to see the beneficent
of our present system3 and
have learned in the school of exper-
Ience to thoroughly believe in our
present homestead law; and I would,
instead of restricting its operations,
extend it to all our public domain and
provide that no public land suitable
for agricultural purposes shall ever
hereafter be disposed of except under
that law.
My own State. Kansas, is a fine ex-
ample of what the homestead law is
LONG for the west, and its rapid
growth since the war from one hun
ired and fifty thousand people to near
y three quarters of million has been
,he result of its workings, and espec-
ally OF those provisions of it that of.
,ered special Inducements to the gal
ant soldiers OF the Union army, AMI
has given US the finest population that
ever filled a western State. Kansas ia
the offspring of this
system, and her representatives would
be recreant to duty if they would in
my degree consent to the modification
or repeal of the act in any portion of
our common country. There is no
reason why the government should at
.empt to make money from the sale OF
,hese lands. As question of public
policy, looking to the general good, it
8 better for the government to have
Ill our public domain settled. to give
{ to the industrious pioneer, whose Ia
1ors make it valuable, than to have
ew millions paid into the treasury by
Ipeculators and capitalists who hold
he land till they can wiring the money
hey have paid with a round interest
rom the pei sons who desire it for
practical use. The government must
let for the benefit of the people, for
he Interior good, and we cannot afford |
o take single step backward. In this |
House and before its committees have
lad occasion heretofore to express nv |
Iiews, and have urged that it is our
luty, even in reference to Indian res
'rvations which are to be sold in trust
or the benefit of the Indians, to put |
hem at such q price and upon such |
erms that settlers can afford to pur-
hase, and that they be sold to bona |
ide settlers only, and am glad that |
UGH has been the disposition of the |
House. Early in the session, when this |
Ill was before the House in another |
hape and recommitted, it was said |
hat the committee on public lands had |
before them proposition to repeal the |
redemption act which would be re-
'orted and that hereafter all lands were |
o be disposed of under the homestead |
aw alone. This has not been done,
nut instead comes this proposition in 3 |
lew shape, to squander the remaining
'ortion of the public lands in the south |
nd sell them at public auction to the
highest bidder. It is q return to the
Id system which was in operation /
ears ago, and / am surprised that a
republican Senate should have given
auction to it. So far as my own vote
} concerned, am determined in land
egislation to take no step backward, /