Indiana American, Volume 7, Number 32, Brookville, Franklin County, 7 August 1868 — Page 1

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s eVÄ t S 4 jaSWVemVVa. : f " : , i No postage pa 'papers delivered withm'tnis -1 Count?. ' ' j,-. ti-al'. t ii;o ' Impolicy of Land DoiatIea-Thn Horaa. sechof Höi.,diEÖRGev,3iruAti:or(fiDiANA J' yi l5 im j llOCSX Qf ,KkPBS9X3IXATTII "LI- . , ; '. .'. v ; ! .. vii tai-r '! Tbe Ho tue beiogjo- pammitt,ea f .the "Whole 00 iba stata uf jbe.Uniqar- -il Mr. Julia said; , . ,., Mr. Cbairmaa; ,1 bfUert lani justified, in aayiog that .during ,niy servica jajthi Ho um 1 have ateedil defended, tbe, preemption and hoqestesd lif,of. b Uv ted States, .Whether the attack h.oorj in the form of unwarranted grants f laud in aid of railroads aod other work a of in-, teroal improvement,, or atrocieas job under tbe punt of Jpdian treaties, or, plausible schemes of bounty io Iba. pretended, interest of tbe soldier orwbetover,. other shape it .ma j bate assumed,.! , have i cot stsntly and resolutely , msiqtain.ed. tbe rights of . aettlera on ibe publio , domain I shall not oow change tuj coarse ; of, aolion. Oo the contrary, every passing day .invitee me to renewed figilaoee eud tea) bj rerealiogaome ftetb couipimcj against tbe rigbta of our piijuffr t producers. I bave already . diacusned ,at. aotue . Icnptlt our general land, policy, . its evils, iud tbeir reuedj, dariug tbe preot eesnioq but I omitted io tbat difcuaaloo qucs-. tion of grave tnigoitude, hieb 1 tUer hoped would out again be joriuualjr .agitated in Congresa. , I allude ta the question of military laed bounties, and 1 must avail to jraelf ot tbja occasion 4 a consider it, end io dcioj; eo to periorm bei aeeiua to uie an iuparaiive duty.; ....; . I am opposed,, tery : decidedly, to all iivucwcr uivnuiy kvuiii n tmum ivi gur Mildicre. My opposition ia baaed up on grounds which 1 detire to aate to tkia House and to the country, and whieh. in raJ jnJgtnent, leare no room fpr difference of opinion among iotelligenf uetv wlo will gire the atihjeot tbeir attention. 'One bountjlaod project enlv have I erer aup ported, and Jbat was iutrodeued by tu j sell' iu the dirk hours of rar, wlCJi wur oldivrs aa much needed iia encowr-' egtmeut and support while it aimed a deadly threat at the rebel power. tu'rly in the aeaiun of Congress . begin ainir. in , Dtccuiber, t GJ, 1 reported i'too (he liou L'uui ujiti wo tU 1'ukUe LnJ at bill j.rovidii g tiiat ell Und which huul i be a.ld under the proviniuaa of the aot of 18(j,i,'tur Ilia eollection of direct tazra in i.ie imurrcctiouarjf dmUicu, and undrr I lie act ut the mtum jrear to provide interital ruvetiu tu auj port the (Jovetntneitt, ahuuld be bid uif to (he United Wtate at the miiiiRiuni price mentiuncd iu aid acta, cvriified ovr tu the ccre larj of the litleiiur, end thenceforward lcuue a part ot the public una j ropr itcd doinatu of tin Uuited tftalce. It i'urtlier providod thst all latida aslimt whicb proceed in ft i rtm. ahuuld La in iiluted uuder the et Ui suprcx insur lectiuti, tu puiiil teiu and rubelliui. nd to Bjiae and cuuneate the property of rebels, should, upon the rendering of Una I dcief condecu natiuu, be iu like iaaeoir certified over io the Hovrtitary of the lnteiior, and thereafter be regarded td treated i all rrapoeta aa a further extension of the putlio dunul.i. This bill, auppuaing the policy of coiiß-outio ) se be xavted by the (ioverouieut, would rrkt Iruui the rebels and et ap.irt lor loyal utea from one half to three fourths if tbe cultivated lands of the rebellious districts and without disturbing the rights of i rojerty of the great body of thefr peo pie, wLo were never permitted by the aria, tocrscy to own isnd; ll would simply reach the hinds vf , the .leading rebels, who were at once the chief landholders and slaveholders of the boutb; and it extended the homestead la over these Janda, under carefully considered re.uriolions, aud providod lor their .distribution in amall iarma among the soldiers and .seamen of the Army end Navy aa a tribute to their valor; as ä fit chastisement of tbe rebel chiefs, and a the bsais of loy .'alt j and democratic iusritutioui in tbe Ütaies of tbe $oaih. - Had -it become a lava, coupled wub the policy ef atrikln at tho fee of rebel landholdsrs, to which Abraham Linteln fiually asueoted, the duration of the conflict would certainly Lave been greatly abridged, while many thousands of lives sod iwaoy millions of treasure would have been saved. Tbe ,grea.t landed -eaUUa.of-t ha. ,.Soutu-W0uld have been distiiemherad, and, tAtha . sod of the War the Free Juj'eüV Udrcia Voul J scarcely bavo been, Deeded, aipco tbe re tarn of order and peaca woul4 hare been heralded by, t tie advent ofesr tojal sol diera, with their w'usVeta aa h'sir cunt-, paaioos, prepared (a-.defend a , well ss! till their homeeteada, while ready to act aa policemen and avengers in tbe proHfcion of the defenseless. .The bill paused tleilouVe by a strong majority i let It:' filled Irfthtföcttaf,-as dfd thej policy of confiscation, through the hostility of dietlsguished Conservativa- faoatiee, who eve re then pettifogging the csuo of the' rebels in the name of tbe wojietitutioo, including the most coaspioaoue of "the conscientious acven, through whose ; fa tal agency tha country wsa beaded 'over to its enemies ie the lata trial of Andrew Johnson for high crimes and tslsdetnean ora. Xo much. Air. t'hsirmsn.' for land .The war clow4 jnitbetprjiff 18ß3,sod the history , o the . sgit4tioo rcfeotini; soldiers', bounttea since tbt tioif is worth recalliogt 1 SVhs a Can -fas met In December fottowihg,' jt)e demand' for" an equaliiation of boejities Jd aVidently been resolved anon bv thoxa of onr anl. diers who toluntoeed lo the' -veara 101 aui ia, . iw nae sw.KMngono 4 ueiuanu, ' reatia npos the faet that soultitadea who I 1CM T. J.. . 11 ll .' had enlisted at the beglnninr of the war. a i i . a . . , . , . I and renuere t trf jongeu service, bad; received very link bonoty, while moat lib-

bmuttu:? durjoff the rebellion. ( the circunntatcci Dclortglngjo UVoVitof j-'iDf the subject, sod tho'uural tu which they obviously pIuV"'"' t,",J ::.

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n, u'i r, -J: i T t! f lit J 1 1, ' i 1W. ;l : V . iJ I n A Im ! er si bo'untiea .were awarded to tbwe who' come in toward the, end , of the -conflict. ( Equality je equity end the question, waa how to Irs me bounty "bill , that 7 would plaice sliithe eoldierof,the wat af nearly, oo a i common level as 'ppjsiire. , It was no easy fsV; and the 'financial .situation of the country presented a serious obsta- i cle Q the pasge of ,aoy bill oötbeeüb-! je'ct.,' 4 l waa however, earnestly naitated ti both brsnche,oC Congress, and io, the Ks'e'cuuve departments of j the Government.,1 Tho President waa Boon found to be decidedly hostile to any , measure . of cqualijatiun. t." He did not so avow biroself, tut bis acii proved, U. His proVst-. Diarsbal.geoeralaa a sort of flank .move , mentmade. so official estimate,, of t the amount required for the purpose pf equal isaiion, whicbr',I believe, footed up' from a i i t o e e y ej n h u n d e d , m i 1 1 i o ü a o f t d c 1 1 a r a . The pay department exhihlted (similsr gifts' io arithmetic, though it made the ag-, gregste amount required some two' hundred millions less. , ;Tha Treasury Del partmeot tried ita hand with eiuiilar results, several of it bureaus furnishing the most jeisgicerated.' cslculutioos , of( .the amount called for by the proposed; meaaureatid Mr. McCallöch himself benig t!peciallr active io the business of dissuading 'members of Cougrepsfrom touchiogsj dreadful a project , .The effect ; of theae executive demoostratidns waa soon made parufestH Congress' admitted that justice should be done to our soldiers, tut it was felt thaVioeuperable financial difficulties were 10 ibe way, and the .result was the birth of the project of land boonticsf which rspidly began to tike shape, and threatened to lure into its support a decided msjrity of both House. We had, it was said, OYcr'one'tbQUüind millions of acres of publio lsnds, and .with tbem we would pay off tbe scldiers without adding to the burdens of the ' jeople. I saw that the policy would bo utterly ruinous to the country, while Its promised justice to the soldier would prove a deluMon. It was almost aa wanton a fonipinicy againat the houiesiead law and the produo live wealth of the nation aa the kindred prorioMtioo of certain prominent politicians iu 1863, to mortgage the public domain lo our cteditors in ar-uritj for our debt, whioh. 1 had'the bouor ' to expoeo and de. nounce at the lime, on this floor. . Ear neatly eutettaiuiug lhee vie, I was glad t find ait early opportunity tu fX!ra thetu in the f riu ot a roport from the l!oui Comtnillee on (he l'uldiu Land, In rexpouae t' memorial from Mew Hampshire soldiers praying bounties in land. That report, which whs laid on the denka of members and vmiftiderably cop itd into the ucwspipers, showed so coti-c!u-iely, by unauawerahle facta and ßurti; the iupiliey and iniquity of the propimition, that 1 hope I shall be pardoned fur aying that it r) materlutly aided in ita dekat. and in thus saving tht publio domain from a most fiighll'ul rcbcme of apoilialion and plunder. The way w.a thu agiln opened, very naturally, tor tbe consideration of boon lira in money, and the suhjeel was exam I tied more curiicotly than helot o CaUu latioiia were mado, whiih 1 believe were reliable showing t hut about one hundred and fifty million, of dollara would be auf Quietil to pay and equalise bountica on the basis of eight and one third dollara per month for the time of service, and alter freely conferring with intelligent aoldiera eud itailors on the subject, I reported to the lloue a bill framed upon that bin'), which was referred to the Committee on Military Affrtira. General ächenck re ported it back, with sundry modifications as lo details, and it passed the lloue by an overwhelming vote. In the Senate, however, it eucouuteted serious oppoailion. The executive agenciaa to which I have refvned seemed to bo lar more po tent in that body than in the lloue. The fioancisl difficulty was regarded as insurmountable.t .Ucsidca, many Senstors declared tlut, the, soldier, having received what he contraeted to firht for, was en titled to nothing more. These Senators, however, were quite anxious for the passugc of s bill to incrrsao their own salaries 2,0Q0 a year, which the House refuaed tu agree to, for the reason, in part st least, that the Senate refused to concur in the bounty bill. The final result of this conflict was a compromise, by which the mcaaure now known as the act otJuly 28, 1 8GÖ, was IndUtolubly married to the tropositioo lo increase the pay of mem era; and', under tho motive power of an argument two thousand dollars, thia conbiug discreditable project waaenrriod. I am very glad that it bae Democratic psrentage, sod that a large wlnjr of the ikepublioaei in Congress opposed it from the UftineinfC to the end. The ' bounty bill' thus carried through waa so. insult to the very principle of equalisation; end though it takoe from the Treasury nearly aixty millions of money, it has proved almost as unsatisfactory to our soldiers as if do bill at all bad bcon enacted. . ' "The agitation of 'the auMcot, however, now gradually eübtided. " V hat had been done for the aoldlor, though it disappointed hitn, seemed to create a' new obataole in the wiy of doing more. 'The financial condition of the country did not improve, and altböuph the House re-enacted Gen. riehenek'a bill daring the last session of the Thirty Ninth Congress, it (ailed in the Fcnste, ss waa naturally to be ex peoted. 1 Thoa the matter rcsM, Mr. Chairman, till the early part of the present session, when a bill waa Introduced and referred to the Committee on the Tublip Lands, providing for very Urge bounties in lauds. The aggregate uumhor to whom it promised bounty was two millions two hundred aadforly llve thousand six hundred and fifty-nine, and it called for three hundred and thirty four millions nine hundred and seventy thousand threi hundred and aixty acrea of land, for which warrants, were to be issued and made'saaignable like those of nur McxU can war. My facta were ofllcia),- being baaed bribe esrsful calculatlona of the War department. The effect of throw

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their price ao low that it would prove a . his land, which is kept.idle at the nation e pitiful mockery of the? jost claim' of the i expense, and to the cruel wrong or multieoldier, while epeculatora would buy them tudes who long for homes. 'We convert up in vast quantities', and make tbem the , htm into s land jobber, and conspire with basis of the new end most fearful monop.,hini again the productive ' industry 0r oliesof the publio domain; :. These and the country; We set aside the homestead kindred facte were forcibly .set forth by law as to 'more than one fourth of tbe the committee in an . adverse report, ac-1 tillable portion of the publ.o domain by companied by a bill whioh they offered aa excluding from it the poor who would coin substitute, end which has passed the ! their labor into national wealth, extend Houae, by which the five dollar and ten- ', the bordera of our civilisation; and realise dollar feea required under the homestead the blessinga of independence, attaiaid, law shall be remitted in the case r hon- I know, that we are not able to pay the orablT discharged soldiers and reaaen, aolaier his bounty io money, and tbat we

i.:t- .t,- ;..... nt .ani. VVIiSIV SW iWSI'B, vWMiiei"F ment and improvement are adhered: to Mr. Chairman, another fand-bounty bill f baa been reported to the House and referred1 ta" the - Committee ion" Military Affairs, and a majority of that committee, aa I understand,' have' agreed to recommend its pm'Sdge. Should it be reported at ibis täte hour in tbe session no opportunity can be given for 'debate; aud 1 therefore avail myself bf the present occaaion to discuss its provisions, and to protest agsinet its ' enactment. Its attempts to escape some of the difficulties already poiotfd out respecting lend bounties, by providing that, instead of assignable land warrants, there shall be issued to the aoldiera a certificate of indebtedness for tbe amount of hia bounty, computed at the rate of eight and one third dollars per month for his ' time of service and drawing six per cent, interest, which cer tificate shall be used only by him and hia heirs, end be payable obly in land. Thia, iu effect, though in other words, is the same thing aa ao many oon-aseigneble laud warrants. These certificates, aa I shall presently ahow, would certainly be made assignable by Congress at an early day; but tor the sake of. the argument I will admit that their non-assignable character ia to be preserved, aud that tuch is tbe bona file purpose. of the bill. It must follow, then, most conclusively, that ita aim is not to give land to those who really need it for cultivatioo. Tbe fraction of,, our aoldiera who are farmers, and actually want homes , on , the publio douialii, coi have iLcui now, under the homestead Uw; and under tbe House bill before referred to, which will doubtless, puas the beuule, the soldiers can have a ItoU'C vn 'l'e '""da of the Government without money and without price, .'robably a email portion only for our aoldiera and teamen deriro logo West and settle on tho public domain; but those of them who d, would seek tillu uuder the homestead law, since a gill of lands under that would be juit aagood ai a gift under law providing tho same ibinir under the name ol bounty, with the rrrnficntea of indebtedness would tf course be used in the puichaM of other aud additional laoda, tu be held for aome indefinite time for a rise in the price. Who docs not see that thia would be the exact. opeiation of thia tueusutr? '1 he Isnds taken under it would be withheld from settlement and tillage, for the palpable reaso I that no man would buy them when just such lands could be had tree of coat. To argue otherwise is ti rati rate nuitsetiso Tho quantity ot land which would thus be locked up from the landless and laboring poor of the country is given iu the following illlcial letter lioui Secretary iStanton, in April last, in answer lo au inquiry eddierred to him by myself. "in compliance with the request of tho chairman ol the Committee on the Public Lands of tho ilouse of Representatives, fur a statement of tho amount Of publio land iiccesanry to mcol the requirements of the proposed bill, (II. 11. No. DIU) 'to equalise the buunlica of aoldiera, sailors, and murines who served in the lute wsr for the Union,' iu the event of its becoming a law, 1 have the honor to communi cate a report on the aut jeut by the 1'aytuasttr General of the Army, dated tho 2d instant, aa follows: , ' In a communication from this office to tho Secretary of War, aud dated March 31, 1SGÜ, will be found a carefully pro pated estimate of , the amount of tiionev lequired to pjy the bounties uuder a bill then pending in the Senate introduced by tho chairman of tho Military Committeo. "That bill was substantially the some in its terms as thia House bill No! 910, except aa to tbe maimer of making payment, t "The sum estimated waa t233.C31.100, Vlu my letter of August (J, 18GG, ad. dre-sod to General Vincent, assistant adju tant general, will be fouod another care-fully-prepared estimate, showing the amount required to pay the additional bountica provided by the law of J uly 23, 18ou "The aum estimated waa $58,631,300. "Experience so far givca indication that thia last estimate I rather abort than in excoss of the exact truth. "Deducting this cost of , tho additional bounties from the amount of the first estimate for equalisation of bounties, the remainder gives a pretty close , approximate animate of the further amount that would be rt quired under the bill in question, namely; ? 1 03,030,800, which, in land et 91.23 per acre, will require one hundred and fit tj six millions forty. fivo thousand four hundred aud forty aorea, No note is taken herein of the local bountica not paid by tho United States, for 1 havo no means of ascertaining tbeir amount." Tho local bounties referred to, could they ever be ascertained, would somewhat red nee thl cttimato, but the aggregate arrvnunt may safely be aetdown as not fallinj very muoti below one hundred and fifty millions of acres. Thia immense area, enough for an empire, boiog equal in extent to tho thirteen original colonies, save North Carolin and i'cuosylvania, double tbe are of Great Uritain and Ireland, and nearly nineteen tnilliona of acres larger than the French empire, end con. sisting, of course, of picked arable land, is to be withheld from cultivation and prdduetive wealth, in order that tho soldier,

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who needs hia bounty bow in mooey may j af some future time set it in the price of. have nothtni? else but land witn - xn to ariftv Iiiin. 'This I denv nation ts able to do justice to its heroic , nders, and cannot honorably plead poverty as an excuse. J-t if that p'ea is to be accepted, then ITeplj that we ere. tili ln$ able to dedicate to solitude "from one bundled to one hundred and fifty tnilliona of acres of land, which else . might, be caryed up into small bnmeateads. to be tilled by their owners and made the basis of revenue and of national wealth. The country, with alUits great resources, ia too poor thus to cut off ita supplies by wholesale piofetitution of its means and its op.' portunitiea, and it could far better afford to pay the soldier a reasonable' bounty in money. 1 Not one acre of (and which any poor man needs for cultivation should bo denied him iu the interest of those who would grap it for mere speculatioo. A member of this House from Illioola informa me that ia the western border of that State George Teabody, ' years ago, purchased thousands of acres of wild lands, which be holds to day. Settlera bave established themrelvca around thsse lands, built their houses, planted their orcharda, and created wealth. The grain and other producta of their farms which are annually shipped to market on tbe railways made necessary by tbe settlement of tbe country, go to make up tho sum of our national wealth. 'I hego aettlera are every day adding to the value of Mr. Teabudy'a laud, while other settlers, who would long tinco l ive made them productive, have been driven further West in search of homes. Tbe Gomnmcnt thua entered into partnership with lVab dy in cheating our pioneer producers out of the homes to which they were entitled on these lands, and in staying the Induatrial development of the West; for the benefit of nobody In the world tut ft single monopolist, whose borne is on the oiher side of the Atlantic. I do not brand George l'eahody as a robber, for he ia known aa an honorable, patriotic, and liberal man. The Government of the United States licensed him to do these thing, aa it has .licensed other land speculators, and has been itself the blunderer of its cl list' tie jr"-fd-i'ti!aY v' r national piogrena. Uiu the il are multiplied aud compounded by the bill I am now discussing, for instead of a few thousands of acres it gtospi many millions,' and although tho ownera are multiplied the hou,ela poor of tbe country are equally excluded from thia Immense a re 4 wjiieh the nation pledged to them by its pre emption aud homestead lews. , Mr, Chairman, I have discussed thia' measure on the aupposition that the bounty it proposes is to go to the soldiers only, or bia heirs, end that the certificatea of indebtedness are never to be made aasiguable. 1 have thus given the proposition ita best possible face, and have shown, I think, the utter impolicy if not viciousnesa of the project. 1 speak of couise of the measure iuelf, sod uot of the motives of ita friends, which I doubt not are patriotic, ii us the truth ia that should ll beeutne a law, the certificatea of indebtedness would it made assigbable. On this subject 1 beg leave to quote from a recent letter of the Commissioner of the Geueral Land Office, in which he speaks of this bill in the light of actual Ja cts. 11 )' 1 "1 have examined the inoloaed bill (II. 11. Nu DIU) tu equalise bounties of soldiers, sailors, and marines who served in the lute war lor the Union, , which 1 had the honor to receive from you with the request fur a statemeut aa to the probable ttlect olthe measure in tho light ol the experience of thia office. . , . "I find the bill provides for the fasue to aoldiera, sailors, and marines of interestbearing certificates, to be Uked by them or their heirs iu payment for publio laud which they may hereufter purchase from tho Government; that such certificates are in no wiso transleruble, and that the interest may continue to accrue without limitation until the recipient may ace fit to purchaso land therewith. "The act of September 23,1630, grantlug bounty lands to soldiers who had served in any of tho wars - In which the Uuited States had been engaged, containef a provision that the watranta thereby authorised to be issued should be located by tho soldier or hit heirs, thus preventing their assignment and sale. Thia provision gave auch general dissatisfaction that Congress passed the act of March 22, lb32, authoiisuig the transfer of any war rant then Issued or to bo issued. "The flics and records of this office show that not one in five hundred of the Jsnd warranta issued and placed in the bands of the aoldiera or their heiri have bom located by them, or for their use and bonofit; and further, that although tho laid act of March 22. 18 52, made auch warranta assignable, it safe to assume that not to exceed ten per cent, of I he tu have been used by preemptors ss assignees In, payment for aotual -eettlements, the most part having bacu used by persona 19 aoquire title to tho publio lands for speculativo purposes. , , 'Should the bill under consideration becomes law, and by future legislation be ao modified aa to make the certificates assignable or available to lbs soldier or hia beira without beooming settlers en the publio lands, there ia no reason that can be aupgested by thia office why results ' like these iu respect to the past bisuts may

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t Dot be looked for io regsrd to tbe certificates contemplated by thf present measure, the effect 'of which would be to transfer to non residen t proprietors largo bodies orthe übliö domain' ' " : ' ' ' ' ; ' ' ' That, sir, la' the authoritative statement of Comsniaaionioner Wilson, whose judgment, experience, and familiarity with the wholeaubject .no one will question. ,That these certificates would be assignable there csd scarcely be a bfngle doubt. The great body of ouf sbldiera need their bounty now, and not the promise of it at some time in the uncertain' future; and if the relative handful of the' aoldiera'. of our Mexican war were strong enough to carry a hill through Coogresa making their warranta assignable it is quite certain the like thing would happen now at the bidding of the hosts who would dematid it. Indeed,! believe some of the friends of (he bill do not difguise the fact that .ultimately these certificates are to become assignable by law, eo that tbe holdere of them may realize their Value io money , What, then,' would be the effect of such legislation, both as to the soldier and the publio domain? Mr. .Wilson, in the let ter I have quoted, says tbst not one in five hundred of the Mexican war land warrants were located by the aoldiera or for their use and benefit,' and that Dot to exceed ten per cent. of. them have been used by preemptors aa assignees In payment for actual settlements, the most part having been ustd by persons to acquire title to the publio lande for speculative purposes. He predicts very naturally the same mischievous rcsulta from the present bill should it become law. But 1 ask particular attention to the following additional facta which I copy from the carefully prepared report of the House Com mittceou Public Lands , already referred to: . "At the cloio of tie last fiscal year there remained outstanding fifty three thousand nine hundred and twelve military bounty land warranta, issued under various acta of Congress, calling' for the aggregate quantity of five million aix' bundled and three thousand two hundred and twenty acres. These wirriDti are idling at about one dollar per acre. Uuder tbe agricultural college act of 1802 scrip has been issued to uon-publio land holding States to the amount of five million three bund, red and forty acres; and whe,n the States of the South shall have received their shsrrs under the act, the whole amount of land covered by it will le nine million aix hundred thousand acrea. Thia will be the subject of monopoly io the hands oi speculatoia, and the price of the acrip will depend, to a considerable extent, upon tho quantity of it In market and of the unlocatcd military bounty. land warranta. The price has generally ranged from sixty to seventy cents per sere, but hsi some ItojcT Koue much lower; Aa further affeeling the piico of warrants and scrip it should bo remembered that over forty threu million aciea of "swaiep and overflowed lauds" have boon granted by Congress to the Slates, more than one-half of which ia probably in the hande of monop. oliats; that about two hundred millions of acrea have been granted to aid In Building railroads aud for other purposea of internal improvements thus Inaugurating further end fearful mouopolieaof the publio domain; and that millious of seres of Indien Isuds, by virtue of the most pernicious treaty stipulations, are fallhic into the hands of monopolists, thus still further aggravating the wide spread evils long since inflicted upon the country by the ruinous policy ot land speculation, hvery day gives birth to some tier scheme of monopoly by whieh the paramount right of the people lo homed on the pub lie domain is abridged or denied, and ita productive wealth seriously retarded, and no one will need be told that, should this policy be continued, the opportunities of settlement and tillage uuder the prceuip tiou aud homestead laws must cvuitnutty diminish." . . , Mr. Chairman, I ask gentlemen to keep these facta in remembrance in Considering the effect of this measure upon the soldier. 1 ak them to remember the present price of college aeilp, the quantity of which is yet to bu almost doubled, and which at one timu sold as low an thiiiy-seven and a half cents per ucre. Let them bcur iu mind tho amouut of old bounty laud war rants yet outstanding, and tho atupenooua monopoly of (ho publio domain which is going 011 iu other directions and threaten, mg tu swallow it up, and then ask themselves what would be the effect ol putting iu the market from one to two millions of aasignuble certificates payable iu land. Every ruuti cau answer this question lor hi line If, but 1 believe I am sale In saying that the price would full as low aa twentytivo cents per acre. Our Mexican land srarreni a one time aold at f rom thirtyfive to forty cents per acre, and this, it must be remembered, was before the enactment of the homestead iuw, while the quantity of warrant! waa a imall fraction only of that of the certificates now proponed to be issued. Tho Great ltepublio, in rpouking of this bill, aaye that "al ter paying noury and altorncy'a fees the whole money vslue to the soldiers of such grant would uot exceed $2d,000,00l, aud it would bo a hundred times butler for the country to make this payment iu money, d thus lauvo the publio domain to tho laboring masses. The veil thrown over this hideous speculation is too thin to cheat the soldicis or citiiens of the country. It should be stopped where it ia. It further bounty is to bo paid, let it bo honestly puid iu money, and thus close the door against further spcculstions In what is designed for, end ehoold be reserved as, the homes of tho industrious milliona." This ia from tho pen of Judge Edmonds, late Commissioner of the General Land U til co, and 0110 of the truest and most sagacious of our publio meu; and it appeara in tho columns of a well conducted and influential journal, which I understand to be one of tbe principal orgins of the loyal aoldiera' aud-aailora of the

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WHOLE NO: 315. United Statea.. . He adda, that "the aoldiera have asked for no auch measure, nor do they wsnt to be made the objects ot snv such' fictitious crltitudo," and de clares that "the obligations of ibe country to tbem would be nearly canceled should theyknowingly aod purposely allow so monstrous s scheme of monopoly against the laboring men of tbe 'country to be perpetrated In their narce." .- t i But while the bill would thus prove X violated promise to the soldier, its . effect upon the publio domain 'would be still more deplorable. On this point I take leave to quote again from the same report: "All the evils of land e peculation, to an extent as alarming sa it would he un preccdented, would be tbe - sure result. Capital, slwaya sensitive and eagscious, would grasp these warranta at the lowest rates. Land monopoly in the -United Statea, -under this national: sanction, would have ita new birth, end enter upon e career of wide apread mischief and desolution. Speculator! would leite and appropriate nearly all tbe choice lands of tbe Government, and those ' nearest the settled portions of the country, while homestead ' clsimanta and preemptors would be driven to the outskirts of civilisation, meeting all the increased expense and danger of securing bomea for. their families, and surrendering the local advantagea of schools, churches, tuilll. wagon-roads, aod whatever else, pertains-to the necessities and enjoyments of a wellsettled neighborhood. This policy would stop the sdvsncing column' of immigration from Europe, snd of emigration from the States, which bss done ao much to make tbe public domain a source of ; pro duetive wealth, a subject of revenue,, and a home for tbe landiesa thousands who have thua at once become useful citizens and an element of national strength. It wonld, in fact, amount to a virtual over throw of the beneficent policy of tbe borne stcsd law, which baa, perhaps, done more to make tbe American name honored and loved among the Christian nations of the earth than any eingle enactment since the formation of the Government." , , , . , Mr. Chairman, laubmit thai the facts embodied in this brief summary ought to settle this question in tbe minds of all men who will lay aside passion end allow themselves for a single moment to think. With me they sre sbsolutelf cooelusive. I claim to be aa true a friend of the soldier as any man in thia Congresa or out of It; hut 1 am likewise the friend of the millions who toll, whether tiddlers or civilians, and cannot, therefore, uclto with any man or set of men, for any purpose, iu opposing the homestead law, either by open assault, or the insidious policy of in direction. I am quite aa unwilling to aid in ita overthrow now, 00 the pretense -of giving boontiea to aoldiera, aa 1 was five years ago on tbe specious ground of I eying our national debt. Ita policy is constantly invaded, ty atopendoua grants to railroad corporations, by corrupt Indian treaties which sweep away the rigbta of settlers snd curse vast districts of country, and by the growing spirit of roonojoly, shown iu multiplied forms and threaten ing the very principle of democratic equality iu the Republic Sir, the duty to which we are summoned la not that of submission or acquiescence but of unflinching resistance to thee unchristian and auti republican landenciea of our time. No ephemeral advantages, if they were attainable by an opposite course, could atone lor the enduiing mischiefs to the country which would certain ly ensue. Mr. Chairman, if any further argvuent addressed to this lloue ia needed I find it at hand. Thia body, in March last, passed without a division the following resolution) "IictuluJ. That in order to carry Into full and complete effect the spirit end policy of the preemption and homestead lawn of ihe Uuited Statea tbe further eale of the agricultural publio lends ought to be prohibited by law; and that all proposed giunta of land to aid in the comtrut tion of railroad, or for other tptcial oljrct$, thttuUl be caffulty icrutini'tcU and t gully $uLoilinit( J tu the paramount puijua t'f trvurivg himr$or Ihe landtrt jtttor lit ac tual iifttrmrhi and tdl'ig nf tin pubuc domain, aud tht conirquvnt inCiime 0 tht national wat'h." Sir, 1 am quite sure the sentiment of this resolutiou would bo most heartily indorsed by the great body of tho people of the United States. Lot us stand by it in the face of all temptations. It uttere the true watchword and rallying cry of the people of all partita, and Its gospel must bo preached and prsetieed if our great national patrimony is In bo sand from the greed of monopolists and the rspacity of thieves. 1 do not believe this liouso will now so back on the record it has made. 'Indeed, some of the Men da of this bounty bill ssaure me they desire its passage because they believe Congress will ao3ii carry into effect the resolution I have quoted by providing that no more of our publio lauds shall be aold except under the preemption and homcstetd lawa the effect of whioh, they say, would be to bring these certificates of indebtcdneaa nearly tu par. 1 sincerely hope Congress will bo wise enough to do what ia prodiotcd. I even hope for it at thia tession, but ( deny that any auch effect on tbe prico of certificatea would result. Such a measure could not interfere with tbe holdera of college scrip, through which land could still he bought without the oondition'of ocoupancy and improvement; nor could it undo those huge laud monopolies, already existing under our Indian treaty policy aud awump land lecialation, through whioh the trade in land will be lively for a good while to come. There will be waya enough left tu buy land with out the obligation to live upon snd cultivate It after the bill I reported to this Ilouse some menlhs ago to prohibit fur ther laud speculation shall have become a law. In no event would the price of these er rtlfleelea. give tbe soldier tha hoaoty he is entitled to ask; hut if it would, the injury which this poliey would

5os si4rL(ll llaeJene ama......t1 H 3ne aqaars, tw iardiBS. I S .aa oaara clr iasartlvas.J. t 4U sabaaaaatiasartlass, jtJ a, r .H TEARLT. Oaa Miami, ebaafaaVU qnrtrj.Z.. . ..ft' Thra-aeartara ef a eolaeaa m.,..,. M -99 Ona-fcaif af a ealonrr. II f Ose-aaartar ef a atluM. M

Oas-aifhta. f a4lw ..w... . ia ea TrsaiUatäeverttttKeatasVeaJite all eases 1, pals far la adve&oa. - v, Unlsss a particular time t ti vfcea aaseV sdia,advsrtisusBts will se tabr.iasi atil er dared oat sad caarl actarAiagl. inflict upon the country, as I have already, abown, utterly forbids its adoption. TLo soldier, if La 'buderstsnds thu, !wt!t bot ask it, aani ihalieekbMeighVi eistail upon itself a, great '.end . ilreparablo wrong in order to' prevent a tbioor oue, which it may remedy in another way, if any present remedy is iodispensablo. Thu best friend of tbe cattle's , patrioue de fenders ia the friend of justice .-and tbe publio welfare;'and the men who were an aelfish enough to offer their lives aa a sac rifice for these will never ask tbe re pre sentatives of the people to trample thcra unaer loot. 1 " ' Tha Presidency. ' - - "I propose to snore' Immediately Upoa your works." U. B, Grant. ' , Senator IIendricL eutogj oSeymour on Tuesday was most funertil. r " J ' - .. - 1 j . . General Grant hurt himself with tha Democracy when be Captured Lie. . There were more rebel than Union aol diera in tbe Democratic Couvention. General Grant does not expect to returu.to Washington, from bis ' Western to or, till the lasiof September.' : Every negro', becomes "intelllzent." "moral," "refined" and white" tho mo ment he votei the Democratic ticket. Hancock's frteada awear he Was beaten because be hung Wrsi 'Sarratt. What then of A. J., who ordered her execution? A Missouri paper culls the nomination of Frsok 1'. Bljir on the ticket with Sey. mour letting 'tbe tall go with tho hide. "H'hyl asks the Cincinbsti Gateae'lt the Blair family like tbe smallpox? . lit cause every Administution must have it once. ' ' Compliments were extendtd to Forrest.' Lee snd Uauiptou by the Democrats st New York a tew days tto, but auf a word1 for Grant. . - ...... , The Wheeling UitUijtnctr sayar ""Mr. Chase hsi sent lock ol . bis hair , to tha Democrat from California who gave him half, vete." , The Flymoüth Memorial says that at a dinner of pfjmiuent Uepublicana at tho tit. Jamea tlo.el, liostou, last week, 120,UOU was subscribed toward the fall raW paign.' . - Tbo morning after . fc'ojmyor'e noctnatiou a card waa fouud at the eud of a black ribbon, at tho dour of tbe Chief J ustiee iu Washington, with this inscribal: "Mr. Chase departed hia life tsterday at V I iscw xura, The Toledo Bladt lays: "It is stated that there waa a at roc-ale at New York among the delegates to the Convcutioa ' aa to who should have tbo honor of sleeping with Joe Williams, the 'Digger delegate from Tennessee." Tbe Mtttngtr IVanco-Atucricat, m French paper published in New York, predicts tieymuur'e defeat, on ground, principally, that "it would be difficult to cite one word he haa ever said ia favor of the people of the whole Union," The nomination of Blair waa the laat alraw to break the camel's btok. Wbers the vote was being taken aa Alabama delegate made this significant announcetueuu "Aa a rebol soldier of Alabama' I take pleasure in casting her vote for Frau a. F. Dlsir. , Tbe New York World has moderated its tone witbiu the past few days. It ad mils bow tbst the election of Graut is possible, but not probable. This is . little gained. If the Republicans era working al the possibles they will leave the improbables to the Democrats. , The Seymour family of . the present generation originated in Connecticut. Horatio Seymour, of Vermont, who waa a Senator iu Congress, waa a relative of the New Yurk UoratiJa, now Dominated for Fresideut, and Thomas A., ex-Govcruor of Connecticut, ia of the same stock, A renegade and a dishonored man, the name offcalmou I1. Chase must henceforth stand aa at once a warning ejraiuet th iuliueuce of unhallowed ambition and au illustration of the folly of the highest wisdom if married by a single taint of selfishness or pride.-Newark (N.J.) Courier. . ' Job had the boils, but ho was spsred the 11 1 airs, If be had them, his wife need not hsvs urged him to curse himself tu death. He would have dyue it without her advice. . There is hardly a Dewiocratio Senator or Representative, outside of the Kentucky and Maryland members, who does but . privately admit that Seymour will be de , Icated. i Our Bedford correspondent, writing from the Spriniii, etiiee that - Justice-' Urior, oow among Ibe visitors at that law oua watering place, regards. Grant's clou tion as biorsljy certain, The Chicago hattera are now engaged In filling ordeya for, the uuiioiuis of tha Taunera" In various parts of Illinois They farulsh'au entire outfit, iucludiug a flag, for f2. A Tuetonio poet perpetrates the follow ing cpithph on sititr toosTics en ass. ' Yea I tlski vat sow I U And vol I use te vas, , I Hos I te4 myself away MltvUiaSUileat aaae. Cenundrume. Wjiich of M. Dickens's works is ha Vilest to ge through? Aus. No taoroogVkWhy is a coquette lite a miacr? An. Becsuso she ' never, gives svtec.l. ' When is a blow from a lady weVrotnef Ana, Whan sho stiikee you agraaaUy. Why I a abarp sitor like s dull esr Aas Hectare the on baes lkxswhly and the other shaves tkoraalv.