the imperial railway which will soon unite
the Atlantic with the Pacific. Passing, as it will, for several thousand
miles, through our public domain, it will add much to the value of the
homestead lands. It should be remembered, especially by the Irish and
Germans, who are asked in the South to fight the rebel battles, that,
but for the opposition of Mr. Calhoun and the secession leaders, this
bill would long since have been a law.

It was first proposed by Robert J. Walker, in October, 1830, and again,
in a speech made by him against nullification and secession, at Natchez,
Mississippi, on the first Monday of January, 1833, and then published in
the _Mississippi Journal_. From that speech we make the following
extract: 'The public lands are now unincumbered by the public debt: no
more sales are necessary, unless (to settlers) at a price required to
pay the expenses of survey and sale. This is the period for the new
States to produce this beneficial change in the policy of the
Government, (instead of) the present onerous system, which arrests the
cultivation of our soil, and growth of our country.' Here the Homestead
bill was recommended by a _Union_ man, in a speech against secession;
and as the opponent of that heresy, he was elected to the United States
Senate by Mississippi, on the 8th of January, 1836.

In the United States Senate Journal, of 31st March, 1836, will be found
the following entry: 'Agreeable to notice, Mr. Walker asked and obtained
leave to bring in a bill to reduce and graduate the price of the public
lands in favor of actual settlers only, to provide a standing preemption
law, to authorize the sale and entry of all the public lands in forty
acre lots, &c. On motion by Mr. Calhoun, that this bill be referred to
the Committee on Public Lands, ayes 19, nays 25. On motion by Mr.
Walker, ordered that this bill be referred to a select committee of
five, to be appointed by the Vice-President. Mr. Walker (chairman),
Ewing of Ohio, Linn, Prentiss and Ewing of Illinois, are appointed the
committee.' And now, that we may understand the motive of the hostile
motion made by Mr. Calhoun, I make the following extract from Gales &
Beaton's _Congressional Register_, vol. xii., part 1, page 1027, March
31, 1836, containing the debate, on this bill: 'Mr. Walker asked and
obtained leave to introduce a bill to reduce and graduate the price of
public lands to actual settlers only, &c. The bill having been read
twice, Mr