The purpose of this legislation was. of course. entirely obvious. The purpose was to enable the negro population to acquire homes without expense. Some of them did so. and some of the poorer classes of whitepeople did so. but it was such a restriction upon the sale of public lands. sucha barrier and burden to the immigration of people into our State. as that the State lost very considerably by it in the increase of its population and its resources and wealth. That is a just matter of complaint on our part. and if this bill is passed it should include a provision to entitle us to the 5 per cent. upon all the homestead entries that were made during this ten years of time when the other rights of entry were suspended and denied to us by the act of Congress. But the bill as reported from the committee. instead of giving us the benefit of the 5 per cent. upon the lands taken up under the homestead entries during this period of suspension. absolutely denies it to us. and we have now no right whatever according to the provisions of this bill to receive any compensation upon those lands which we were prohibited from buying. and which were therefore handed over to men for nothing. you may say. except the fees and expenses of paying for patents for the land at the laud offices.
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immigration