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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1850
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this as an original resolution. As various plans for the purpose of promoting the settlement of the public lands have been sug- gested, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands, I may say that I think those lands could not be better disposed of than in providing homes for the necessitous citizens of our country, and those who may come to our shores requiring assistance. As those schemes have been referred to the Committee on Public Lands, I have thought this a proper time to move this resolution. I beg that it may be referred to that committee. Mr. Houston. I can assure the gentleman from Mississippi, [Mr. Foote,] that upon the subject of "bids" I have never been distinguished; nor am I on this occasion emulous of any success, that I know of, but one, and that would be to reconcile matters here and get to business. But if the honorable Senator from Mississippi entertains the slightest apprehension that I have any idea of interfering with any other southern gentleman who has "bids" to make, he is certainly mistaken; for I can assure the honorable Senator that I can have no aspirations which would conflict with those claims to which he is so justly entitled. This is a measure originating not with reference to any ulterior object, further than the accomodation of such persons as are really necessitous in our own country; and not, as I remarked, intending to make it a substantive resolution in its origin, but for the purpose of embracing a large portion of our population, and such as will necessarily arrive on our shores and mingle with our population, (which was the' sole object I had in view,) I would have been glad, sir, to have offered it as an amendment to the resolution of the honorable Senator from New York, [Mr. Seward.] It will be remembered that I have made no efforts to bring myself particularly forward on the floor of the Senate, or to intermeddle in the discussions which have resulted; and had it not been for a peculiar degree of sensitiveness on the part of the honorable Senator from Mississippi, apprehending some collision that might arise in relation to "bids," I presume this motion would have passed unopposed. The policy which I have always entertained, and upon which the country acted in which I have been situated for years past, has been a policy liberal towards emigrants, liberal towards citizens; and, in appropriating the public domain, has acted upon the principle that ·an independent and well-established population is of more advantage to the community as a republic than the possession of public lands that were unprofitable, neither paying taxes nor
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