Mr. HENDRICKS. When the bill enlar ging the wers of the Freedmens Bureau was before this body I agreed to that section which reserved from sale and all other disposition by the Government 3 million acres for the benefit of the colored people. I desire, now that they are free, to see them possessed of homes; and so far as this bill oes in that direction I am in favor of it. while I do not support the proposition that they shall be endowed with political rights and powers, I do desire to see them made the owners of lands. But, sir, I do not like to see the system which has disposed of our public lands so beneficially to the people broken up by restricting the sales to the imited quantity of 80 acres. I ask Senators to consider this proposition. While we are willin to legislate for the benefit of the colored people reasonably and properly, we certainly ought not to disre rd altogether the rights and the interests of the 8 million white people in that country and the interests of foreigners who may immigrate into those States. Senators desire, I resume, to have the southern States populate as far as possible by men from the 9th and by men coming from other countries that is an argument [have heard repeatedly here so that the political power of those States shall be taken from the men who have exercised it so prejudicially to the count and be placed in the hands of men who will be faithful to the country. That has been an argument in which there was a great deal of force. The Senfrom Iowa says the bill as it now stands would have a tendenc to exclude from those States a population which gentlemen desire to see seed settlement and homes within their limits. Suppose we say that these lands shall not be disposed of as this bill does in any mode except under the homestead law, and then only to the extent of 80 acres of land, howis the head of afumily at all to provide for his boys? How is he to secure a home for them? He cannot buy it within the limits of those States; he is confined to a small tract himself. that makes a form not suse eptible of further partition, and when he dies some one of the children mustpke it and the rest seek homes elsewhere. That has not been our policy heretofore. We have allowed larger entries than this, and it.has promoted the prosperity of the country. Therefore I nk that this restriction to 80 acres oug to be stricken out; and I do not think the Senfrom Kansas, the chair man of the committee, is justified in saying that if we allow homesteads to the extent of one Mississippi. 160 acres there will not be enough lands in these States to provide for all whom he desires to provide for. There is a large amount of public lands in these States; I am not preare to say at this time just the amount. F orida has an enormous quantity of public land undisposed of, and I think there is a large quantity in Arkansas and some in Loui siana; qI cannot sa just how much. A few years ago I did kncz, but I cannot state now. The proposition is to strike out this restriction, and then the bill will stand thus: that no man can purchase in these States any land beyond an 160 acre tract, and he can only get a title to that after he has lived upon it 5 years, and this right is secured to the colored people as well as to the white. It seems to me that is a fair bill.