Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-02-22
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
." MARYLAND Resolutions"

The committee to which was referred the re-
port and resolutions of the States OF Mary
land, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ken
lucky, and Massachusetts, on the subject OF
the clam originated by the State of Mary
land, to grants of land from the United States
Cor the purposes OF education, beg leave to
report:
That the object of the State of Maryland, as
gathered by your committee, is to claim from
the United States, in behalf of the old thirteen
States, and the States of Maine, Vermont, and
Kentucky, to the exclusion of the new States
which have been formed in the south and west,
a grant of public lands, for the use OF schools,
corresponding, in a Just proportion, with the
lands which have been reserved from sale by
Congress, and granted to the new States for
the purposes of education. This claim is
brought forward with much show otreason and
argument; and protesting, as it does, to have
the advancement Of learning and an enlighten-
ed policy for its object, is well calculated to
enlist in its favor the aid of those States which
have SO many motives, both OF interest and OF
feeling, to fall into the measure, and so few to
gcrutinize and doubt Yet, however plausible
The reasoning may seem which is brought in
support of this claim, your committee cannot
but wonder that so many OF the States should
have seen no cause to suspect its merits in the
very bold appeal which the report of the Le-
eislature of Maryland makes to the power of
the States interested. Surely it could not be
thought that if the claims were just, the new
States, with all their partaities i'll favor of the
old, would be unwilling to concede it. When
have they refused to do right, or where isth
stain of Injustice But is ii not rather to be
inferred that the claim, to support which this
power is invoked, has no foundation in justice I
And that, therefore, the physical strength OF
the old States is necessary to support it, II
so. and YOUR committee can view it in no other
lightly the array of 169 to II is fearful odds to
contend with but it may be matter of some
consolation that there are not wanting ex-
amples of the right prevailing against still
greater.
But your committee trust that the occasion
never will arrive when Congress, legisiatlng
upon claim "fom1ded in strict right, and not
asked for as matter Of fapor," will suffer IT.
self to be diverted from proper scrutiny into
its merits, by being told it possesses, in its
own members, who are Interested IN carrying
it through, sufficient majority to bear down
ali opposition and stife inquiry. Such state
of things would be too deplorable not to
awaken alarm, and greatly impair our faith in
our free institutions.
But YOUR committee proceed to inquire
wherein the strict right of the claim set up by
the State of Marylan consists. And, in the
outset, will freely admit that the public lands
were acquired by the joint efforts OF all the
States, and that they are public property be-
longing to the United States. Great pains
seem to have been taken in the Mar land re-
port to establish this position; and various ex.
tracts from the resolutions and acts of the old
States, with regard to their vacant lands, and
the cession of them to Congress, are quoted,
to show that they were to be considered as
common fund, applicable only to the common
purposes of all the States, or, in other words,
to the United States 1t is then said that they
could not be granted or disposed OF tor State
purposes; but that in the grants which have
been made to the new States OF one section in
every township for the use OF schools, and OF
an occasional township for seminaries OF a
higher grade, they have been disposed 1of
State. and not for national purposes, contrary
TO the tenor by which they were holden, and
70 the manifest prejudice of the States in
whose favor no such grants have been made
That to do impartial justice to such States
Congress 10 bound to grant to each, out Ut the
lands living within the new States, where va
cant public lands yet remain unsold, quaint
tv corresponding, in just proportion, to those
GRANTED to the new States for the use O
echools And calculations are then made t.
ahow the quantity which each State would re
ou;re according to that "just proportion il
which the superficial extent OF the States, 'ne
not the population, is made the basis \
1t will be perceived, that this proposition Q
che State of Maryland rests altogether u,po
the suppostion that the grants OF our schot
lands have been made for State, and not tor no
eionol purposes. If, then, there be m,stak
here. the whole superstructure must fall. :
mart Of the act of cession from Virginia to tn
United States, OF her vacant lands, is relic
unon to show that Congress cannot SO dispos
Of them. What are the words cited =" ihi
thew shall be considered as common fund ff
the use and benefit Of such OF the Unite
states as have become or shall become men
hers Of the confederation or federal alliance
the said States, Virginia inclusive, according
their usual respective proportions in the gen
raj charge and expenditure: and shan
faithfully and bona fde disposed OF tor that Pu
nose and for no other" &c.
II will be recollected that the act OF cesso
av virgins. from which the above is ?. "a e.
s;.ct. was made before the formation % TN
federal constitution, and when the sS Lv ,hs
eharre and expenditure" were bor c,, ~ .
States according to their RESPECTIVE I'D Con
men and money, as assessed oy a athat in
crees or committee OF States. n. nurinr r.
stead Of the benefit of these iaia IN. accord.
shr General States of the contede'Trt ions in the