Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-02-22

and expenditure, by ways and means operat-
ing directly upon the people, and the States,
as such, have no concern herewith.
| Admitting, then, that the power OF Congress
over these lands extends no further than to
dispose of them for the "use and benefit" of
the United States, does it follow that Congress
cannot take such measures for the more spec
dy realizing of this "fund," by annexing to
every township sold, portion of that town.
1ship for the education of the children OF the
purchasers, and holding out such other induce
msnts to emigration and purchase as ii may
deem expedient' Surely not-any more than
if like grant were made for common OF pas
ture, or public squares and there is nothing
more usual than even for Individuals, who wish
to sell or lease their possessions, to offer like
inducements to effect their object. On the
acquisition by the United States of these
lands, it became duty to have them survey
ed and brought into market, for it was OBJ
sious they would form considerable source
of revenue if rightly managed. This was ac-
cordingy done, and the reservations for school
purposes we're made, and held out as an en-
couragement TO emigration and purchase--not
only to the few who lived upon them or in
their immediate neighborhood, but to the cti-
zen of Maryland, and OF every other State, and
even to foreigners. nothing short of this
course of policy could have had the desired
effect, for it is hardly to be supposed that
man OF growing family, how poor soever he
might be, would leave his residence and his
friends OF long acquaintance, IN any OF the At
lantic States, where the means of education
were so cheap and so near at hand, to cross
the mountains and settle in the wilderness,
where, without this munifcence of Congress,
he and his children might possibly live and die
without those advantages. The sale of the
public lands was, therefore, the principal mo-
tives of these grants, ard education, only Sc
condary consideration, conducting, in the OPT
Mon of Congress, to effect the main purpose.
Your committee might 60 further-and adj
hitting education to have been the principal
motive--ask, if education is not national OBJ
iect which would Justify the measure so much
complained of The answer would, doubtless,
be in the affirmative, but with this qualification,
that the benefit of it should be alike extended
to all the States. To all the States And are
not all the States particpators of it Their CT
items are certainly free to avail themselves of
any advantages which a purchase and settle
ment of the public lands may give them; and
if great many have been, and others yet pro-
pose TO be, sharers in them, the lawful intention
of the government has been consummated, and
nothing preludlcial TO the old States has result
ed therefrom.
Having shown your committee think conclu-
sively, that these appropriations of lands for
the use of schools, have been made tor strictly
national, and not for State purposes, they might
here rest, without presenting any other view
of the snbject-but there is one other light in
which this subject may be shown, not less
clear in favor of the position taken by your
committee, than the preceding-and this is,
that full and fair equivalent has been paid for
these school appropriations by the States in
which they lie. Your Committee will briefly
notice this part Of the argument, in re-
lation only to the State of Illinois. BY the act
Of Congress providing for the admission of IL
linols into the Union, and for other purposes,
passed on the 18th of April, 1878, four dis
tinct propositions were offered for our free &C
ceptance or reflections one in relation to the
10th section in each township; another in re-
lation to salt springs; the third, the FIVE per
cent. upon the sale of lands lying within the
state, and to be sold after the first of January,
1919, for roads leading to the state, and for the
encouragement of learning; and the fourth.
the two townships for the use of a seminary of
learning. These several propositions were
offered 10 be confirmed BY Congress to the
state of Illinois, ON CONDITION only, that sad
state should provide by an aT'rerocabls ordi-
nance, that every and each tract of land sold
by the United States from and after the LIST day
of January, 1879, shall remain exempt from any
tax laid by order orunder the authority of the
state, whether for state, county, township,
or any other purpose whatever, for the term
| of FIVE years from and after the day of sale.
| And further that the bounty lands granted, or
hereafter to be granted for military services
during the late war, shall, while they continue
| to be held by the patentees. or their heirs, re-
main exempt as aforesaid from all taxes, for
the term of three years from and after the
date of the patents, respectively; and that all
the lands belonging to the citizens of the
| United States, residing without the said state,
shall never be taxed higher than lands belong
ing to persons residing therein"
! The value Of this equivalent given by the
| State of Illinois for her school and seminary
lands, it will be found by calculation to bear
no proportion whatever to those grants; for
as yet they have been totally unproductive to
the State for the purposes Intended, that is to
say, the encouragement of Earning; while, on
the other hand, the rights given up by the or
dinance Of the convention accepting the pro-
positions Of Congress the conditions above
mentioned, have debarred the state of re-
venue, for the years, 1919, 1920, 1921, & 1922,
| of more than S150,000. And when your
committee come 70 consider the immense
tracts of fertile lands l.ing in this state which
vet remain to be sold, and which are to be
l exempt from taxation. although owned by