Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-07-06

u,benI a,t,nta;,, - Lo,,ae or the s,Ic.
cess ~ the neasnrs
A resolu,;op a., ,o,, ,,,o,;on ,vas nassed. di.
rect;ng the Comm;,tea on Roads and Canals to
INQUIRE into The sxned;ency of Granting to the
state for the purnoae NJ ass;s;;nes in defraying
the exnense Of nnen;np canal TO connect
the Illinois river and lake Michigan. the land
tbat b3 80 ,a1 c. sola throuuh
-, ' ~ 'ee" 80. ~ no'i' '@ao ,r5
% I'm" ."e lou'e Vi ..iS ea"ai Pass e.
S''.i''''''ee was no. saesheu' Wy o'n0i NJ
ihauoi', .n.'' Tue oJeot WAS Prao'icao'e, "oi a"
'he oilciAi means OF aioraing IT. FROM ,"e
splrlt,a however, with winch tins sub]ect mas
oeeh discussed at nome, ana under the h'ea-
sures thal nave Deen taken by tRe Legisiature'
~ , w -, ~ ue aoie " oO'i''e
''']. u'''leei'y az r nv neAt % ss'o.l.
II, 1901 " nv 1iua' nus
,,a''Ii ,..oi.e,i,1, .,ipa +. " ,'o -
" .iose
tha ~, 10y I, ,ls 49, "' -, ' .t,,. - -
S,,,,,',,;sI ~, .,.;-'l "
r.. d,';,''.',,H. ~. -, ~, 80
~, ~ r. "nd asi.;,o of Ea.sa.,aSa
I ol s."' "na "9Nle y, Ious Iss
5e1,daJ g. ",ao.;ai ' ''',,,,1 III -
=. - =, .',". 10 1>..
:, ~ ~ D1 s',e ~ .ne
s, va, ~ supol' ~ sl u,e $40
, $50 IS ;,'.on',G u oon5 ~.
H.. 81, 49,, ms ~
rao,a,ds H. 49,. -
fo,u,,rd io,',t r.ei'.., $50
~, IL 20 :, 'N' r. 60
uaI ~ 30 ~ us " -, M
r., 80, -
49, ~ III ~.
-, - 80 ~. .'' -,
ta,,;no lands Thereafter ts9os soii To tha II,,f
81 States. for ave years next after such sales.
when these contracts were entered into. The
public lands were sold under the credit 5, stem.
and al the minimum price of two dollars per
acre Since the period Of their adoption their
price has been reduced to the MINIMUM, per
acre, Of one dollar and quarter and the Gre
dit system has been abolished. The reason,
then, for exempting land from taxation for five
years, which was to give time to complete the
payments, no longer exists; and as the price
of the public land has been reduced, and con
sequently, the per centage on the proceeds Of
the sales that was granted to those states as
one of the considerations for the restriction on
their taxing power, has also been reduced in
the same ratio, | cannot but believe that it is
due TO those states to give them the bosuer, at
least, OF taxing all lands, after the title shall
have passed from the United States into the
hands of individuals, and leave it to their dis.
cretion to exercise it or not. 1t is doubted
whether the revocation of these compacts
could affect the rights Of those who have AREA
dy purchased under their provisions but that
It would leave the states free to tax lands
hereafter to be sold, is not, nor cannot be cues
toned. Did such a power exist in the states,
it must be obvious that the burdens of the PEG
pie in supporting Retrospective state govern
ments, might be made more equal, and, conse-
quently, less oppressive to those who are now
the only contributors to that object.
In bringing this subject before Congress-
did not expect to succeed Immediately in get
ting any thing fnaydone Ibid it more with "a
view Of eliciting inquiry, and having it plac d
on the list ofunfnshed business and, therefore
subject to be taken up at an earlier period Of
the next session, than from any hope of its i'm
mediate adoption. And it is with the view of
inviting your attention, as well as that of the
Legislature, TO it, that mention it in this com
muncaton. 1t seems to me that there is no
good reason why an individual, removing into
the state now, and acquiring clear title to land
from the United States, should enjoy its pos
session, as well as the protection OF the laws,
Tor hVe years. ana YET pay no YAK upon l, oo-
ring that PERIOD. me reason TOR the exemp-
ton having ceased cannot out 'hink that the
exemption itself ought also TO cease. There
can be no maxim IN political justice more UNI
versally true, than that he who enjoys in his
person and property the protection OF govern
ment, should contribute IN proportion to that
protection, the means OF It's support Nor it
less true, that where the consideration of an
obligation falls or js impaired by the act of the
act of the party in whose favor it is raised Gas
is the case in relation to this restriction on the
taxing power of the new states) that the obi
CATION should cease, or be mitigated in pro-