Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-04-13

der their consideration, JOINT resolution OF
the General Assembly of the state oflndana,
asking the consent of Congress to the re, o.
cation ct that part of the compact between
the United States and the state of Indiana,
by which, all plblic lands sold in that state,
after the first day of De ;ember, 1916, were
exempted from taxation by the state, for
the term of five years after the sale thereof,
and submit the following
REPORT:
By the general regulations for the
sale of the u tied Sta es' lands, passed
on the 10th of VI Y 1900. the United
States reserved arevers 'oniry interest for
the term, II the lands were not fully paid
toi, they might, IN the manner described
III those regulations, revert absolutely 10
the United States; although, during that
term, the purchaser had an estate IN the
lands pure based, (sublect to The rever-
stony which might have been faxed by
the state in which they lie, if no compact
to the contrary had been made.
To guard TINS reversionary interest
from the endorsements that might have
been created ~ the states exercising the
RICH, of tax ,tion, aud to prevent the
debtors OF the Uni ed Sta, from being
less able to pay FIR their lands, the Unit
ed States required as one of the condi-
tons to the PROPOSITIONS made to the Sc
veral states OF OHIO, Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, Ml,sssippi Louisiana and
A ALBANIA, IN the respective acts aulhori
zing them to form their constitutions,
thai they should provide by ordinances
lrievoCable, wnhou, the consent OF Con-
gress, that all lands sold by the United
States, wi hin The limits OF those several
states, after the said acts respectively
should be exemp, from any acts under
the authority OF those particular states,
during he said term Of FIVE years.
With this condition each of the emu
meraled states complied.
Afterwards, by AN act passed on the
e4lh of April, 1920, Congress, anon
other things, abolished the system OF
credit in the sales OF public lands made
after the frs of July IF that year.
Upon this event, he committee is OF
opinion, thai every reason which induced
that condillnn ceased that the lands sol 1
BY the United States, after the first of Ju
Iy, 1920, being absolute PRIV ate property
became taxable of ri hit by the states in
which they he; and that pr3per case
had then O. cured, in whIt b to give the
consent OF Congress to the revocation oil
so much OF hose compac,s as provide
tor the exc plion IN question, as seems
indeed,to have been anticipated and ro-
vided for, by the several acts authorizing
the formation of those states, and the or.
dinances passed by their conventions.
That the enhancement OF the value o.
the public lands was not the oblecl o
Congress, in requiring those exemptions
from taxation, is manifest from the fact
that no such exemption has ever been
al 'ached To the sales # lands in the seve.
raj territories of the United States, nei.
tber before or since the adoption of the
enumerated states into the Union. Yet
il remained in force TO the present time
and, as the exemption from taxation m a,
have entered into the nducement to the
purchase of lands heretofore sold unde,
il, the committee deem it inexpedienl tc
propose any change IL those compact,
that may affect lands heretofore sold b,
the United States.
But, believing that every reason fo
such exemptions has ceased with regart
to the United States, and that great inc
quality and injustice are produced il
those individual states, by the unequa
burdens imposed IN thar class of thei
cilz MS who purchased before the forma
ton of their respective constitutions
and that class who purchased since and
also, by a grea, diminuli n of the reve
nues OF those states after it has ceased tc
be necessary, or even useful to the Unit
ed States, the committee submit bill
declaring The consent OF Congress, te
the revocation ~ SO much of the sac
ordinances as establish The exemption.
complained Of by the state of diana or
her part, SO far as they ,heot lands here
after to be sold by the Uni,ed s ates.
Mr.. Barton, from the Committee or