Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-01-01


higher price, Instead OF selling them of pionpt,<
for their actual value, as recommended by Presi-
dent " Arlington and Secretary Hamilton, in the
year VI. These great men, when they were at
inc mead OF didirs, twice recommended TO Congress
10 dispose ot these lands as soon as possible for
their zeal worth; and the sum of twenty cents per
acre was fixed 10y General Hamilton a. their ave-
rage value. L mention this sum particularly, hr.
President, and with emphasis, that gentlemen
who have been astonished that my scale ofprices
should descend low as 20 n minimum of twenty
i've cents per acre. may henceiorth dedicate part
oi their amazsmcnt 10 the plan oil General Hamil-
ton, which no higher than To an average of
twenty His report 10 this effect, and the two
messages OF President " ashington recommending
it. with the manner III which his plan Mas defeat
ed, and the consequent injury 10 the country,
were tnily insisted upon by me, on former occa-
sion, AMI s,in not be further adver.ed 20 now.
But wish TO avail myself ofthe authority Of the
great names of w ashington and Hamilton in this,
my adventurous attempt to revive their policy, s
10 achieve victory where they had Sustained
defeat. i wish 10 have il known tllat my bill is
bottomed on a principle which has received the
high sanction OF their approb atom, aui which the
experience OF six and thirty years has proved BE
correct. wish TO have it seen that, ike them,
am in favor OF sinking price to the quality Of
Tie land, instead of waiting, Indefinitely, for It's
fud!tty 10 rise 10 our price. To 10 this, INV bill
proposes, alter the public sales arc over .ld all the
choice lands are sold, which command more than
enc Collar twenty-five cents per acre, to offer the
reniandcr tor hve consecutive years, ~ an annual
periodical reduction OF price, the rate OF TWEEN
S-iHe c,ntS per acre per unuum, until every tract
snail lind purchaser, or fall into the class Of re-
iusc ianis. In this way every tract would gradu-
ate itself, and find purchaser when IL fell 10 it's
'iiuc. In i've ycarscye.y district would be pick
Cd tive times over; every sa!cablc part would be
culcd ou', and taken up; and ule refuse, which
would not sell for twenty-five cents per acre. and
which would ohcrw Se lie idle for centuries in The
hands Of The Federal Government, would be dis
posed OF III donlticns 10 the poor aud III cessions TO
IL, -, ,l....- L..
cation OF the People, and the Improvement Of the
country. such, MIR. President, is the plan of my
hill anu in proposing ii 20 the Senate, have tie
satisfaction 10 be able 90 say that it is not an I'm
iicd experiment, no'v 10 be vcnured upon for the
irst tine, but that has been tried in one of the
Stdtes--the State OF Tcanesscc-witll the most
complete ANA gratifying success, disposing of all
arabic land lii few years, x bringing more money
INTO the Treasury than il had received ia the half
century preceding. Doubtless the same system
VII operate equally well Federal lands; al least
that ii win make our two-hunired and sixty null
lions OF acres produce as much as will meet the
interest Ct the public debt for five years yyhicI,
on the basis ofan annual reduction of thirteen mil
lions OF the capital, viii not exceed this sum total
OF nine or ten millions.
Thus, Mr.. President in the brief space cr t;v.
years, the whole public debt may he pad, Off for
what Is not rcdecmable Is purchaslbIc in market
ana Tic United States present the imposing specta-
Gle OF great nation without nltionaI debt Such
spectacle would command the adnratip., of the
CIVILIZED world, ana would nnGrt moral tn
this Republic greater than the possession Of fleets
and armies could ever give her. But the advanta-
Scs CT such position would not be limited to the
acquisition OF moral power and 20 the enjoyment of
foreign admiration. Other benefits, of direct
anu sensible kind would Immediately result and
dliiuse themselves among the people. The extinc-
ton OF the debt would enable the Federal Govern
met 70 dispense with more than hafof its present
revenue, and, OF course, 10 abolish taxes in Tbs,
shape Of duties upon comforts and neccssdries to
That amount. The blessings Of su ci disucnsatio,
would need Recommendation from arts Of sr,eci
10 render them acceptable 10 the Peoc at least To
inc People OF the grain growing and planting States
OF tins Union, with whose condition [ am best ar
quain;ed. Unhappily, they have at home in the de-
caNn condition OF too many OF their towns and villa
gcs,-in the melancholy aspect OF too many of their
farms anu country housCs-a sufficient cornmcnta-
tor upon The amount Of their taxes, and the eccss
~ Of relief. But to gentlemen who dwell in more
favored parts,to Senators who from the sea-
board OF the East, where commerce collect, her
accumulated treasures. where multiplied Banks
GIfiujc an ab1d3Iit paper currency and where the
policy Of the Federal Government causes TO be ex
pended the chief part OF the reycnuc which is else
where collected; to such gentlemen il may not be
an act oil supererogaon 20 in;imate that the North
American vi the United states is alnonu the mo
heavily taxed animals OF his species, and that he
occupies, III this respect middle position between
the EnSlishman, who il taxed 10 The ultimate point
Of human endurance, and The Frenchnln, who
is not very for behind.
make this suggestion, Mr.. President, upon Che
authority cionc OF the most acute AMI practised
statesmen OF the agc-one whom we have lonr
known, and under various titles, but best and lone.
est under his old Republican and Revolutionary
apPcllation o; Citizen IWteyTdnd. This veteran
Statesman, III late debate in the French Chamber
OF Peers, took occasion to class the burthens of the
EngliSh, french, and Americans, in the order in
Wllich have stated thcm and, strange as his cIas
slhcaiion appeared to at first / must confess
that Subsequent reelection and observation much
'dikii!S win the people, and two three thousand
miles oil annual travelling through cin4it or ten diff
iercnt States, has brought me TO acnuiesce in
lis truthful least SO far the aforesaid North A.
meIlcn OF the grain growing and PLANTING States
OF tins Union, Is concerned. The secret Of this
heaFy taxation, Mr. President, lies ia the fact that
inc cllzcns oil the United States are subject 20 be
taxed, at the same moment, by two SEPARATE and
distinct Governments, without having. pbof ~.
people OF Asia, under the like circusianccs once
demanded from LARK Antony-a double ST Of s,a-
sons aud OF crops 20 answer the dupcat. demand
They are taxed by the Federal Government in
dulles upon imports, to the amount of twenty odd
millions, which 90 into the Treasury AMI eiTht or
ten millions more, in the shape OF mercantile pro
ht, upon that sum, which goi into the pockets of the
retail dealers. BY the State Goycrnnieu they SIRE
taxed as nearly as can be ascertained about twenty
millions more; IN all the different forms Of St.fc
taxes county taxes, city taxes, corporation taxes
poor taxes, taxes upon licenses workiu.- upon
roads, serving on iuIi:s, suppo; tina Churches and
charitable institutions and long list Of ct cetergs
ne aggregate Oi the whole annual lew tt,,der
the eXAcuons Of the duplicate governments, may
wen b., as supposedb Citizen IdHevruaa. about
my Ih'iiiofis Oh dollars AN enormous SUN STdr
PRESIDENT, ior pOpIlItiOn Of twelve millions q,
pay, even IL they were all ttx-r,,-in.r ,,,oeic
which they are nOii Cor some are paupers and n,v
hodhS5 many are poor and pay hu little: and ttgo
millions are slaves, arId are pad for b tler n,n
eTs. ! repeat, MIR. President, taat fifty millions