Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-02-02
CONGRESS.

Jan. 2otl, The .tuli'wing 1esolo,ion oHeredby Mr.
Foot canic'uP FOR consideration, the question Being
on tho amendment of Mr.. Woodbury.:
Resolved, That the committee on the Public lands
be ms ruccd to inquire into the eXpediency OF lini
ting Tor certain period the sales OF public lands
such lands only as have heretofore been offered for
sale, and arc subject entry at The minimum price.
And also whether the Office OF Surveyor General may
not be abolished without dctriment TO the public in
terest.
Sir Foo, offered modification Of his resolution,
which he said prepared with view of meeting
the objections of gentlemen.
Mr. WEBSTER said, although he might be among
those who saw the necessity for the resolutions vet
he not one who any harm in it, It confer
red no new power on the committee public lands.
But whateverhc might Thank of the resolution after
what hal fallen from Senator from South Ca olina,
(Mr. Hayncl be could not avoid sayin. what impress
sion 1t had made OH his mind. Ii he no necessi-
ty tor he first resolution, still less did lac see the ne
cessity for the amendment of the Senator from
New Hampshire, Mr.. Woodbury. 1t was the fact
that We had so much land in the mari c could 1t be
supposed that any lazy necessary to expedite
the sale OF tire Pubic Lands, or to throw any more
into the market. He Thought the great evil so far
rs there Was an evil the increase of population had
not kept up with the quantity of lands thrown INTO
the market What need was not acres but
hands. Ihefe was land enough, selling them at
prices nearly nominal, c-sng them away. could
accelerate the population beyond its present increase.
( he Senator from s. Carolina seems 10 think the
policy OF the u. States has been that of hard step
mother towards the Western country He had allu-
ded to the poiley oil European powers in planting col
ONES Was there any analogy between the cases on
which salesman could stand, and make an arru-
mcnt? w ere the Western settlements cclonies?-
Had they fled from the law of the county: FART
it--t!ley had gone under the shadow ofthe wing of
the present country. Had not the United States
paid millions millions for eXinguishing Indian ii
ties, and for the defence of the pecpc. Was tiIcrn
any comparison between that and European policy?
Take the State of Ohio--When did she BERN 10
have respectable existence? You know that down
to the year 90 or 81, the only settlements were
little IillagG or the Muskingum, and perhaps another
at Cincinnati. The frs settlement might be dated
from the victor? OF Wayne, IN 90 In 30 years.
here was STATE of million and hat of people,
Was this proof Of happiness? The State had run
away from the old thirteen States. 1t would he per
ilous for any man to say that this experiment had not
succeeded. He looked with wonder and anazement
at the wisdom which had governed he country and
arranged the subject Of the Public Lands and eriy
en- an impetus to the population which had gone on
increasing almost until the presenl moment.
Oar public lands were derived from four princDal
sources the cession by the State at the close of
the war; then the cession Of Georgia. then the nur-
chase OF iQusuiia; then the purchase of Florida
were Hot tHe lands pledged 10 the PchIc dcb' But
tins was not the original mortgage The first pied, q
was TO the whole States for the s'public roud and
virginia among those States When This session
was made, some Of the States were filed to their
chaFtered limits While some OF them contained vasl
quantities OF unsettled crown land. During the Re
vouiIonary war, the smaller States cornplained the
remons rance was that their cesson by the States of
portion OF he crown land, which by political ne
cessIy would become the property CT the States
would benefit the States, holding them, as well as
others--ln Congress, in 1880, the States were re-
quested to make these cessons. and CONGRESS resell
we'd that the lands thus acquired should be held for
the Common benefit, and to be settled and disposed Of
I'D such manner as Congress should direct feccvlnr
these lands under those express stpu.atons, was It
possible that Congress could give these land away?
Could they consider it III any way than as so much
money III the Treasury?
1t would be found that other States disposed of
lands on the same grounds did Virginia. Massa-
c@usetts, Connecticut, and North Carolina did the
same. The u. States received them under stipula-
tons which good faith required them to observe
One OF them wa that the y $. should not govern
them long as Terri ores.-IIad The u. States not
done tIis' Had not the States been admitted as soon
as here was any plausible for it? Stale, ha
vi g twenty members in the House. and two rnem-
bers here and gI"en all their support to admit
State W h equal powerhcre, which would have but
one member IN the house. This was "a vast dispro-
portion or political power But he did not know
that any person had opposed the introduction on that
ground FL had not-hs friends had not
The condition that they should form common
fund, mad been observed Tie money received from
them had gone into the public Tresury and had
tIenc" been disposed Of for the public necessities
The system OF the Government was in exact ptrsu
with the resolution. It was necessary for the
government not only to hold but to seule-There
was no man III the country Of strong arms, who had
not the opinion OF becoming 4 free man, of standing
on his own soil. w as this the conduct of = hard
step-Inohcr II different policy had been pursued
j would haze been breach Of DUTY He tbonaht
therefore the conduct of the Government was free
from repToach.
not regard the public domain as source of revenue:
thet the distribution of large revenue tended IT,
consohdaie The Government and corrupt the DcoDje
tHerr were men IN the country whose opinion led
them to tdesirableto weaken every thing leadnr
10 what they cal! consolidation, but which he called
INC Cn"n Those who formed the Government told
us that their whole object had been u consolidate
the Government they meant Us he did, union
those 10 whom he alluded, would see it 50 afranred
That there Should be control bcruad the tero6po
~ e%pedcncy to 90 INTO it, or 20 out Of II. as a
matter OF opinions the people who thought il "sime
to calculate he value of the Union" Who said tley
would not sn&ar the control Of the Union after Ju'y
81. He thought it dangerous to the Union that
such opinions should b. disseminated. lie was an
tnon'si he was National Rcpublican--l.e wash
iaVor OF such consultations held The Government
together and enabled them TO s;t there iIc WIN.
cd the Union might be preserved, by showing tbs, it
q lI..f 10 lttr. ..lr-u-. e. - 1