Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-02-11

for tho public lands which is the rulS OF dstsbut;o
tho year $685. thcre Ma received into tho u sa,.s
Treasury, Tor lands Sold the s,n OF Sf.oi83o3 10.
Inc leenty sold during the period PCS 900
acres Surprising tho above amount to be received
annually, Eom year To year, the States would BE-
entitled to sboui Si7so per annua, for each repre-
sentative"
we have not documents To enable MS to test the
correctness OF this Statement, but it is probably not
ar from the truth. Taking it TO be true, as it re-
CARDS the annual nmon, and value oflands Sold tho
share OF Virginia would be Sio5,i50.
Ihe Now Jcrsy Eagle complains, that among the
various gits OF public lands TO different Stutes for
one purpose or another that state has never rcccv
cd an acre. fthis complaint DO reasonable as to
New Jersey, who made donation of territory To
the JOINT stock Of the nation, what must il he as TO
virginia, who resigned an Empire, splendid En-
pre- and has not only not received any donation IN
return for beneicent purposes, but finds great Diff
Guilty IN getting secured to her revolutionary sold crs
their paltry reservation! Let no moro such com.
plants be made, until they be made with bet
ter grace.
We arc unnppr;scd Of the course pursued BY the
Virginia Representation, upon Mr.. Hunts resolu
ton. The policy ofVirsinia--n which there ever
seemed to us, to be fully much false pride as psn-
c,p.e-has hitherto bccrl to ash nothing of those who
had the power aud were constantly exercising il,
OF giving away the public lands, upon State applica
tions. for State porposca She considered all such
proceedings irregular and Unconstitutional and pre-
lerrcd honorable poverty TO wealth obtained at the
expense Of principle. This reads well on paper
and coull VIC perceive that it would lead in The lonr
run, TO tie overthrow of the disapproyed practice
IyC ho,,l ,i,u - ia !; a.,
has been to deprive Virginia Of benefits which She
could receive for asking, and which other States
nave asked and obtained, while her magnanim,y
has tended in no degree, to diminish the evil Tie
question presented by SIR. Hunts resolution, is
very d'fs rent one We are not asked to receive the
lands themselves, but their proceeds, divided cou,,a
by, or at least according TO representations among
the several States. Congress undoubtedly have the
right TO appropriate those proceeds if thcv have no,
the right 10 give away the lands for tho endowment.
OF colleges anu charitable institutions we can 500
no objection TO that mode of disposing of the pro-
cceds OF the public lands but that it is diversion of
hem from the cxtinguishment Of the national debt
Upon the advantages of so considerable an annu.
al addition 10 the revenue of VIRGINIA we need not
iilatc Whether appropriated to education or i'm
provcmcnt, or to the reduction of the taxes the rev.
enuc is most important. 1t is the only chance the
only hope, that Virginia has, Of receiving any direct
return for her munifccnt libcrality to the Union
" think 1t Is time to exchange Quixotism for a pru
dent regard 10 interest, and for Virginia to par,ci
pate IN the benefits which others are reapinr Gom
her extravagant generosity. While she stands by in
suien dignity others are helping Themselves to tho,
to which her title is much more equitable than
theirs.
WE confess That We desire Mr.. Hunts resolution
TO pass for another rcason-as an instrument of de-
feaing the proHigatc views which political specu!a-
tors have formed of renquishng the property in the
pubic lands, for sinister purposes by giving the At
lantic States convincing earnest of their valuc
IN the distribution ofthc yearly proceeds. Publc al,
tention is intensely awakened, by recent occurron
COS, 70 the enormous amount and untold value of no
public lands Hundreds Of millions of acres, ofland
as fine as the world can produce, are sufficient TO
excite curidity, and the open and shameless ayowal
OF this cupdity, Is sufficient arouse the attention
OF the propretors Of the land 10 its value and the
means of prcserwDg it. Mr.. Uaync may think il
very cruel and oppressive in the u. States not 70
surrender their lands to this grosping cupdiiy, but
the people do prize Mr.. Cahoun's election unite
80 highly. Damnd in popular regard, will be that
piTgini1n at least, who shall give his vote for the
surrender OF the national domain CONQUERED bv On
much blood, set apart for sacred purposes belong
ing to the whole people by title so good, for any
consideration but its fair value.