Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-06-06

|
ent, at least, as to continue adequate protec
ton to the home industry of the country. Ii
bis opinion, after the discharge of the nation
al debt, the expenditures OF the Government
as now authorized by law, will not excees
S13,000,o0O To give the protection neces
sary to our domestic manufactures. revenue
| of ST. 100000 is proposed by the Secretary
to be retained, derivable from sources othel
than the sales of the public lands, and he rec
ommends an augmentation of the expenses O.
the Government to that sum annually; tina,
the whole of this sum shall be collected b,
fimpost duty.
/ The committee, in the discharge Of the du
8 assigned them a.su pb t to present td sah
Ereasons for withholding their assent to so rucl
Eof the report of the Secretary of the Treas
Jury as proposes to augment the ordinary and
annual expenditures Of the Government be-
yond the Sl3,OOO,Ooo.
The sources from which the revenue of the
Government has been derived, are, 1st, I'm
ports; end, public lands; Sd, bank stock.
| 1t is proposed by the Secretary TO withdraw
Ethe public lands from the sources of revenue.
TO sell the bank stock, and to leave the $f5,
100000 to be collected upon the imports Of
the country, and, in This mode, to afford tempo
trary and permanent protection to the manu-
featuring interests of the country.
/ Whilst the immediate benefits resulting
from this protection are almost exclusively
confined to the northern and eastern sections
of the Union, already in the enjoyment 4
more than due proportion of the advantages
resulting from the expenditures of the pubic
money, it is proposed that the new States
shall further contribute to their prosperity
and capital by the purchase Of the public lanls,
and by becoming bound to the States, direct
ly and individually, for the payment.
/ The committee do not assent to such a nod
itie alton of the revenue of the country, OF TO
such disposition of its present sources.
| The public lands should not be, hey have
not been, regarded as profitable source Of
revenue to the Federal Government; nor
should they be converted into the means Of
wealth to the several States. Tbey should
be fostered and disposed Of by tie National
Government, in such manner and upon such
terms as will be subservient to the building up
of great and fourishing communities, whose
members, when interested in, and attached to,
the soil, will give. physical strength and moral
force to the nation.
1t Is true that our Government has attained
that condition, unexampled in the history OF
nations; when it becomes the duty Of the tax
ing power to lessen and not to increase public
exaciions upon the labor Of the citizens. The
diminution to be made should be extended
with impartial Justice to all the sources from
which revenue is derived, when that can be
done without jeoparding any of the great in
terests Of the country. We should exact from
each source in proportion to its ability 10 pay.
and take from none more than the Govern.
ment require.
If, then, the amount Of tax imposed upon
imports, and the revenue derived from the
sales of the public lands, are greater than
| the just and ordinary expenses Of the Govern
ment demand, and all admit that they are
that amount should be reduced, and reduced
| by lessening the exactions made from each
in fair and just proportion. The reduction
| Of the revenue derived from the sales of the
public lands, to be effectual and beneficial
must be made in the price at which they are
to be sold. If the amount now received into
the Treasury he not required for the purposes
Of the Federal Government, (and such seems
to be conceded fact,) the committee are OF
opinion it would be better mode TO rid the
National Treasury Of this unnecessary and
dangerous influx of public money, to reduce
the price of the public domain, land thereby
render the acquisition Of home easy to all
/ in every condition Of lifeO than to sell the
lands to the younger States, if they were will
Iling to buy and able to pay. A sale to Them
upon any terms, the most reasonable in the
lopinion Of the older States, must render them
tributary to, and dependent upon, their more
prosperous and opulent sisters Of the confed
eracy. Their present population would BE-
remembered with debt TO be transmitted al
curse to their posterity, the interest of which
l they would be unable to pay by the sales o
the lands which they could effect.
j The whole amount Of the public lands ii
| the States and Territories, remaining unsole
lat this time, may be estimated at 34o,S78,7i:
tacres. The lowest sum, per acre, az which
the United States would be justified in selling
according to the opinions Of many who hay'
! spoken upon this subject, has been 80 cent
: per acre; others have fixed so cents. A sal
at 80 cents per acre would produce debt mp
t OH the new States alone of $54,757,705 Be
t the annual interest Of which, at per cent
e would be S3,2s5,462 33-a sum greater tina
the past or future annual average receipt