Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-08-08
Take Internal Improvement, and the opera

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ton under the bill will be not only unequal, but
many of the expenditures would actually be next
to useless. In many instances, States least in
need of expenditure for Internal Improvements
would get the most money, while the States in
want of most assistance for these objects, would
be put off with mere pttance. For example,
New York and Missouri are nearly equal IN
point of Territory: the former in high state of
improvement, both as to roads and canals. and
densely populated: the latter the very reverse
|yet New York would receive nearly half mil
lion of dollars, and Missouri not quite twenty
eight thousand
The money might, and in many cases would,
be iniudiciously applied To illustrate my idea,
take the three States of Indiana, Illinois and
Missouri, and say each would undertake with
their respective dividends the construction of a
rail road from East to West across each State,
and that Indiana would make hers TO terminate
on her western boundary, on the Big Wabash at
Vincennes. Illinois would make hers to COM
mence at her eastern boundary at Mount Car
mel, on the same river, but twenty-five miles
south of Vincennes, and terminate it at Alton,
her western boundary on the Mississippi; and
Missouri would commence hers at St. Louis,
her eastern boundary on the same river, but
twenty-five miles south Of Alton. There would
then be road some six or eight hundred miles
in length, made at the expense of the federal gov
Iernment, but so disjointed from the within or pc
Iculiar and local interest of each State, to take
from it half its utility. While on the other hand,
)if made by the General Government; it would
\ be direct and connected whole, of general utl-
lty to the whole nation, and worthy its high de-
llsgn and cost.
j With the indulgence of the Senate, will read
short passage on this subject from the last num-
Ter of the American Quarterly Review, upon
i which have just laid my hands.
i eve doubt the justice of dividing fund dis
rnsable for lntern.l improvements, according tn
II population. A mtional fund should be expended
where it is most wanted, and where it would be
most extensively useful The most populous
State might not rqnire the largest expenditure
n for roads and canals; and the least populous
might stand in he greatest need Of assistance
A sum expended n one State in making a road. is
not necessarily clargeable to that State as if for
1 its exclusive beneit, because the advantage NAV
he equally create adjacen States. An immense
sum of money vas laid out in the States of Ma
|ryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, in making
a road from Cumberland to Wheeling, which is
less beneficial 1.-THE two last named States, than
to those lying o. the Ohio. The correct princi
|ple seems to be not that expenditures should he
made within crtain limits, but that the benefits
should be farE distributed. This would be best
effected by tn, concentrated action of one gov
Iernment"
| The last OBJECTION which shall mention, and
which with me is more insuperable than all 9TH
ers put together, is that this dstributive system
| is introduced as substitute for a reduction Of
the price of lands, which, at this crisis, in con
sequence of the extinguishment of the public debt,
the people Of the new States have right to ex.
pect and demand, and the adoption of which will
operate with the old States as an induce
ment not only to keep up the present price, but if
possible to screw it till higher.
The reason givenby the Committee on Public
Lands for reducing the price, accelerating the
sales, and extlnguisling Federal title within the
new States, remain Unanswered by those who de-
nv the policy. Some of which reasons are, be-
cause nearly one hundred millions of acres of
the lands now in market are the refuse of sales
and donations, and Of little actual value, and only
fit to be given to settlers. And because the spec
dy extinction of FEDERAL title within their limits
Ills necessary to the independence of the new
States the development of their resources; to
subject their soil to taxation, cultivation and set
tement, and the proper exercise OF their Jurisdic
4 tlon ana sOVrelgnty.
i Highly as the present land system has been
extolied for its simplicity and salutary results, l
profess to be second to none in admiration of its
excellence. But Wholly deny the correctness
of the position which has been assumed, that by
transfer to the States of the lands within their
limits, this system would be either disorsani-
zed or DESTROYED. lis the mode of making the
surveys of the public lands upon which is based
the great advantages of this most admirable sys-
TEN. The surveys are already in good de-
gree completed; and where further surveys are
necessary to be made, the system heretofore a
dopted could and would be pursued by the. States.
The same course now pursued in selling and con-
veying, would also be continued by the States;
because it is the cheapest, simplest, and best
mode that could be devised; and equally as prac-
tlcable by the States as the Federal Govern
ment. and really more so, because of their local
position.
By transfer Of the lands to the States in
which they lie, most fretful, expensive and per.
petual source of legislation upon this subject
would BE- ended and forever put to rest; com.
plants Of the new States hushed; the Federal
Government reimbursed for the cost and expense
of the lands, and the country sooner settled and
better improved.
| 1t has been asked, what better condition would
the new States be IN, to taxation, it the lands