The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-08-22

side he joined in the chorus, and struck an oc-
iave higher. The Senator from Missouri wished
only to pick up some OF the bs which fell from
Uncle Sans table, but the Governor resolved to
grasp the whole loaf The Senator modesty claim
ed only an old, smoked rejected Joint but the stom
ach oil his Excellency vearned after the whole hog.
he Governor pecped over the Mississippi into Mis-
sour and saw the Senator leisurely roaming in
some rich pastures, on bits of refuse lands He
returned to Illinois, and springing into the Grand
praIrle determined to claim and occupy it, in all
It's boundless extent" 1t should here be noted
that The quantity Of public lands. unsold, and to
which the Indian title has been extinguished in
Missouri, is about IS millions of acres and in Ili-
nols about % millions
At the commencement of the last session of
congress, tins subject presented itself as one of
intense interest Mr. Clay, with prompttude for
which he is distinguished with view to tranouiI-
re the country, and fix upon secure basis this
distracting Topic came forward with project. the
leading features OF which were full recognition,
mat tins immense estate did indeed belong to the
"hole country, and that it was the constitutional
right as ell as the duty of Congress to dispose of
1t, for the benefit of all the States That the
states IN which the lands situate instead of re-
ceIvlng per cent Of the proceeds of the sales shall
IN future receive 10 per cent. of those proceeds.
and that the balance shall be divided among oil the
states IN the ratio Of their repre- sentative ponuIa
ti"n. to BIT by them appropriated to education. in
persons Of color, the States respectively NAV
elect reservingto Congress the right, in case Of
war, TO stop this distribution of the proceeds and
to appropriate then to defray the expenses Of the
war.
Mr.. Clay sustained this important measure in
the Sena'e, by one OF the most able statesman-ike
and eloquent spe cches ever delivered in that BODY
Every citizen of the United States. who feels any
interest in public affairs should possess and read
thus speech. He fully indicated The proceeding
OF the General Government in the managemen mt
and disposal of the public lands, for the purpose
OF accommodating settlers as the lands NAV be
wanted. He efectualy brushed away all the
quackery and speculation that had connected it.
sell with the subject and triumphan,ly carried his
bill through the Senate by majority of "a to l9
The bill was sent to the House and there was most.
poned by majority of four votes to the deem re.
greet as | must believe, of vast majority of the
people, Mr. Benton, and the late Governor of Illi-
noIs always excepted
1t may be useful to illustrate the hanefts which
the States would annually receive had this bill be
come law. We will assume The annual amount
OF the sales Of the public lands to be three millions
of dollars instead of four millions We will fur
the assume that the reserved for the States in
which the lands sold lay, will be Is per cent, the
calculation will then stand thus
Amount annually received, g3,OoOnOO
Deduct Is per ct. reserved to the States, $50 900
4 leaving to be divided among all the
States, so 55o Ooo
, The share of New Hampshire would be fdu-ser.
en- thousand fire h,radr ed and sepentv-thrse dollar,
and Serenty-one cents Thus would New Ham,
shire receive annually from this source snm
! larger than the whole revenue of its government
so would every other State in the Union. The
proportion which the representative oopulation q
New Hampshire bears to that of the whole Tnion !,
about one forty-fourth part VATO.