The Arkansas advocate., 1832-02-01

l thority of the States in which said inn prosements are made
 l Mir. Dnncon said, that the gentlemen from North Carolina and Virginia had doubted the propriety oif ttiae disposition Iof the public lands contemplated by 1 the resolution as amended. But 1t was the duty of the House to enquire into and satisfy themselves as to its justice. As 10 the general excellence ofthe sys- tena of administration of the public lands, he entirely concurred with the observations made on that subject. So far as regarded the simplicity and se- lcurity of titles, this system has kept every thing in healthys tate. But, he said, the memorials and petitions, al- most without number, which have been s;ss,. ss;ss,.. ears past pouring from tie new States upon the table of this House, might have taught the gentlemen that this system pressed heavily upon the people of these States. Millions of dollars lave been drawn from them in the purchase of public lands, and tiielr richest resources have been exhausted by the demands of the public treasury, Nor, said he.is this drain from them of ] fandsto be expendedelsewhere, their on- ly grievance. twill be recollected that they are not only precluded from tax ing the public lands, but that this lm- munitv from taxation lasts five years after the lands have come into the hands of private individuals. In the mean time, Government must be car
 ried on in these States. Gentlemen talk ot State rights-while we of the west, said he, are deprived of the means of defraying the expenses of oar Gov ernment. He said they were obliged to resort to various expedienis which t was unnecessary to enlarge upon. All that was now asked was the means of carrying on the governments of the new States without burthening the people too heavily.
 Much has been said of small grants of land at different times, for objects of internal improvement and seminafies ot!earning-these are not donations to the State. f.s a government. the State is not benefited bythem. These grants hasten the saleand enhance the value of the remaining domain. Mir. D. said, he hadmade calculationofthe amount the State of Illinois would have receiv- ed by laying d tax upon the public land. as high as that on the property of individuals. It would go beyond S100.0a0. There was not a people in the world so highly t;medi in proportion 10 their ability, and great portion of the amount of tile taxes is appropriated to improvements which enhance the value of tic public lands which are themselves free from the burthen.- When these lands are sold, the money IS moi ielt--it IS carried away to be ez- pended in some more favored portion of the Union. IL is, he said, unjust in the extreme. to compel the new States toimprove the prices of public lands, in order that these lands might be sold and the money carried of. When these lands were ceded to the United States by tic State of Virginia. it was upon condition that they should be admitted under certain eircunstaaees into the Union on the same footing as the origi- nal States. An ordinance, passed by 1 Congress a very short time afterwards, Ishows the opinions which were then ltenteltainet on the subject. That when l the population should amount to 20,0o0 souls, they should have this right of ad- xplieitly intimating the un- derstandine of fCongress, that they should Ithen have the right of raising a revenue, lforthe purpose of government, by tax ling thesoil. But.he said, thenew States, Iuader.he management oia little knot Iof men, have unfortunately bartered away the right ofsovercigntv.
 The present time. said MNir. D. ap- pears 10 be particularlyehappy for the Iconsideration of this subject. The na- ttioii ssst;s se be paid off and no further claim willbe made upon that subject. In giving this land 10 the fnew States. you will give them the 5 means of adorning and enriching the country. and promoting the education ofits citizens. He was not disposed he said, to prolone the debate. but thought E it due to the House and himself to go into so much of explanation.
 Mr. n Ds.bfe, of South Carolina, said he was willing the resolution should take any course that might be thought L.ad nis.,l,ln Inr hir rart hx ,...,s s.1....x.