Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-12-12

Inc debt Tor which these lands pledged by Con.
gres', may be considered as paid and they conse-
part of the compacts with the States or of The conJ
tons upon which tho cessions made 1t con.
and their creditors Upon payment OF the debts the
pacts remain in full force and the obligation of the United
neither destroyed or impaired AS they cannot now be
executed in that mode the only ultimate question which
can arise is, in what other way these lands TO be
hereafter disposed OF for the common benefit of the
raj States dceordng to and usual proper
ton IA ne general charge and expenditure" The ces
sons of Virginia. North Carolina and Georgia, in express
terms and all the rest implicitly, not only provide thus
spssIiesy the proportion according to which each State
coed TO declare, that they shall be faithfully and bona
fde disposed efor that purpose and for other
te land at this moment, growing out of conpacts which
are older than the Constitutions and formed the
stone on which the Union itself erected.
In the practice OF the the proceeds the
public lands have not been apart as separote fund
for the payment OF the public debt are
now paid into the Treasury where they constitute part
OF the aggregate OF the upon which Govern
ent draws, well for its expenditures for
payment OF the public debt In this they have
heretofore and do now lessen the charge upon the people
OF the several States in the proportions stpulaedin
the compacts.
These general charges have been composed only Of
the public debt and the usual expe ndures attending
civil and military administrations of the Government but
oil The amounts paid 10 the States with which these
pacts were formed the amounts paid the Indians tor their
RICH, OF possession the amounts paid Tor the purchase of
Louisiana and Florida, and the paid surveyors
registers receivers clerks &c., employed in preparing for
market and selling the western domain.
From the origin OF the land system down TO Sept 80,
1882 the amount expended for all these purposes has been
about $40 7OI, 2sO-and the amount received from the
sales deducng payments roads, Sc. about
S3S3S6,624 The arising from the public lands,
therefore, has not been sufficient 10 meet The general
charges on the Treasury which have Of them,
by about Sll,3l4,6o6 Ye in having been applied to
lessen those charges the conditions OF the compacts
been thus tar fulfilled, aud each State has poed accord
Ing 10 IFS usual proportion in the general charge and
pendure. The annual proceeds OF land sales have in-
creased and the charges have dminshed that at
duced price those lands would deiray all current
charges growing out OF them aud the Treasury from
further advances their Their original intent
and object, therefore, would be accomplished iuyas
II hes hitherto been, by reducing the price, and herea
ter, as heretofore bringing the proceeds into the Treasu
ry Indeed as this is the only mode in which the objects
OF the original compacs be attained, may be con
dered for all practical purposes that ii is one OF their re-
quremenis.
The bill before me be gins with an entire subversion of
every one OF the compacts by which the United States
became possessed of their western domain and treats the
subject they ver had existence and, as il the u
States the original and unconditional owners OF all
the public lands. The first section directs
That from and after the 3lst day Of December, 1882,
there shall be allowed and paid TO each Of the States OF
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Missouri Mississippi and
Louisiana and above what each OF the said States
entitled 10 by the terms OF the compacts entered into be-
tween them respectively upon their admission into the
u.ion and the United States, the of twelve and a
he'll per centum upon the nett amount of the sales OF the
public ands which, subsequent to the day aforesaid shall
be made within the several limits OF the said Sates which
said Of twelve and half per cenum shall be applied
to offset objects of internal mprov edu-
cation within the said States under the direction OF the
several legislatures.
This twelve and half per cenumis to be taken out
oil the proceeds OF the land sales before any appor-
lonments is made and the same States which
first TO receive this proportion also 10 receive their
due proportion OF the redue according TO the ratio OF ge
neral dstribHtion.
Now, waving all considerations OF equity or policy in
regard to this provision, what need be said to demon
its Objectionable character than that is in direct
and undsgused violation of the pledge given by Congress
TO the States before single cesson made that abro
gates the condition upon which some OF the States came
into the Unon and that it sets at nough the terms OF ces
fa.a If
title 10 that portion oil the public lands held by the Fede
raj Government
In the apporionmen OF the remaining seven-eighths Of
the proceeds, this bill, in equally undisgused
violates the conditions upon which The United States
quired lille TO the coded lands. Abandoning altogether
the ratio OF distribution according TO the general charge
aud expenditure provided by the compacis adopts that
of the federal representative population Virginia and
other States, which ceded their lands the
dton that they should receive benefit from their sales
in proportion 10 their part OF the general CHARGE by
the bill allowed only portion OF eigths oil their
proceeds and that not in the proportion OF general charge
and expenditure, but i'll the ratio Of their federal repre-
sentative population
The Constitution Of the United States did not delegate
TO Congress the power abogate these compacts. On
the contrary, by declaring that nothing in it shaH be so
efany particular Sfafe il virtually provides that these
compacs and The rights they shall remain onoueh
"needfM rles and regulations" Tor carrying them in
10 effect All beyond this would seem to be assump-
ton Of undele gated power.
These ancient compacs are invaluable monuments
Of age oil virtue patriotism, and dIsinterestedness They
exhibit the piIce that great States, which had
liberty willing to pay for that u MON, without which
they plainly could not be preserved. 1t not Tor
Territory State power, that revolutionary fathers
took up arms; it Tor individual liberty and the right of
self government. The expulsion from the coniDeD MT Of
British armies and British power 10 them barren
conquest IT, through the collisions Of the redeemed States
the individual rights for which they fought should become
the prey Of petty military tyrdnncs, established at home
To avert such consequences and throw around liberty the
shield OF union, States, whose relative strength at The
time, gave them preponderating power magnanmously
sacrifc ed domains which would have made them the ri
/ oIn.
posed for the benefit Of themselves and the
other confederated States This enlightened policy pro-
duced union, and has secured liberty. 1t has made
waste lands with busy people, and added
ny powerful States to confederation. AS well Tor the
fruits which these noble works Of ancestors have pro-
duced, for the devoedness in which they originated
we should hesitate before we demoish them.
Hu there other principles asserted in the bill which
would have mpelled me TO withhold my signature, badI
in il volaion Of the compacts by which the
United States acquired tile to large portion Of the public
lands tre.aserts the principle contained in he bill
tloriZng subscription TO the stock OF the Maysyile,
Washington, Paris and Lexing'o Turnpike Road ComPA-
n.y. from which was compelled TO withhold my consent
for reasons contained in my message OF the 2Ih May,
] 1880, TO the House OF Representatives.
The leading principle then asserted was, that Congress
pc no constitutional power appropriate any part
OF the monies Of the United States Tor objects OF local
character within ,hs Ststes. That principle, canDa be
mis- aiken supposng, has received The unequvoea sane
ton OF The American people, and III subsequent reflection
has ut satisfied mi thoroughly, that the nieTes,s Of
,.o,. auJ OF