Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-10-13


Of the GovEENMrNr IN each to separate that
part o! the bill which provided for the rcg,I.
lation of the dcp"site banks, from he sc fons
iraich made a diBtrt,a disposition Of he sur-
surplus rertnue," Sc. the friends of the ad-
minstralion ytided their support 10 The Till by
large mJoritas
So much of Mr.. Van Buren's long answer
to this simple question is iniellglble enough.
The Hcst OF il (uiorc than II column) Is occu-
pied in obscuring his own meaning. lie tuh's
care, however. I" speak just plain enough t"I
enable the nuli!iGrS to infer that he Will be
against the protecting duties, by which the
prosperity of onr American manutacturcs,aBd
OF the country is sustained; and he cannot
suppress or conceal his great reNatlun that
the Executive is 10 lose control and manage-
Ineht of the surplus public money. This an
/ swer of Mr.. Van Burcn's, closely examined,
develops his whole scheme of policy for en-
largIng the Executive influence. upon which
he now counts for his own elevation to the
same power. We shall have occasion to re-
I cur TO it once more.
| SECOND QUESTION.
"Wiu you sign and approve a bill disiribm
ing The proceeds Of The public lands to each
State, according to the federal population Of
each, for the purposes ADORE specyfeti2"
|, GEN. HARRIsoN's ANSWER.
lie has "admitted that the public lands are
the common property of all the States; and
has advocated that mode Of dsposing of them
which would create the greatest number OF
frcchoders." He approves Of Mr.. Gays
land bill, providing for the distribution OF the
! proceeds of the sale among the States. The
same bill which was passed by both Houses
, of Congress by large mujorities,and was then
vetoed by The President; and the same bill,
the passage of which was SO earnestly desr-
ed and urged by our own Legislature, on
more than one occasion, and we believe, u
nanmously 1t was General II. (when IN
i Congress- who, by his exerlons, procured
the passage of the law enabling the poorer
classes Of purchasers and real settlers, to OBJ
tain The small tracts they wanted directly
from the (ioyernment,a and at the Government
prices, Instead of being obliged to purchase
! second hand, and at advanced prices OF the
great land spectators, as was before the
!, practice. But much worse practices have
) since been witnessed in that region. The
: Executive orders issued after heSpassdge q
$ The distribution iu,c al the ldstsessaa'l ~ sS0n
}, ersss. calculated to embarrass and oDstruc
! the further sales Of the lands, particularly th'
+ order forbidding the Government agents re
) cciving any thing but gold and silver IN pay
= mcni, have operated runously upon those win
f had gone prepared to purchase and TO pay II
5 good money, as usual heretofore; and have
$ opened the door to gross frauds and specuia
Y tions, in which the Government officers (hav
: inc earliest notice Of these orders have beer
enabled most largely to engage.
: Mr.. VAN BuRES's ANSWER.
ain my opinion the avails of the public
lands will be more eqnitably and faithfully
: applied to the common benefit of the Untet
States. by their continued application to tn
general toants Of the Treasury, than by any
other mode that has yet been suggested dnt
q. that such an appropriation rs IN all respects
preferable 10 a distribution among the Stnies,
!, That body (Congress) should, in my opinion
- = act upon the principle, that the people OF th'
= United States have a greater interest IN tn
= early settlement and substantial improve
, mcnts of the public lands than in the amoun
:, of revenue which may be derived from them,
F" &c. He approves Ot the Presidents havin
, ueioed Mr. Cays land bill, passed by Coz
:, gross. MIR. Van Buren,, of course, approve
y of all President Jackson has done,or shall d
for he is to follow in his footsteps. Presider
Jackson, in his message OF December, lo3'
r says: at seems to Inc to be our true Poiic,
y that the public lands shall cease, as soon a
!. desirable, however, that in convenient tim
{ this machinery be withdrawn from the State:
: and That the right soil and the future dispos'
lion of Il be surrendered 10 The States respet
tipely IN piich ii hes"
, THIRD QUESTION.
10 "UM you sign and approve a bill maxim
!. appropriations TO improve narigoble stream
Is abope ports Of entry?"
~ GEN. HARRIsoN's ANSWER.
GAS I believe no money should be take
from the Treasury of the United States to
,s expcnded on internal improvements, but Il
. those which are strictly national, the answ
!, TO this question would be easy but for the dl
~ fcuty of determining which of those that a
:, from time to time proposed would be OF tn
h. description. This circumstance, the excIt
y. men, of which has already been produced
- approprations Of this kind, and the jealousl'
ho which it will,no doubt, continue to produce,
- ~ persisted in, give additional Claims to u
+, mode of uppropria,ing all the surplus revel
~ Tic of the United States in the manner aoo'
RI suggested"
cd Mr.. VAN BuREN's ANSWER.
it arrom the first action Of President Jacl
con upon this particular portion OF his ofhci
duty. which happened while was memb'
100 of his cabinet, until the time when those lie
~. ters lbe(oro alluded toy were written, the1
if has been cooperation in action aud gen
g. raj correspondence in opinion between hi
n. and myself upon the whole subject"
m Mr.. Van Buren, with all his polite sc
T. control, can scarcely conceal the vanity
he feels at having been himself the director
at The footsteps in which he promises TO tread.
he The Inconsistent and irreconcilable cour
Us pursued by President Jackson in regard
~ L.. ,o,os,I Lille Cor intnrnal imprOy..Tnct