Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-01-16

1t my be recollected that a bill
passedboth Houses Of Congress-, in
the session which terminated on the
Sd Match, 1883, for the distribution
of the 3nount received from the pub
lie land, upon the principles of. that
now offered. The President in his
messa9 at the commencement Of
the precious session. had specially in
vited TIP attention of Congress to the
subjectb f the public lands; had adver-
ted to &eir liberation from the pledge
for thep payment of the public debt;
and hA minated his readiness to
concur i'm any disposal Of them which
might }ppear to Congress most con-
ducivd to the quiet, harmony, and
genera interest Of the American peo-
pie.
AftF such a message, the Presi-
dents disapprobation Of the bill could
not h$e been anticipated. 1t was
prese4 ted to him on the Cd of March,
1888. 1t was not returned as the
Constitution requires, but was retain
ed by him after the expiration OF his
official term, and until the next ses-
sion ol Congress, which had no pow
er to ft upon it. 1t was understood
and believed that, in anticipation of
the passage of the bill, the President
had prepared objections to it, which
he had intended to return with his
negative; but he did not. If the bill
had been returned, there is reason to
believe that it would have passed,
Notwithstanding those objections
In the House, it had been carried by a
majority of more than two-thirds.-
And, IN the Senate, although there
was not that majority on its passage,
it was supposed that, N consequence
of the passage of the COMPROMISE Bill.
some q the senators who had voted
against the Land Bill had changed
their news. and would have voted for
it upon its return, and others had left
the Senate.
There are those that believe tina,
the bill was unconstitutionally retain.
ed by the President, and is now the
law of the land. But whether it be
so or not, the General Government
holds the public domain in trust fol
the common benefit of all the States;
and it is therefore competent to pro
vide by law that the trustee shall
make distribution of the proceeds Of
the three past years. as well us future
years, among those entitled to the
beneficial interest. The bill makes
such provision. And it is very re-
markable. that the sum which it pro
poses to distribute is about the gros:
surplus, or balance, estimated in the
Treasury on the first of January, Is
So. When the returns of the las
quarter of the year come In. 1t will
probably be found that the surplus Is
larger than the sum which the bll
distributes. But if it should not be
there will remain the seven millions
held in the Bank of the Z. States, ap
plicable, as far as it may be received
to the service of the ensuing year.
1t would be premature now to en-.
ter into a consideration of the probable
revenue of future years; but, at the
proper time, l think it will not be
difficult to show that. exclusive OF
what may be received from the public
lands. it will be abundantly sufficient
for all the economical purposes OF
Government in a time ofpeace. And
the bill, as l have already stated. pro.
vides for seasons of war. | wish to
guard against all misconception by
repeating, what have heretofore sew.
eral times said, that this bill is no,
founded upon any notion Of a power
in Congress to lay and collect taxes
and distribute the amount among the
several States. think Congress pos.
sesses no such power, and has nc
right to exercise it until some such
as that proposed by the
Senator from South Carolina Mr..
Calhoun) shall be adopted. But the
bill rests on the basis of a clear and
comprehensive grant of power to
Congress over the Territories and
property of the United States in the
Constitution. and upon express stip-
ulations in the deeds of cession.
Mr.. President. have everregarded.
with feelings Of the profoundest re-
greet. the decision which the President
Of the United States felt himself In
duced to make on the bill of 1885,
If i, had been his pleasure to approve
- Al. IIo,L- &c IL rfn,nntc WOULD