Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-06-04

we defended ourselves so SucceSSful-
ly against a powerful nation. Our
population was about doubled since
then; we had twelve ships of the line
finished or on the stocks, and an addt
tional number of frigates, and our
whole coast from the Balize to Nor
folk was increased in all its fortifica-
tons. He adverted to the efficien,
idefences of New York, and Of the
whole North Atlantic coast, and ask
ed the Senators to look at the Canada
frontier, and compare our resources
and strength there with what it was
in 1914, and they would find it pos
sessed a thousand times the strength
it then did. We had paid off a debt
of upwards Of a hundred millions.
and it was ideal to compare our
strength then with what it is now.
The introduction of Steam power on
the father of rivers, the Mississippi,
and other navigable rivers, baffled al.
calculations in figures Of our strength
This thing of making these extrava-
giant calculations in regard to fortif-
cations, &C., was nothing but an eff
fort to get rid of the surplus. Ap-
preparations and expenditures were
not synonymous terms; appropriating
more than they could expend would
only be turning another leaf in the
leger and charging it against. instead
of leaving it where it stood, to the
credit of the Treasury. The appro-
priation of last year could not be ex-
pended; it; and to leave it where it
was, it was in repositories that were
insecure and unsafe, and the loss of
interest while it remained in these
banks alone would amount to upwards
of two millions per annum; and be-
sides the loss of interest they ran the
risk of losing the capital ITSELF What,
then, ought they to do with it? He
answered, distribute 1t.
These lands were acquired by
cessions from States and by treaties
from foreign powers of and under Ell
Their mode they came under the gen.
eral power ofCongress. The lands
acquired by cession were coded in
consequence of the revolutionary
struggle to pay tho debt Of the rev.
olution, and to satisfy Maryland,
New Jersey, and other States, for
the extensive waste lands in those
States. The President, id his mes
sage of 1882, had said the object for
which they were coded, having been
accomplished, they were then sub
ject to the disposal Of Congress, in
such way as would best satisfy the
several States. The deed OF cession
from Virginia was prior to the adop-
ton of the present constitution, and
Virginia having been a party to it, it
followed that when the power was
concurrcd in by the ceding States,
it was intended to be at the disposal
of the States. The power to dispose
of the thing itself, implied the power
to dispore of the proceeds of it,
In the view he had taken Of it,
under the treaty, the power to
dispose of it was unlimited. If any
Senator doubted the right Of Congress
to dispose of the proceeds of the lands
in Florida and Louisiana, he might
move to strike out those proceeds,
and they would still have the means
of carrying the bill in to effect. He
should be able to satisfy every Sena
or,there could be no doubt of the pow
er, if they limited it to the deeds Of
cession. The language Of the deed
ofcession was that all lands within the
Territories, not granted to officers
and soldiers of the revolutionary ar
my. should be for the use and benefit
of the several States, Virginia incIu-
ded.) The title conveyed was to the
use and benefit Of the several States.
Virginia inclusive,) and not for the
benefit of the Union. If the cession
was not intended for the benefit Of
the States, the language designating
the States, and Virginia inclusive,
would not have been used.
But it had been said that if these
lands were given to the Union for
the use Of the States, how could the
application oft to the uses of the I'm
ION be justified! Why, because the
application of it to the uses Of the
Union was for the benefit ofthe States
composing it. The States had con-
tracted debts which we're assumed
by the Union, and therefore to apply
them to the payment of this revolu-
t;ouarv dahf waS the great object of