Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-01-07
Nth CONGRESS-lSt Session.
ItuspA,, DrCfMrrn %, 1875.
IN SENATE.

VII I.Al rose, and addressed the thair NJ
though (Said hcl find myself horne down by the
se,ctest aliot'on with " Inch Pro,len has ever
been pleased To visit me, | have though, that my
private grelS ought no longer 10 prevent me from
attempting, III rs fee, qualified. to discharge IN,
public duties. And NOW rise, in pursuance OF
the notice which has been gwen, to ask leave 10
introduce bill 10 appropriate Tor limited time,
the proceeds OF the sales OF the public lands of the
United States and for granting land to certain
States.
find II incumbent oh me to make a hiicfeN-
PLANTATION OF the highly important measure which
have no" the honor 10 propose. The bin. which
desire To introduce, provides ion the distribution
OF the proceeds ol the public lands in the wear,
1888, "a, b, 80, and 81, among the twcnty-lour
States OF the mon, and conforms substantial, 10
that which passed in 1888. 1t is therefore Ella
temporary character but # it shall lc found 10
haNra saIutav operation, will be in the power OF
a future Congress to give II an indefinite oontinu-
unce and, II otherwise, twill expire by ia own
terms In the even, of War unfortunately break
nG out wllhan foreign power, the I'LL Is 10 cease,
and the fund which il distributes j, 10 be applied
10 the prosecution OF the War The h directs
that ten per cent. OF the nett proceeds of the pub
lie lands, sold within the limits OF the seven new
States, shall be first set apart for them IN addition
10 the i've per cent rc,cnedbv thcir several com
pacts with the United States and that the resi-
due OF the proceeds, whether from sales made III
tln States OF Territories, shall be divided among
the twentN-om States, IN proportion 10 ihcir re-
Npcctse federal populations In this respect the hll
conforms To that which WAS introduced III 1882. OF
one, should have been willing 10 have allowed
the new States Ia instead of ten per cent but rs
that VAS objected to by the President, IN his \cio
Message and has been opposed IN other quarters,
thought II best 10 restrict lhc allowance 10 tina
more moderate sum. The bill also contain, Largo
and liberal grants OF lard 10 several of the new
States, 10 place them upon an equality wIIh others
10 which the bounty OF CuneI, ~ has been hereto
fore extended, and PROV des that, when other new
States shall be admitted INTO the Union, they shall
receive then share Of the common fund,
Tie nett amount OF the sales oi the public lands
IN the year 1888 WAS the sum of So ,9b7 ,6S2 -,
in the year 1881 WAS Sl,S57 6Oo co. aud il the
year $3.50, according toactialrcecipt> IN three hr>t
quarters and an estimate OF the fourth, Is > l. -,
III 10 making An aggregate OF the hle, FIRST rafs
Of 81 on .oi 80. This aggregate is What the bill
proposes 10 distribute and pay to the twenty -tonr
States on the first day Of MAY, 1886, upon tn,
principles winch | have stated The difference
between the ESTIMATE made By the Secretary of the
Treasury and that which | have offered oil the
product Of the last quarter OF tins year, arises from
my having taken, IL the probable sum, onc-lfd
he some other conicc,ural sum. Dcductlng from
the sd ,Oi1i0I 80 the fifteen per cent. To which
the seven new ateS, according 10 the bill viii
be first entitled, amounting to S2,612,25O Is,
there will remain for distribution among the TWEEN
ty-our States of the Union the sum OF SIS 49,
OIL II or TIN, SIN the proportion OF kentucky
will be S9tO,9i7 II, OF Virginia the sum Of
81 ,5Sl 500 80 Of North Carolina .9SS ,632 l.
and of Pennsylvania SOS, 233 -. The pro-
portion OF Indiana, including the fifteen per cent,
will be SS55, 2SS p, of OHIO 81 ,677, 10 81, aud
oi Mississippi $95S 9if II. And the proportions
oi all the twenty-tour States are indicated IN la
bic which hold in my hand, prepared at my IN
stance in the Office olthc Secretary of the Senate,
and to which any Senator may have access. The
grounds on which the extra allowance Is made To
the new States are, first, their complaint that all
lands sold by the Federal Government are FIVE
wears exempted from State taxation secondly,
that it IS to be applied IN such manner as will aug
mcnt the value Of the unSoId public lands within
them and lastly, their recent settlement.
II may be lccolccted that bill passed both
Houses Of Congress, in the session which terminal
ted ON the }d March, 1898, Tor the distribution Of
the amount received from tie public land,, upon
the principles OF that now offered The President,
IN his message at the commencement OF The pre-
vioul session. had specially invited the attention
Of Congress, To the subject OF the public lands ; lad
adycrcd to- their liberation from the pledge for
the payment ofthe public debt aud had mlima'cd
his readiness to concur in any disposal Of them
which might appear 10 Congress most conducive
to the quici, harmony, ard general interest OF the
American people
\ after such messaee, the Presidents di,appro-
baton OF the bill could not have been anticipated
1t was not returned as the Constitution requires,
but retained by him after the expiration Of his
official term, and until the neat session of Con-
presS which had no power to act upon ii. II was
now under stood and believed that, in anticipation
OF the passage Of the bill, the Prcsiden, had pre-
pared objections to it, which he had intended to
return with his negative but he did not. II the
bill had been returned, there is IL believe
that it would have passed, Notwithstanding those
objections. In the House, ii had been carried hy
a maorltv OF more than two-illrd,. And, III the
Senate, although there not that majority on It's
passage it was supposed that, in conseq ucncc Of
the passage Of the Compromise Bill, some Of tn.
Senators wi u had voted against the Land Bill
had changed then views, and would have voted
Tor it upon lis return and others had left the Sc
nate.
There are those who believe that the bill was
uncom>tuionaIlv retained hv the President, aud
is now the law of the land. But whether it be so
or not, the General Government holds the public
domain in trust for 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 three past years, as well - III
tnrc years. among those entitled to the beneficial in
tcrcst The bill makes such provision. And it