The Arkansas advocate., 1836-06-10

part of the United States, of making roads and canals through the different States of the unen ,sould en- able the General Government to keen in onerat;on m efficient system of finance and revenue with advantage to the States And should the exipencies of the country require the aplicaton of all means to some object connected with our national peace and prosperity those means could soon be brought into operation by suspend
 ng for time, the dividends to the States By this our treasury would be filled without sudden to new taxes which might be oppressive to agriculture and which might create much inconvenience by interruptin the pursuits and industry of our citizens.
 Money collected from the sources which now give us our revenues and distributed among the States propos ed would produce rapid and profitable circulation of our funds from the centre the extremities of the unlon and thus add to the force of the monied capital of the country.'
 It will here be remarked no doubt was felt or ex- pressed the power distribute every portion of the revenue, which could be spared and plan was re- commended for adoption immediately although we then owed large debt bearing various rates of interest from 3 up to per centunl.
 Next in the order of time, the Message of the pre- sent Chief Magistrate at the commencement of the ses sion of Congress in lo29 found in the Senate Journal pages Is and A. That part of 1t which is mentioned 1 IS in these words.
 After the extinction of the public debt it is not proba any adustment o the tarh upon principles sats factory to the people of the Union will until remote perIod If ever leave the Government without consider able surplus ill the treasury beyond what may be neces sary for it's current services As the period approaches when the application of the to the paynent of debt will cease the disposition of the surplus will pre- sent subject for the serious deliberation of Congress and may be fortunate for the country that 1t vet to be decided, considered in connection with the difficulties which have heretofore attended appropriations for purpe ses o internal improvements and with those which this experience tells will certainly arise whenever power over such subjects may be exercised by the General ernment It IS hoped that 1t may lead to the adoption of some plan which will reconcile the diversified interests ofthe States and strengthen the bonds which unite them Every member of the Union, in peace and in war, will be benefited by the improvement of inland navigation and the construction of highways in the several States | In atta h5S in that will be satisfactory to all That hitherto adopted has, by many of our fellow citizens been deprecated as an nffaetion of the Constitutions while by others has been avoWed inexpedient. All feel that 1t has been poyed at the expense 9 harmony in the legislative conn- cils.
 To avoid these evils, 1t appears to me that the most sae just and federal disposition, which could be made of thesurpus revenues would be it's apportionment among the several States according their ratio of representa- tlon-and should this not be found warranted by the Constitutions that would be expedent propose to the States an amendment authorizing it. regard an appea to the of power of real doubt and When It's exercise is deemed indispensable the general welfare, among the most sacred of all obligations Upon this country more than otaer has, the prov dence ot God been cast tie special guardianship of the great principle ofadherence written Constitutions If It fail here, all hope in regard to 1t will be extngushed That this intended to be Government of limited and specific, and general powers, be admitted by a and It duty to preserve for the character intended by It's framers If experience points out the necessity for enlargement of these powers let apply for to those for whose benefit 1t Is be exercsed and not undermine the whole system by resort to l ed constructions, zc.
 It will be perceived that in those two short para graphs the justice and utility of dstrbutng these sur plus fmds presented to the mind in language as cear distinct, and foreble well be employed
 1t was not necessary this purpose and therefore he did not examine the question: whether the powers of Congress the moneys arising from the public lands were as limited as those possessed moneys derived taaes and he contents himself with the expression of general doubt the question of power, and mi fnonf fhnE
 At the session of 1881 and 1882 this subject is ntro- duced into the Report of Mir McLane, then Secretary of the Treasury, and afterwards Secretary of State. What he says will be found in the Senate Documents, vol. l, doc. 3,page 12-and is in these words "The sources from which the has hitherto been derived, the imports public lands and bank dividends With the sales of the bank stock the latter will cease and the mports according any scale of duties which will be expedent and practicable adopt will be amply sucient to meet all the expenditures that portion of revenue heretofore drawn from the sales the public lands may be disposed with should Congress it to do so.
 ssOn this point, the undersigned deems 1t proper to observe that the creation of States through out the Western country, forming most important part of the Union and the relative powers claimed and exercised by Congress and the respective States the public lands, have been gradually accumulatng causes of inquietude and difficulty If of complaint. It may we'll deserve consideration therefore whether, at period demanding amicable and permanent adjust ment of the various subjects which agtate the pub lc mind these may not be advantageousy disposed of in common with the others and upon principles just and satisfactory to all parts of the Union.
 cit must be admitted that the public lands esd ed by the States subsequently, acquired by the United States, for the benefit and that each State has interest n Geir proceeds o urhich cannot justly be deprieed. Over this part Of the public property, the powers of the General Government have been uniformly supposed to have peculiarly extensive scope and have been constructed to authorize their application pur poses of education and improvement to which other branches of revenue not deemed applicable. It is not practicable to keep the public lands out of markets and the present mode of disposng of them is not the most protable either to the General Government the States, and must be expected when the proceeds