Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1836-01-22
DISTRIBUTIVE LAND BILL. .
IN SENATE.
Tuesday, Doc. %. la35

asked leave and introduced bill to dis.
tribute for a limited time the proceeds of
the public lands among the States, and for
other purposes.
Mr. Clay said, that borne down as he
was by private affection, he felt lily prepa
red to obtrude himselfupon the attention
e of the Senate. He however had thought
that even private affection ought not 10
hinder him from the discharge Of public
duty. HI arose in pursuance of notice
given yesterday of his intention TO intro
duce bill providing for the distribution
ofthe surplus revenues among the several
States and Territories. He felt it lncum
bent on him to give the following expa.
nation. The BILL said he, proposes
distribution orthe proceeds of tho public
lands for the years 1884, 5, 6, and 7, and
corresponds with that offered ia 1872
Here MIR g. went into detail o the pro
visions OF the bill He would for one,
have been willing TO have divided among
the seven new states the twelve and
a Lalfper cent, but that had been objected
10 by the President Of tho United States;
and objections had been made to it from
other quarters. He mad, therefore, thought
itproper to restrict il to a more moderate
sum, (I0 per cent,) Mr. G. recited the
several amounts ofsurpIus revenue IN the
years 1888, 4, and 5, making an aggre-
gate of more than twenty one millions of
dollars. After deductlng the percentage
reserved TO the new States, he went into
a recapitulation of the proportion that
would be given TO each OF the states; aud
the proportion of all the States he had
pressed into table, he had ia his hand,
prepared at the Sscreiary's office, to
which access might be had by any one
who desired it.
The President, in former message,
haG adverted to the public lands and the
relief of the country from the public debt;
and moreover had expressed willing
ness to CO operate IN any measure adop.
ted by Congress; calculated TO preserve
the harmony, and advance the prosperity
of the Urion. The bull was passed and
presented to him; but was retained by
him, as he { Mr. O. thought, contrary to
the constitution of the Uniled States. 1t
was said and believed at the time the Pres
identhad, IN utcipation Of the passage OF
the bill, prepared his objections, and it
was believed hat if it had been reurOed-
it would have passed by the constitution,
al majority. There are those, Mr. Presi.
dent, said be, who believe that this bill
having thus been detained contrary to the
constitution, is now the law OF the land.
The money arising from these lands, was
a matter Of public trust, aud the Govern
ment had right to distribute the proceeds
ofthe three last as we'll as of the two next
wears. No one could have read the re-
port ofthe Secretary Of the Treasury with
out the convicti>n that it was prudent at
all times, rather to underrate than over
rate the estimate 10 the Treasury. He
believed that when the returns came in,
- il would be found to greatly exceed the
amount OF the estimate Of the Secretary
ofthc Treasury. This was not tho time
for him TO enter into au estimate OF the
probable receipts of the Treasury hereaI
ier. Il was not, however, difficult to show
tnat exclusive Of the surplus, as reported, !,
there would be abundant funds left for the
ordinary expenses Of Government. This
bill, SAID MIR G, provides that lis opera
iion shall ceasei in case Of war, aud in
d. that event provides for vigorous prose
cusion of the war. lIc wished his opin
ions not to be misconceived. He did not
wish it 10 1e understood that he believed
the General Government had the power
to levy and collect taxes solely for he
purpose of distribution among lIle States.
The bill was founded upon express sipu-
latons ia the several deeds by which the
public lands have been ceded by the sew
/. eral States TO the government He had
ever regarded with the proloundest regret
the decision Of the President. 1.-The Pos
ident had pursued c .moren! course, the
several States could respectfully have
prosecuted with energy tho great objects
Of internal improvement, education, and
colonization. Here Mr. Clay expaliated
at some length upon the blessings and ad
vantages ofthese objects.l When we IN
st,ule a comparison. SAID he, between
, what might have been done, with these
twenty millions, and what has been done,
our sensations olregret become lndellolle
" deep. Instead ofbecomlng an object
oesoso,nhla Instead of advancing the
great interests ofour country, it had been
appropriated to partial and local objects,
scattered about among parcel OF petty
corporations, who stand growing over it,
and the Secretary of War was breeding
! over schemes TO squander the whole! The
spirit of Improvement pervades the coun
-. III |, uunnled uas an iniAllirant di