Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-01-31

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IN the mean time, might have involved and
jeoparded the revcrsionary Of the United
States in the land thus subject TO forfeiture
as It might have been sold by the States fol
taxes. II was not for the sole purpose o.
encouraging the settlement and sale of the
public domain, if at all, that the restriction
was imposed. Mr.. C.. said. as an evidence
that this view of the subject was correct
the first and only states which had beer
admitted since the commencement of the
cash system had been received free from
oil such restraint of the taxing power anC
was it not fair and just that the states, be
fore admitted should be placed on equal foot
ing in this respect, as it regarded all sale.
hereafter to be madel
He said the Senator from Kentucky,
(Mr. Clay,) had, to say the least, very un.
necessarily drawn into the discussion ano.
Their bill which had been reported, TO grant
presumption rights to settlers on public lands
las to the policy and justice of that mea.
sure, he said, he hoped to be able to salts.
the Senate when it came up; he thought il
unnecessary now to occupy time in 8 dis.
cussion.
Mr.. NORVELL said, there was q prin-
ciple involved in this bill, which, to him,
rendered it more valuable than any pecuni.
airy or financial advantages which could re.
suit from it. This was the principle that the
States ought all to have the right to tax the
property held by individuals within thc Z
domains, if their policy required them to
impose such taxation. 1t was a sovereign
state right, which ought never to have been
taken from them. He believed that by
the Constitution, certainly by the ordinance
of 1887, when the new states were admit.
ted into the Union, they were to be admit.
ted on footing of perfect equality with the
old states. Now the old states possessed
and exercised the RICH, of taxing the lands
within their boundaries, by whomsoever
they might be held. Until the admission
Of Michigan and Arkansas into the Union.
the public lands sold to individuals within
the new states, were exempt from taxation
for five years after they were sold. The
bill before the Senate proposed TO place all
the States, new or old, upon footing Of e.
quality, as regarded the power of taxing the
real estate owned by the citizens or by non
resi1en.s, within their territorial limits. In
relation to the suggestion Of the Senator
from Kentucky, touching the advantages
which the n,w states might have derived
from the favors conferred upon them by the
old, in their Legislation upon the public
lands. he could only say, that the benefits
which the whole Union received from the
industry and enterprise Of the now states,
in improving the value, and encouraging
the sales Of the remaining public lands, far
outweighed any disadvantages which might
have resulted from the spirit Of encroach.
ment imputed to the new Stat, 8 BY the Sen.
ator from Kentucky. lie did not, therefore,
think that the people Of the new States were
under such immense obligations to those of
the old, as had been supposed by that hon.
orable Senator.
Mr.. CLAY OF Kentucky still maintained
the great motives persons had for securing
establishments in the West, was the priv.
lcge they enjoyed of exemption from taxa
ton for five years and if the bill before
them were passed, that great nducement
for settlement there would be taken away.
In the course of Mr.. C's remarks, he allu.
ded 10 the squatters, who had gathered in
great numbers, and seized on the public
land', organizing themselves into compan-
les, and threatening destruction TO any man
who might choose to purchase, thus taking
from the Union the public property. These
were the people who came after their pre-
cmption rights, to secure them in their ill.
gotten possessions. There was law in
existence, he believed, which authorized the
government to use military force to drive
Of these intruders. What right had they
TO the public domain more than to the pub.
lie ships? Were not both alike the proper.
~ of the whole nation?
Mr.. G. alluded to the inequality in which
the old States stood /; and for proof of it, he
would point to the committees, where the
power was almost exc usveiy given to
the new states, and from these commit.
tees bill after bill had been reported, all
having the same object and tending to the
same end.
Mr.. WALKER said this bill, which had
been reported from the Committee on Pub.
lie lands, contained no new principle, nor
did it set forth any new views. 1t was the
same in all respects, as the bill which had
been discussed in the Senate at prior SEES.
sion ; and he hoped that the measure would
not be prejudiced by the remarks Of the
senator from Kentucky, which, in his opin-
ion, had no bearing on the merits Of the bill
before them. At the period referred TO by
the Senator, the public lands were sold on
credit to settlers and others; and the ex.
emption from tax, for the period named,
might have been a salutary measure. Now,
however, they were sold for cash, and the
exemption was no longer necessary. Be-
sides, the two new states, Arkansas and
Michigan, were permitted, on the entrance
into the Union, to tax; and all that was
asked by the bill, was, to put the other states
on an equal iootingby granting the same pr
yilege to all.
Mr.. CLAY Of Alabama said he must
ask the indulgence of the Senate 10 say a
few words in reply to the remarks last made
by the Senator from Kentucky, Mr.. Clay
Mr.. C. said that gentleman Mr.. e. of Ken.
tucky,) seemed TO be endowed with pc.
culiar faculty for changing positions, and
adapting himsel If to the advocacy of almost
any cause, or any description Of individu.
ais. II was but the other day, that, in the
discussion Of little measure, which he
thought proper to denominate picayune
b;ll--thc hill 10 suppress change bills com.