Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1839-11-25

: lntO the Union, las been required to recognise
this right Some Of them, by seperate act oil
their conventions, have declared that their people
forever dsclain all right and title TO the waste
and unapproprated lands lying within the state,
and that The same shall be and rennln at the sole
and entire disposition Of the United States. I'm
der the regulations adopted, the sales of the pub"
, lie nds'procceded with great regularity and to
the 81 isfaction of all the members of the Union
the amount of sales gradually increasing with
the growth of the population, with the exception
Of few years of speculation, when the receipts
were sweed to an unusual degree.
When it became evident that the national debt
would soon be paid, and that the revenue derived
from customs aud the public lands would be more
than sufficient for the wants Of the government
and that surplus must necessarily accumulate in
the treasury, the disposition which should be made
of this surplus earnestly engaged the attention of
our statesmen. 1t Yves early perceived that an ac-
cumnlation of money was not consonant with our
system of government and that 1t would disturb
the equilibrium of the exchanges, currency and
trade of the country. Many projects were adyan-
ced to NEE. the new state of things which was
i about to occur. The enemies of the tariff pro-
posed to lessen the duties aud thus bring the rev.
enues to level with the expenses OF the govern
mcnt. The new states who had previously as
serted their claim, now insisted that the treasury
should be relieved Of the income from The public
lands, by first reducing the price, ard finally CO.
ding the states III which they were situated all
the lands viii h might remain unsold at the end
OF twenty years from the time in which they were
brought into market Others were in favor of d.
vidng what should reinnn of the revenues, after
providing for the support OF government, among
the states without interfering with either source
of income. This last proposition at one time re-
ceiyed the sanction of General Jackson, and by
him was recommended to Congress. At n later
period another method was proposed of freeing
tie government from lis treasure; this was by a
DOPING a most wnsteiul system of expenditure
This so far succeeded that the expenses Of the
general government were increased, from fifteen
millions in 1921, 10 thirty millions in 1897.
While the public mind was agtated by the dis
cusson of these various projects, the committee
on manufactures in the Senate ofthe United States
of which committee Mr. Clay was member, were
during the session Of 1881, 30, instructed to in
qulre into the expedeBcy of reducing the price
Of public lands and of ceding them to the several
states in which they are sitnaed, OH reasonable
terms This reference Of the subject of the pub
lie lands To committee on manufactures refer
ence contrary TO all parliamentary practice. and
which can be accounted for only by the supposi.
ton OF It's bearing upon the presidential election
then pending, was attended with this happy re-
suit. 1t was this reference, directing the powerful
mind OF an eXpei fenced and patriotic statesmen
10 the investigation of this sub ect, which brought
distinctly before the people the proposition of dis
'rbuiing among the states the proceeds olts fund.-
which was granted for their use and benefit The
bill reported provided for the equal division of the
proceeds among the several States after allowing
ten per cent To the states in which the lands were
situated This act passed The Senate, and at the
succeeding session of Congress, passed both hou-
SOS Of that body by large nniori;ies, aud was sent
to the President for his approval, near it's close -
Instead of returning the bill that Congress might
exercise its constitutional right upon it, the chef
magistrate retained it in his possession, and suffer-
ess 10 be dissolved: thus preventing
ch OF the government from exercising Il
red 10 by the constitution. That they
We passed the bill into a law by a vote Of
IS in each branch has never, to the knowl
your committee, been denied.
N""v your committee find no fault with the
bill referred to- they would not confine the in
slructions to your representatives TO all its parc-
ular details. a III that the resolution asks for
IL, just distribution of the net proceeds of the
public lands. Vermont should ask for nothing
but what is clearly right. lr the bill had passed
aud continued in force to the present tinie she
would have received 81, l9S,500 Splendid as
this boon would be, ,incaculuble as might be the
advantages it would bestow upon the state in the
endowment of her colleges, acade MES aud com
mon schools, the Improvement of the roads and
The construction Of other means of internal COM
munication, she would sPurn the treasure if UNI
Justly acquired.
IL therefore becomes necessary that we should
inquire into the right, which Congress has TO
make such d.srlbulions-th justice ofthe claims
OF the old states as compared with the pretensons
of the new-and finally to consider the expedi.
cncy OF the proposed measure.
II we refer TO the terms of the deeds of cessiop
we find that they do not require that the proceeds
OF these lands Shall he applied TO the current eX-
penses o! the government, but leave them as n
fund for the and benefit of the several states
Instead therefore OF being opposed to the dstr.
button, the language Of these deeds would favor
the idea, that Congress mai gllt suffer the several
states, according toa gust proportion, to receive
The income from this fund and apply it to such
purposes rs may be most beneficial to tben.--|
Revenue thus received into the treasury appcars
TO your committees to stand upon different grounds
! from that collected from the customs. surns
thus accumulated has once been distributed ana
if done consiutionally, furnishes a strong argu-
ment IN favor OF the power OF Congress 10 ad0p,
the proposed measure. The constitution itself
imposes norestriction, but gives Congress unlinii.
ted powers 10 dispose of the territory and other
property of the United States"
II Although ave are not obliged to insist upon all
The provisions of the bill which once passed both
houses of Congress, providing FIR the distribution
of theproceets of the public lands, it ia highly
probable, ii any mode should be adopted, il wouid
embrace lis most important features. The obac-
lions to that bill lhLn would constitute the obiec
tons TO The whole plan. In uscertaining what
tlese ol chnhs IRE, perhaps no better au hon ity
can he had than the message Of the President re
turning the "land bill' to the Senate
The bill provided that this money should be
divided among the states according 10 their pop.
T; uation, after allowing to the new states ten per
cent. upon thc sales within their limits. 1t was
objected that this proportion was inconsistent with
the terms otlhe deeds of cesson, which required
that they Should be for the use and benefit of the
several stncs, according 10 their usual respec-
tive popo rtions in the general charge and expen
dturc.' The mode in which the revenue is now
collected from the customs, instead of assessments
upon the several states ms was praclied under the
articles Decentralization, renders it impossible &c
! ascertain the exact amount paid by each State
= But as taxation is based upon representation oil