Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-02-12
General assembly Of Virginia.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.

Sketch of Nix PEYrONS rrmorhs in reply to General
Bayiys SPEECH IN support Of ms 1mcadmcnt 10 tic All
Rss0i If the Select Commtee Tie Pujitc LaHdS
The 4h Resolution being under consideration, in the
following words
'ReSoiued That not only the experience Of the past.
but forecast requires the speedy adoption Of
equitable plan providing tor the distribution among the
States IN Just proportions OF The proceeds ri the sales
OF the public lands and this General Asse mbiy doth
the refore earnestly urge upon Congress the mrdate
adoption of such measures viii be best calculated
obtain tins desirable ohcct
Mr.. BAYLy UGvcd 10 amend by striking out all after
the word RCsOred, AID inserting 'hat Congress ought
TO adopt equitable plan. p0rIdng for the fislrnu
ton among the States IN just proportions of the nett
proceeds oil the sales Of The pubC lands, much
thereof may not b. necessary, taken in conjunction
with toe custnHis regulated by the act of Congress
of the I'd OF March. c, aud ether sources of revenue,
d~'ray the expenditures oil the government. ecouui.
cally administered.
After the fourth resolution. insert I.h. ResoirCd
That the adjustment Of The fat!i contained in ,nr act
of Congress IT the - at March, 1888 commnny called
the COMPROMISE Act, ought 10 be held sacred aud
violate"
MrPEYTON said ,hn, in throwing himself upon the
indulgence OF the House at ths time he unp.Ovded
with the artificial achinety of be. speech. hich
the best guarantee hc crnG Uii that h. would sespaSs
upon t,eir patience bit for few moments. Indeed, he
said he fell thu IT the duty Of gentleman
upon The resolutions consistent with perspicuy
that may lose lt TING possible IN coming 10
decision and aylrg thu, decision before Congress II
OF those measures which. to make it effective il
must be prompt IT, sid he we d7!ly aud dispute abyn,
distractions much longer, another census will overake
us, which viii disclose real power in the West
and South western States, " hch combined with The
alliances which they contract with Presidential
prants, will enable them TO substitute successfully
for arguments rotnnt0S pro TGone, and by species Of
egalizcd spoaiIOn pr!ve first OF domain, aud
then, as natural and Irresistible consequence, Of
population.
Mr. PEYTON said that he would forbear at prcsen
from presenting his views Of ,hs niquy Of the
graduation bills which had been discussed in Con rrss
OF The very modest proposition Of Of the STATE
to dives us, toto and t1Stantcr, U: interest
common fund for which they principally indrbtrC
to our generosity and patrotisrn-nor would he al pre-
sent attempt 10 picture forth the drsolang influences
either policy upon the old States but confnc hnnseN
in the few observations which he should submit, to
examination Of thu arguments submitted by the gentle
man General Bayly) who had just taken his seat =
That gentleman opposes an unconditional aud unqua
lifted 'srIhution of the proceeds of the public land
among the several States, ON two groundsifst, be-
cause II violates one oi the provisions Of The CUnS!
tuition OF the UnIlcd States and secondly, brCaus-
il has tendency To revive the iarIti-bo Of Which
difficulties he proposes 10 ubvate by cnntinny the
tribuon to periods when there is an unappropria
ted balance in The Treasury b-ynud the wants of rh,
Government, economically administered In the tru
and business OF these sentiments, the gentleman from
Acconac has certainly succeeded in convincing himsel
thoroughly hence his assertion that lhos ar
not only blind, but wuliy blind, who do
with him II is possible that my men al vision NAV 10
be acute as that Of the gentleman from Acccmac-
IL is possible may, unconsciousIy, labor under som,
visual obstruction which xposcs to optical decisions
but do assure the gentleman that whatever be my de
fecs in this particular, un, say the worst, unoru
naley, not wIliully blind
Perhaps said Mr. it may be drlusion but an
certainly Impressed with the belief that have clea
perception OF the sallacy Of the geneman's Argument
as well as the impocy OF the plan he proposes
10 the first place, said Mr. p, let scunlze his con.
stitut,unal He Contends hat inos muCh
the several States had coded their Western territory
the colonial Government, common fund TO pay tn,
debts growing out o our Revolutionary struggle aud Il
dersy the charge and expenditure OF The several States
that the Con venon Of 1857 which framed our Cons.
tuition must necessarily have had these ands in corien
platun when they framed that clause which gives Crn
gress the power To lay and collect taxes duties impusi
and excses to pay the debts, and provide for the com
defence and genera! welfare Of the country Tha
looking to this almost boundess domain u
revenue they framed this clause expressly in reerenc,
to II; and that any attempt TO dyest the funds arising
from this require all the expenses OF th
Government 10 be borne by taxes, direct indirect
would be vi"atory Of the Constitution This consruc
ton, MI Speaker has at least the recommendation q!
novelty. am sure there is gentleman within III
sound Of nv voice who dreamed Of i, before M,
can believe IL Will ma response mind of a sin
gle member
Can it be believed for moment, said Mr. that an
Assembly, composed Of such as prepared onr C,,
sltulon, could have committed political bIunda, :,
palpable to plant Of the main pillars of the q,
vernment upon unsubsantia and evanescent fopnd,
ton? Can il be believed That body composed cr The
first civilians of the age-men whose regulations f,r re
cast and wisdom shine brighter with the lapse of lime
would, in framing The Constitution of great nation
have committed blunder Pusrile and absurd as l..
have made the Government depend for its support upon
lands which every day diminishing in quantity anu
which must sooner or later be entirely exhausted? Ages
and centuries, said MIR Pey,on, are but as DAYS and
weeks in the histories II nations; it would be an in
delibe imputatIon upon the Statesmen composing the
Convention of 1887, establish the construction con
tended for by Tie gentleman from Accomac II would
make them perpetrate the incredible absurdty of povd
ing fund for the support of the Government, which
which would be constantly decreasing after certain
period, and which ultimately be exhaus,ed-con
structing chart Of government for great nation,
which was hoped would maintain its principles and its