Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-12-12

spacious to receive all ofthis unfortunate class
| ana 'hat their friends do not convey them thith-
er as soon as their malady becomes Known
mat Is OF the utmost importance. as in the c.
| pinion OF the best informed physicians on the
| SUBJECT, nlne-tenths of all who may be
| anicted with insanity might be cured if prop
erly attended to.
Since the adjournment of the last General
Assembly, have received a communication
from the Governor of Maine, forwarding GER
tam resolutions adopted by the Legislature of
that State III relation to the Public Domain
which l now lay before you.
my last annual message, / had occasion
to state, somewhat at large, my views On this
| Interesting and important subject Sabsc-
quent reflection Las but served to confirm
| them, and to induce me very earnestly to call
your attention again, TO the magnitude, and
urgency OF the considerations which belonu
TO II. Reference to my former views will
snow, that my opinions in some respects
widely different from those entertained bv the
Legislature OF Maine, at least, as to the best
practicable mode of devoting the public lands
to the common benefit of all the States.
That the public lands were acquired bv mr.
chase cut of the common funds of the Union.
or areb by cession held as a common fund. NAV
be readily conceded, and is indeed, earnestly
| insisted on by me. agree, also, that 10 bet
ter means can be perceived of applying them
to the common benefit, as to relieve each
State from SO much CT its proportion of the
common change. than the appropriation Of
their proceeds to the expenditures of the Cen
eral Government, if the States were i'm point
CT fact relieved thereby from taxation 10 an
equivalent amount.
But notwithstanding the enormous increase
OF the proceeds of the sales of the public
lanes, during the last five or six wears. ard
the continually diminishing rate of impost. il
has not been found that the aggregate amount
OF revenue from other sources than the pnb,r
lands, has been diminished, or that the States
nave been relieved from taxation to an amcun,
equivalent, or any thing like equivalent to
NOSE proceeds. On the contrary, the expcn-
dltures of the General Government seem TO
Keep pace with the increasing revenue and g.
Ven to go far beyondit. The inevitable ter
dency OF superintendent revenue and an o.
VefHowlng treasury, seem to have been, as il
Is haturi to suppose 1T always will be- to tn
courage and invite not only liberal, but ex
trayagantly prodigal and excessive expendi-
lures.
And there is always danger, in such cir
cuinstances, that the appropriations of public
money, may not only bepoured out in too larre
and abundant currents, but nav find vent
through unaccustomed channels. nakipr scr;,
Gus breaches In the barriers Of the coi.s,itu-
tion. so long as the income Of the Federal
government, arising from imposts cannot .
Kept within the limits of what is nccess,,v
Tor ordinary and legitimat, expenditure nncv
an economical scale, to swell the aucnnt h.,
t,e addition OF the proceeds of the sales ri
the pubic lands, Instead Of relieving the States
iic.l paNation' only leads to the appropriate II
OF the revenue to local objects, extremely ma
tial In their benefits, doubtful in noI;c,f
ard very often more than doubtful in rospec,
o t constitutional authority. This is not rer,
lheofy and speculation, but historical cxueri.
| ehcc, us lancntable it is authentic Road
ny cohcurrlng III the sentime mt that it is hioh-
~ cry 'ctlonabie, on grounds of expediencv
ana power to raise money by taxation, dir.
OF fna'recf, merely for the purpose of distriLll-
ing itagain among the States vet whenever
,.s proceeds OF the sales OF the public lands
expenses of the General Government ca,,ro,
see how they can be so well applied to tho
common benefit of all the States. as nv d;st;
D"tiig item among the States, in some lust
ana equitable proportion. And be fore maEing
sucn distribution, think, justice demands
that compensation be rendered to ;ha oId
states, iof the liberal grants to the States in
"hlch the lands are situated and sufficien,
Portloh Oh the lands, or their proceeds, be fair
the unsatsficd claims of the soldiers cf tb%,
revolution, by whose patriotic toll and had,
salor the conquest OF large portion cf them
was achieved. - '''''i'
l cannot persuade myself, that the propcsI-
tion to ccnine the sales to actual se4tIorg .,,,
especially If the present 1nia;my,, j. ~ ba
mace the martnium price for the public lands
Can De regarded as consistent with sound n, !.
ICY or consonant with the rights of the parties
III uhe contract by which the disposition IF
.,'is property was entrusted to the Ccupress or
t'ie United States. Such system, wcrld I
respectfully submit, be productive Of no t-ocd
10 counter balance the serious mischief. :,
would tend to produce. Itmirht occasion 49,,
unnatural and artificial stimulus to er;,iorat;c,,
ana ana thus draw off from the Atlantic n ,l.c
=" estern states large portion of that hard,
yeohehry, who arc so much the pride md
ieiiance OF the country here, as they tyonld he
'lerc: 1T might increase with even greater
rapidity than has vet been seen. tho H,n,,is
.io l OF the new, at the expense of that of the
olo states: 1t might depreciate the value Ct
cur lands III the Southern States and di,oi,.
lon The amount of our products. Itminht h.,
diminishing the supply of labour, increase -,
wages Tor season SO high that the Nortl,or,'
manufacture, would, unless prot, cted nv.
nigh tariff, abandon his pursuit. ard tbo,S a
idr' iabour would get no WAGES boc.r,sl. :,
could get no employment. This nov, go. -
Tor diSPoslng of the public lands. nicI;, w..
uuce cnects such as these, and would + tbir,l,
certainly tend to produce them. b,,t SIT,
siey are not results, such as a states,,,,,, ~:
ianthropist or republican can contor,nin, PiIr
to a;S Ig ~; ana such as he ought to be willing