Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-12-05

tssd urgency II he considerations which oei9es 10
A. Reference TO ny tirnf ye "s III sht" '''r -!
sinI,ns are IN some respects widely d'iiereni Ho'o
lho-e entertained by the Legislature oil ~ IN, ~.
he sf( ~ 10 lie best practicable node ol oeFp'in2
The public lands TO Tie common benehl oil al ''s
Smfes.
That tie public lsn.ls were acquired by pure
Hoat Of fbe common funds uf tie Union. 81 re ~
,essinn held as common lnnj NAY be feadily con"
reIed. AMI IadcfI. earnestly insisted on ~ M
asier, al<D thu 80 better means can be PefIe'seu
ofepplying them Ia The common benehi. 50 as 10
relieve eaca Stale from "a much oil HS IfoFoiloh {"
tie common charge, tlIan the appfo grafton 81 lnef
p,nfrels m - ,nruf Of a pendnufes oil the Ge9e-
raj Cover nrar If the STATES we're in point OF ldct
relieved tLe.eLy ftom tdNationto an equivalent a
mount.
But notwithstanding. the cnormouse increase Of
i proceeds fthe sales OF Tie public lands. dnri1g
the at five On SIX years and The continuity dmln,
sIinp rate of iuposf has not been found that the
aggregate amount Of revenue rom Other sources
than the rnbe lands has been dfsnlnIshed or that
the States have brcn relieved from taxation I" ah a
mount equivalcnl OF any Thing the equivalent. 10
Hose poceeds. On the contrary the expenditures
OF The General & Government seem 10 keep pace With
tie increasing revenue, and even 10 20 beyond II.
Tie inevitable tendency OF a superhundant revenue
aud an Overlooking treasury seems I" hsve been, as
It is natural suppose IT always will be, 10 encourage
and invite OF only liberal. but cxttaygantly prodI-
gal aad excessive eXpef d lures
And there IS always danger, in such cifcumstan.
ces that the proprl Itions OF pubic money, may
not only be poured ont in too large aud abundant
currents, but may find vent through nnaecustomed
channels making scruus breaches in the barriers OF
the constitution. SO long as The income Of the Fed
] efal Government, arising from imposts, cannot be
kept within the hints oil what is necessary for oldIn-
airy aud legitimate expenditure npou economical
scale, to steli the amount by the addition OF the
proceeds of sales OF the public lands instead Of
relieving tn State lIom taAailon only leads to the
appropriation # the revenue to local Objects ex-
trcmely partial in t!ieir benefits doubtful III policy;
and very o'ten than doubtful IN respect of
con siitutinnal authority. This is mere theory
and ecualion but historical experience as lanep
table il is auht nric Readily coneuring in the
sentiment that it is highly Objectionable, grounds
Of expedency aud power 10 raise money by taxation
drec indircct merely for the purpose Of distrbu
ting ii again among The STATES, yet whenever the
proceeds OF the sales of the public lands are not
needed for the proper and necessary expenses Of the
General Government, | cannot see how they can be
so well applied to the common benefit of all the
States. by distributing them among the States in
sone Just and equitable proportion. And before
max ing such distribution, hnk. jus ice demands
thai compensation be rendered 10 The old States for
the liberal grants to the States in which the lands
are situated AID sufficient portion of tie lands or
their proceeds. he fairly and fully applied 10 the *
tinguishment Of the unsatiSfed claims Of the sol
die1s of the Revolution, by whose patriotic toll and
hardy vaet the conquest OF large portion of them
achieved.
cannot pursuadc myself, that the proposition TO
confne the sales to ac,ua 80 tiers, and especially if
The present minimum is to be made the ,Raaimum
price FOR The public lands, be REGARDED as con
stent width sound policy, consonaut with he ri hts
OF parties in the by which the disposition of
Ills property entrusted 10 the Congress Of
die Uoitel States. Such system, would. | re-
suecI(ully submit, be productive Of no GOOD to
counterbalance the serious M schiels II would
Tend To produce. 1t might occasion an unna
rural and artificial stimulus to emprarion and
thus draw from the Atlantic To tie Western
States large portion Of that haldly "yeomlnry,"
VITO are as much tie rrl1e and reliance Of the coun
try here IS they would be there. 1t might increl
with even greater rapidty than has vet been seen
the ponuIdinn Of the new at the expense If thai of
the old STATS. Il nigh depteclaie the value of our
lands in the Son lie n States < diminish the amount
If oar products. l. might ~ diminishing the suppl,
Of labor increase It's wages Tor season 50 hiaI that
the Northern manufacturer would, neless protected
Ly d hiah tariff abandon his pursuit, and then SO
far 4bonr would get wages because it could ger
+ no fnployneni. This new system for dispnsiue of
the public lands mig produce effects such as these
/ and would ! mink, certainly tend 10 produce them
but surely they are nut results such as stateman
philanthtopist or republican can concentrate as de-
sir,be and such as he ought TO he wiling to aid IN
ACCOMPLISHING.
f The common lit Of all the States 10 the benefit
Of The publjc ands as a fund which is the common
oroperty of the whole can surely cot be respected BY
selling their common properly at an ioadeqnatc
! miro and il ia mt possible without a solec;sn IN
nretenl that a partial unequal and unjust DISPOSE
lion Of them is avoided by selling them at such IN
,dcnn,te pyicp and al the same lime rxcludlnp the