Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-02-09
From the National In,elliscnc
THE PUBLIC LANDS.

The official table, furnished by the Secretary
of the Treasury, upon call made by the Senate,
at the instance of Mr.. Clay, Of Kentucky, which
we have the pleasure 80 present to our readers to-
day, most interesting document 1t exhibits,
at one view, tho amount which each of the States
of the Union would have received, under the bill
for distributing the proceeds of the sales of public
lands, introduced by that Senator and which
passed both Houses of Congress some years ago
discriminating between the additional per cent
age allowed to the States and the portions
which were assigned to all the Members of the
Confederacy, in common. up TO the Both of Sep
tember 1888, the period of the last returns.
Il impossible to inspect this table without feel
Ings of profound regret, on account of the arrest
of that enlightened measure, and the manner OF its
arrest. 1t defeated by the late President of
the United States declining TO return the bill to
the House in which 1t terminated, according TO
the requistion of the Constitution in such cases
made and provided That bold, not to say
arbitrary course, which we hope that no Presi-
dent of the United States will hereafter dare to
pursue. Had the bill been returned in conformity
to the obvious intention of the Constitution there
Is much reason TO believe that it might have OBJ
tanned the sanction required by the Constitution,
and thus have become the law of the land. Who
can venture TO describe, in adequate terms, the
vast benefits which would have resulted from the
enactment of that law2 1t would, in the first
place. have settled, broad, comprehensive and
statesmanlike plan, the whole question of the pub
lie domain, comprising all that is situated within
/ the States and Territories and reaching be-
yond the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.
Ay, would have settled it for ages, during which
the existing and We. unborn States of this vast
Conederacv, would have semi-annualy received,
IN equal and Just proportions, according TO their
respective Federal numbers, their Il Ultimate share
of a common fund, created by their Joint blood and
/ their joint treasure. For, although the bill was
limited to prescribed term of wears, i, cannot be
doubted that its benefcent operation would have
secured Its perpetual continuance. 1t would, in
the next place, have averted all those public af-
IN the public treasury, and from its sudden dstri-
bill was to have commenced on the first of Janu-
airy, 1888, and thereafter the fund was to have
been semi-annually paid out to the States, as
from time to time it flowed in. Thus, The money
coming from the People. as the consideration for
the common property of the People, would have
been returned to them, in gradual and fructifying
streams, through the channels of their respective
states. And to what glorious objects of ply steal
and IN Intellectual improvement might not the ample
fund have been dedicated, And last. though not
least, what Imagination is sufficiently strong even
to conceive the cernenting influence of the mea-
sure, and Its invIgorating power upon the destiny
and duration of this happy Union, This was the
patriotic theme on which lis author appeared ever
10 dwell with the most cordial delight. We have
| already abundant reasons and motives to desire
the perpetuity Of this Confederacy. But, if to
these we could superadd the powerful motive Of a