Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-02-13

VI tnell ciuHeiiS, WHO would tncrcoy Have
their cllilns, connected with the public
lands, adnsted by heir own Legislature,
instead OF being dragged to great distance
. frcm home 10 await The lardy and uncertain
action Of Congress. But their grcaicst gam
would be, that they would be elevated 10 an
| equality with the other States in all respects,
and exempted Fror''hc conrolIing influence
of The Government arising from a widely
! expanded system of land offices.
To the Union :bc gain onld be not less
! important. Congress woulI be relieved
! from an immense and increasing mass Of
! business. which row consumes at lc st one
third fits time, and be left free 10 turn its
at.eution 10 other subjecs of deep interest
which it is now compelled 10 neglect. This
! sessi ms would BE- greatly shor'ened--a ma
ter Of importance. not only in pecunIary,
b,t still more i'll 4 political paint of view
; Bu, these, though important, are but MINOR
advantages. There arc others immeasur:
ably greater. 1t would close oar land
, Offices in the new Sales, and, with them,
the door to the vast pa roHage an influence
! whicI, thcy place in the hands of:hs Execu.
tive. Who can estmete this advantage !!
! Who is tn, re, that has particle of patriot.
ism or love Of Republican institutions, who
" uJ no: rooicc at the reduction OF such
immense patronage, made no: oA!y without
| injury, but with advantage, 10 tho public!
When We add 70 this that it would remove
all causes of conflict between the old and
new S,atcs tha! it would withdraw from the
! Presidential contest the public lands, that
prolific source Of corruption in the HANDS OF
| the proHgate and, finally, that it would
save our vast and noble domain itself from
being squandcred in the rugsl',r Is hardly
in the power of calculation to estimate the
advanta. .cs that would result.
Having now suggested what believe to
bo the proper policy to be pursued in rcla-
ton to the public lands wi bin The new States,
and hastily traced the advantages OF the
measure | have suggested for sonsIdera.
ton, the mex question is, have we the right
to dispose Of lhe Ian Is in the mann"r pro.
posed! would not have supposed mat
there could have been doubt On in Po'nt,
had not the Senator from Massaaauseus
| IMr. WEBSTER raised It on this, as we'll as
on a former occasion. The Constiu ion
gives to Congress. expressly, the right TO
dispose orthe public lands land why may
they not dispose of them to the States as
we'll as to individuals? ! cau see no re- .
son, and never have heard ono assigned.
I We are in the daily habit Of making grants
to the States for public purposes aud II we
may grant, may we not also sell or dispose
of EN-, as have proposed? The lands
belong to the States, in their conted rat
character, as has been staed and Con.
gress is the trustee to dispose of them for
the common bencf:. They are o md, 10
the fultimenl Of The trust. to dispose Of them
to the b st advantage and If the disposl-
ton proposed be the best for all concernt d,
Congress has not only the righ. to make
It, but would be bound by the trust so to
do.
Entertaining these v,ewsl it may be asked
why have not brought forward the mca.
sure this session? My answer is, ;herc is
not time, at the present short session, 10 d.
gest and carry through m"asurc OF so
much importance, and involving SO many
and such conflicting interests. But ]
pledge myself, ifpresent al The next session.
to introduce it at an early day, and 10 use
my best efforts 10 press it 10 decision. If
can prevent it, no other measure relating
to the public lands shall take precedence oil
it.
have no presented my views as 10 the
policy which ought to be adopted in refer.
ence to the public lunds within the new
States and it now remains, in conclusion,
to assign my reason for voting against the
engrossment Of this bill.
Believing lh;, nothing short C u radical
change Of policy, such as that proposed, can
arrest the evils apprehended from tho pra.
sent system, | am of the opininion, that till
some permanent remedy can be applied,
that The proper course is 10 vote against all
partial and temporary cxpedients like the
present and shall, in conformity 10 tha.
opinion, give my VOC agains. tins bill, |
believe it 10 DC The course, not only the best
calculated 10 insure, III the cad, the applica.
ton of a permanent and cficien' remedy.
but also to prevent, in the intermediate per-
iod, the mischiels naturally resulting from
The presen, system. Bat in addition 10 these
general reasons, there arc others agans'
this particular measure, sufficient 10 induce
me to vote against II. Passing others byy
shall only notice one.
This bill is pressed on the Senate, on tie
ground, among other reasons. that It IS
financial measure. |. is stated that the
Treasury is deficit, and that one of the
effects of the reduction otthc price OF the
public lands would be present increase
Of the revenue from that source, am no
prepared to SLY whether such would be the