Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-05-10
VOLUME; xXXVH.---No. I.

which arise is, in at Other way are these lands 10
be hereafter disposed q for The common benefit Of the
s"Vs IA! States GrcorGing 10 thar rfSBfcfre ana usual
prDpO,ti0n IN the g,neGI charge ,1penditu,e The
ccssons Of Virginia. North Carolina and Georgia. in
express terms, and all the nipple dy no, on " pro-
vide thus specifically The proportion according TO which
each Stale shall profit by the proceeds Of The land sales
but they proceed TO declare, ha, they shall he ait.
y ant JonG GCs GiSpos'd Of for that purpose and for
ether purpose whatsoeeer.' This the iunda.
mental la" Of the land ut this moment, growing out Of
C0mpacts whch are Older than the Constitution, and
formed he stone which the Union Itself was
erected.
In the practice of The Government the procet Is Of
the public lands have mot been sci apart n separate
fund for the payment of The public ett but have been
and paid into the Treasury, where they cons-
iule part oi The aggregate Of the upon ch
The Government draws well for lis current expenti
rurts, Cor payment Of the public debt In this man
ner they heretofore, and DO lessen the general
charge up"m the people OF the several States, in The
act proportions stipulated ~ The C"mpacts.
These grrrra charges have been composed not only
al the cubic debt ard the usual expenditures attending
the evil and military administrations Of the Govern
men but of lie amounts paid /" the States with which
these c0mpacis were formed the amounts paid 10 the In
t'ans for hrr right "' p"sstssion the amounts paid for
The purchase of Louisiana and Florida, and The amounts
pad surveyors registers clerks, &c employed IN pre-
pairing markr, and Hing the Western donan.
From lhr origin Of the land systrm down 10 Septem-
Der 80 1872 the amount eIreuded for all these purposes
has been Si99 2-0-nnd tie amount received from the
SdrS, frGUclIrm pay meats IN account Ul roads Sc.
81 cG G2i The revenue arising rom The public lands,
therefore, has not Teen sufficient TO meet the general
charges She Treasury which haze grown out Of them,
- abuu, 81 81 TO. Yet, IN having been applied
IT, srn those charges. the conditions Ot the compact
been Ear fulfilled, and each State has pro!ied
acc, rdlru Usual proportion N tie general Charge
aud ,xprnG ure. The annual proceeds of land sales
have increased and the charges have DIMINISHED that
st reduced pf!ce those Lands would Gelray al cur
rent cDrgps growing of them. and The treasury
from further adyGncts then account Their original
intent and 'cl, III ;ei"rr, would re accomplished
folly II has hitherto been by reducing the price, and
hrr,ai,rr Us heretofore. bringing the proceeds into the
Treasury ntrrd, tI's IS The only med" IN which the
olrcs If tie or. nal compacs be attained, may
be conr red tor all practical purposes that II Is Of
Their requirements
The hl before me begins with entire subversion of
every one The canpacis Ly which the L. ). became
ssfSsrG fihfir Western domain and treats the subject
Il! they had meyer had any existence and as II the L.
:; were the original and unconditional owners Of all the
public lands TIE first section directs
That rom and nicr the 3>; day Of December, l-32,
TN, re ,Eai he allowed and pad to each 0! the States of
Ono lrdlara Illinois, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi,
aud Louisiana over and above what each OF the SAID
States entitled to by Tie terms Of the comPacts en-
tered into between ietn respectively upon their aims
sion into the Union and the L ;, tie sum OF twelve
ard half per upon The nett amount OF the sales Of
the public lands which, subs Grcn 10 the day aforesaid,
sa be made ihn the several limits Of the SAID States
which said sum Of twelve and half per centum shall
d. apptd ul pct objects OF internal Improve
mems or education within The SAID States under the d.
rrcrrun Of the several Legislatures
This tw,l I've and half per cent is to be taken ont OF
the nett proceeds If the land sales before any apporilon
mrnls is made and The seven States which are
first this proP,n, are also TO receive Their
due proportion Of the residue according 10 HE ratio OF
general GIstitu;Irn
Now waving all considerations Of equity or policy
in regard tins provision. what more need De SAID TO
demonstrate its objectionable characr Than that 1t IS
IN rrc, Id uniG: uIscd violation nf the pledge gwen
1,I,r 1,,la
mad, that abroga'rs he condition upon which some
Of Ia. States came The Unon aud that 1t sets at
nar,, p ,rIs of ss;on spread upon the face at eve
- iar, under when the " TO THAI p"fGn oi The pup
he lands Is held ~ the Federal Government.
Ia the APP ri"rnpn Of the remaining seven e'gh'hs ct
the proceeds ,ls tl III manner equally und''gused,
WHAT'S lhp conditions upon which the L. , acquired
tile Il; tie ,drd liuds Abandoning altogether the IA
Ito o. distribution according 10 the general charge and
EXPENDITURE yroyGed hy the c"mpacis It adopts that OF
l,. led. raj REPRESENTATIVE population. Virginia ard
orhrr States which crd their lands rp"n the express
condition. tina, they should receive 1'nrht from 'her
sales ~ pr portion 10 their part OF the general charge are
hy the L allowed only portion, OF seven eIShihS o.
licr prorccds and tia no, in the proportion OF general
charge and xpsndI.urc but II the ratio OF their federal
representative rcpuati"n
IN, Constitution ol,he United States did No, delegate
Curerpss the power 10 abrogate these cc.npacts On
Ae contrary by dcclaring tia. nothing in II "Shale
onsrntd as 10 prJ"d're any CLAIMS n the tH"'d Ha''s
y II mr. particular Sate. it virtually provides mat
l.,p CfI,UJCs aliC liP fIIt'S s'Nu'V sam
.oucird by the legislative power, which shall orly
,,k. all ncidta ruirS md TSgH'Gii0nS for carrying
rem INTO fleet. All teyord THIS would seem to be an
assumption Of the UuG, !, gated power
THESE ancient ,rmpaCis are invaluable monuments al
~ ar.. 81 virtue, p1iGius, and "'si"ieTes'rdness lHey
sh.bn the rice that grat States. which had won oer'
g. were wiling TO pay for that Union without which
h : ugiuIy sew Il could not be preserved IL was not
or TERRITORY or State powrr, that OR Revolutionary Ia
took M arms: IL for iEdIrIdui liberty and the
iyh, Of self n"vrrnmen The expulsion from the con-
-, cf B,nl,k armies and British power was 10 them
barren conquest IT, through the COLLISIONS OF the re-
l..,,.d State: the individual rights fer which they
'unl should become the prey ct petty military iy'an-
mes established at home TO avert such consequences,
and throw around liberty the sht!d a. unIon States,
yhos- relative strength Ut the time, gave them pre-
,ond.raliur power iagnan:mnusiy Sacfhced d"na'hs,
yh,ch vnu, haze III. de H. IN Ic vI!S &; empires only
ruiairs that ,ry sh"u!d be disposed Of Tor The com
con b.r.i iii Of themselves aud the other confederate
S;,i.s This erngh,er.d policy produced union, ana
,as secured liberty. II has made cur waste lanes 10
.var,, with Lugy people, and added many po"rfiui
states to confederation As wen Tor 'ne 'I"'.a
inch roh.e works Of anc' s'ors have p'o0uct"'
for the deyU,eGncss in wh'chey oi1ina't"i We S''"
/ hesitate before v Lsmolsh Them. 80.
| p,, ,;,ors are other principles asserted IN the bill
which would haze iwpttied me 10 WILING ny Sym
u,p had not seen IN II violation u '"' ','"PaGt' Uy
hrg the e : ACQUIRED title 10 large portion OF pub
lc ,,nts II re asserts The principle contained IN the
Lu ,rrLor.irr subscr pon 10 the sock OF The Mays.
y;,le Weshington Pars and Lexington Turnpike Road
J COMPANY from which ! vas c"inpe"fo'" "'hhoiu my
corepnt for reasons contained IN my message on Inc
s-I H., 1z2D r. the House Of Representatives..
The leading principle then asserted was tina, Congress-
.s no Institutional powers TO appropriate any part
Gr,rc moneys ofrhe States for objects of local cha
/ 49, amin the States That principle, ! cannot be
/ s,-ksr IN suppos;nC, has received the uEeGuivccal
rrrn II the American people, and all subsequent Ie
,rt.on has but satisfied me more thoroughly: that the
,r.s's Of people, and the purity Of our govern
rrt II not lis eIIsIerce, depend on ''s observance
% &c 1re lE
ted States and the moneys arising from ,h-if sales
are par, Of the public revenue THIS S'n proposes
to raise from and appropriate por''on Of THIS PGoic
T. venue TO certain States prortng expressly maj t
shall te cppisA 10 GLcis n Internal Inpr0tsmtHt or
I ti.c,;n ,r,l;u ,5osS SairS aud then proceeded 10
;,, the balance to al the States, with the decllra
iioa ho,, .h, be applied TO sneh yuTpSss as the L.
nisiqtnrrs chc s"'d TePtfuFe 2lls SMa 1fe rofGr IT,