The Madisonian., 1840-01-11
GEN. HARRISONS LETTER TO SHERROD
WILLIAMS.


SIR have the honor 10 acknowledge the
receipt Of your letter OF the 7th ultimo, in
which you request me TO answer the follow
ing questions
lst. "Wlll you. Il elected President Of the United
States. sign and approve bill distributing the surplus
Of the United States each STATE according
to the federal population Of each, for internal improve
ment, educaton and to such other objects as the .e
gsature Of the several States may tit TO apply the
same I"
2nd. 'Wll you sign and approve bill distributing
the proceeds Of the sales oi the public lands TO each
State according the federal population ol each f,r
the purposes above specified T.
Sd. !" Wall you sign aud approve bills making appro-
prations to improve naygablc above ports Of
entry -
4.h. Will you sign aud approve (if il becomes
cessary 10 secure and from depreciation The
venue and finances Of the nation and to afford uni
form sound currency the People ofhe United Sates)
BILL with proper notifications aud restrictions, char
tcring Bank Of the United States -
Sth. hat Is your opluIon to The constitutional
power Of the Senate House oi Representatives Of
the Congress OF the United States cxpunge ob-
from tie journals the records and proceedings Of
previous session"
From the manner in which the four first
questions are stated, it appears that you do
not ask my opinion as to the policy or propriety
of the measures TO which they respectively
refer; but what would be my course. If they
were presented to me (being in the Presiden-
tial chair Of the United Stales) in the shape of
bills that had been duly passed by the Senate
and House Of Representatives.
From the opinions which have formed of
the intention Of the Constitution, as to cases
in which the veto power should be exercised
by the President, would have contented
myself with giving an affirmative answer to
hn faur - huf ln,1
terest which has been and indeed is now felt
in relation to all the subjects, think it pro.
per to express my views upon each one sepa-
rately.
answer, then, lst. That tho immediate
return Of all the surplus money which is, or
ought to be, in the Treasury Of the United
States, te the possession of the People, from
whom it was taken, is called, for by every
principle Of policy and, indeed of safety to
our institutions, and | know of no mode of
doing it better than that recommended by the
present Chief Magistrate, in his first annual
message to Congress, in the following words
"Io aooid these eras, ii aPpears 10 me Matthe
most safe, just, and federal disposition ,rhich
/, could be made Of Tie surplus rcnenue; ,couI be
ats apportionment among lie seocrai StaieS ac-
cordrng to The ratto Of repreSentation.'
This proposition has reference to state of
things which now actually exists with the ex-
ception Of the amount Of money thus TO be
disposed of--for it could not have been anti
cipated by the President that the surplus
above the real wants or convenient expendi-
lures Of the Government would become so
large, as that retaining il in the Treasury
would so much diminish the circulating me-
dium as greatly to ernbarrass the business of
the country.
What other disposition can be made of i,
with view 10 get itino immediate circulation
but to place it III the hands of the State au-
thoriues =? So great is the amount, and so ra-
pidly is 1t increasing, that it could not be cx-
pended for very considerable time on the
comparatively few objects to which it could
be appropriated by the General Government
but the desired distribution amongst the Peo-
pie could be Immediately effected by the
States from the infinite variety Of WAYS in
which it might be employed by them
By them il might be loaned to their own
banking institutions, or even 10 Individuals
a mode of distribution by the General Co
yernment which sincerely hope is in the
contemplation of no friend TO his country.
ID Whilst have always broadly admitted
that the public lands were The common pro-
perty of all the States have been the advo-
cate of that mode of disposing of them which
would create the greatest number Of freehold
ers and conceived that in this way the in
terests OF all would be as well secured as by
any other disposition but since, by tue small
size of the tracts in which the lands are now
laid out, and the reduction of the price, this
desirable situation is easily aitainabe by any
person of ,olerable industry, am perfectly
reconcied to the distribution Of the proceeds
of the sales as provided for by the bill nitro
duced into the Senate by Mr.. Clay the in
terest of all seems to be well provided for by
this bill /, and as from The opposition which
has hitherto been made 10 the disposition
of the lands heretofore contemplated by the
representatives Of the new States, there is no
probability of lis being adopted, ! think it
ought no longer to be insisted on.
Sd. As believe that no money should be,
taken from the Treasury OF the United States
TO be expended on internal improvements but
for those which arc strictly national, the an
swcr 10 this question would be easy but from
the difficulty Of determining which Of those
that are from time 10 time proposed would be
Of this description. This circumstance, the
excitement which has already been produced