Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-02-13
UPON THE PUBLIC
LANDS PASSED by THE GEN.
ERAL ASSEMBLY
IOyn
January 90, 1910.

Whoreas, bill has been introduced into
the Senate of tho United States to cede the
public lands to the several States respective
ly in which said lands are located, and the
proc cedings OF the Senate thereon, indicate
to the people of this country, that the admin
istration of the general government approve
Of the provisions Of said bill, and will cndea-
vor to carry the same into effect And
whereas, it IL the duty Of this Legislature at
all times, tn have watchfu regard for the
interest of their constituents, and 10 express
their opinion upon the doings Of Congress, IN
which the people Of tlls State are deeply in
terested, therefore,
. !. Resoired, Tint the Public Lands is
property in which oil the States have CON.
mon interest, and that any attempt to dispose
Of them for The benefit Of the new States, ex-
clusively, would be an oct Of manifest njus-
tice, to which the old States cannot willingly
submit that the extent Of this injustice can
be moro distinctly perceived by considering
the facts, that the proportion oi the public
LAM @. proposed now to be ceded to the new
States, which of rlgh, belongs to the State Of
Rhode Island, amounts, even at the present
nominal prices, to nearly million OF dollars;
that these lands were purchased by the blood
States. more dearly. than by Rhode Island ;
that the new States TO which this common
properly is proposed TO be cedcd, not only
did not exist M States at the time OF It's ac-
QUESTION, and consequently paid no part Of
the purchase poEey.-but most of them have
already received grants from tho general gov
ernmcnt for the support Of their schools, und
the building Of their roads and canals, a.
mounting To II sum, the annual interest of
which exceeds, by an immense amount, the
annual expenses of this State f; that the uit-
mate, If not the immediate value Of the laEds
within Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon-
SIN and Iowa, constituting nearly all the
public lands capable Of cultivation, would
furnish To those States incomes and revenues
exceeding the revenues o. my other State IN
the Union; that " properly managed, they
will not only perpctually exempt the private
property of the citizens Of those States from
taxation, bnt afford facilities and advantages
to those citizens, which arc denied To the
citizens of all the other States; that the lands
lyiur within tho States and Territories above
enumerated, constitute but small part Of the
whole public domain,-yet owing 10 their
unrivallcd fertility, and their position as to
climate, and facilities for market, they con.
s,liuie the only part that now ~, or ever Will
be If much value TINT the ccssiOn OF these
lands 10 the new States without any equiv'.
lent would bo, in the opinion at this Lpgis-
laiurc, not only an arbitrary &C, Of power on
tho part Of the general government, bu; an
sct very equvocsl at least, ~ It's constltn-
tiona character. The people of to old
States never intended 10 confer such power
upon The general govrrnmcnt--thoy nsvct
lnte ndcd that therveSted rights in the pub
domain. nre 10 be arbitrarily, capriciously,
ceded 10 the people Of the new States, hut
that the power Of Congress over these lands,
like all its other powers, are ,o be exercised
r.r the public good, aud for the public good
alonc,-that thrretoro--
n y Rtsoirti, That this General Assembly
entertain tho same opinions heretofore "S.
pressed, upon the proprlciy and cxr'dieney
OF n distribution of the proceeds OF The sales
of the pubhc lnns., sad cf the provisions oi
the bill for that purpose, introdnccd by dis
,iuou,shed Senator from Kentucky. which
p,s,rd both House. of Congress with great
unaniinily. and was defeated by tho lat"
presldcnt ot the Urited States. through the
exercise of an unusual, II not an unconstltu-
tlonal power.
g. Rtsoircd. That our Senators and Rep
rsscn'ntlvcs IN CengtcsS. be requested 10
use their exc,t,rns io prevent he passage OF
any law Cor the dsposlIinn oi SAID lands,
oih.r than f,t the boncIil Of nll the States.
/, Rtsoin,a. Tha, the acting Governor he re
! onestsd ~ forwards copy of these resolutions
~ each oG ITO men bors OF Congress lfo,n
this State.