The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-18

WING CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE STATE
No subject connected with the Presidential
contest is so important to the people OF Maryland,
s that Of the disposition of the public lands, held
NV the Government of the United States
qihe undersigned, influenced by this belief, and
DESTROYS of placing before you fer your consider
alton, all the facts and circumstances connected
with this all important matter, have determined
to make the following statement AID appeal to
your judgments. The facts all susceptible
of proof and If eontradicted, can and will be sus
tanned The reasonings and differences are sub
mitted in the belief that they are tar and just,
and such as any. dispassionate mind Will approve.
The political party which sustains Mr. V. Blu
rem, has ever been, and now IS, opposed to the
distribution of the proceeds OF the public LANDS
among the States, in proportion to their popula-
ton The famous land bill, which was sustain
ed by MIR CLAY in 1882, and which passed both
Houses of Congress, Just at the close OF the SEES
sion Of that year, was placed by Gen. jackson III
his pocket, and was in that way defeated. The
operation of this law would have been to pay to
MARYLAND, from 1892, from which period 1t was
designed to take effect, to 1888, embracing the
sum of one million seven hundred and thirty-two
thousand dollars, making nearly three hundred
thousand dellars per year. BY the refusal ot
Gen jackson to sanction this measure, approved
OF by amdiority of b,th Houses OF Congress, Ma
ryland has lost this large amount, which would
- 49,
lands If this important law had been assented
to by him Daring the last session OF Congress,
the determined ana violent opposition otthe Van
Buren, ms mbers of the Senate of the u. States, to
the distribution of the public lands, conclusvely
proved that the reelection OF MIR. V. Buren, VIII,
in addition to its other mischievous censequen-
ces, destroy all hope that Maryland will obtain
any portion OF these lands or of their proceeds.
On the other hand, Gen. Harrison, and the
party which sustains him, favors the proposed
distribution of the proceeds of the public lands
In his letter to Sherrod Williams, Gen. Harrison
writes as follows: ESI am perfectly re;onciled
to the distribution of the public lands as provl-
ded for by the bill introduced by MIR. Clay"
The plan of Mr.. Clay's land bill was to pay
to Ohio Indiana Illinois, Alabama, Missouri,
Mississippi and Louisiana, in addition to what
IS reserved to each State BY the terms OF the
compact, made, with the United States, when the
said States we've respectfully admitted into the
Union, twelve and a half per centum on the
nett proceeds of the sales OF the public lands,
which. subsequent TO the 31st OF December, 1882,
might be sold within the limits OF the above
named States. by the terms of the compact,
one section in each township of the public lands,
within the new States, was granted Tor the use
of the schools, and fund of five per cent. on
the nett proceeds OF the sales OF the public
lands, in each Of the above named States, was
set apart for making public roads and canals;
and in some of the states there was inrth--
~. -
appropflah"" .. por,lons of the public lands, to
epdow seminar and universities, and Tor com
pleting public buildings, &c. The uew States
would therefore have received, il this plan had
been adopted, seventeen and half per centum
of the nett proceeds Of the sales OF the public
lands, within their limits, as well as enjoy such
other rights as the terms OF their compact secu-
red to them. The residue of the nett pro-
ceeds of the sales of the public lands, wherever
situate were by this plan to be divided among the
twenty -four States OF the Union, In proportion
to their respective federal population, as ascer-
tanned by the census of 1880.
This.method of distribution was to last for FIVE
wears, unless the Unit d States should, within
that time, be involved in war with foreign
power, in which event it was to cease.
: We have seen in what way and by whom this
wise and salutary measure defeated. The
efforts made to revive it have been frequent, put
owing to the opposition OF the party IN power,
they have always been -abortive. During the
last session of the Senate of the United States,
Mr. Calhoun introduced in that body, his
scheme for ceding to Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Michi-
ran. Ohio and Indiana, all the public lands
within their respective limits, except such parts
as may be required for forts, navy yards, public
buildings, &c These lands were to be sold by
the above named States, which were to pay to
tide United States, one-half of the gross proceeds
OF the lands. This effort on the part OF Mr. Cal
houn did not succeed, but it ought to teach thu
people of Maryland, the necessity OF asserting
their rights before it is too late,
In the report made to the Senate OF the Uui-
ted States on the 18th of May, 1S4O, on Mr..
Calhoun's land praject, we find the following
paragraphs-This report was submitted by Mr..
Norvell, prominent member of the Van Buren,
party. t.n
eft appears from report Of the Commissioner
of the General Land Office, (see doc. &C. Sd ses-
sion of Congress,) that the whole quantity in
acres of the public domain, on the Both of Sep.
tember 1888, to which the Indian title was not
distinguished, amounted to seven hundred and
sixty-six millions, in round numbers. There were
at tie same time, as appears by the same report,
i'm the states and territories, three hundred and
nineteen millions of acres, to which the Indian
title was extinguished, making the whole public
domain in the aggregate at that time to be ten
hundred and eighty millions of acres; from which
about five millions of acres may be deducted for
sales since made, leaving now bat ten hundred
and eighty millions Of acres. BY table marked
A, herewith annexed, it appears that on the list
January last, there were in the new states one
hundred and fifty four millions of acres, to
which the Indian titles were extinguished, and
nine millions five hundred thousand acres to
which the Indian title was not extinguished,
: making in the aggregate one hundred and SIXTY
ty4three millions FIVE hundred thousand acres
From this, deduct for disputed grants, many o.
which are large, to which the right of the Gev-
: ornment may not be established, three millions
and a half of acres, which would leave one hun
dred and sixty millions subject TO the operation
ef this bill, being less than one-sixth OF the
whole public domain.r 70
This extract from the report on Mr.. Calhoan's