Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-07-06

receive an amount according to its population Ms ).
eierred 10 the vastly increasing population Of some OF
The other States. All he asked was jus,lce-deal out
justice, and h, had not II word 10 say
Another partner also was introduced into this bill
the District Of Columbia Strike out The frs, section
Of the bill and remove this other partner from the con-
Germ, and lie could in and support the measure
which, in principle, he believed to be just and right
Mr. j. q. FLOYD sad Shakespeare told Is that
when the mad Prince Hal had been for long time,
account Of his vices, the shade oil the King disPlea-
sure, BY dn Of good promises he restored 10 royal
iavor. lie fastened with the joyful Intelligence II
his botecompanion and dependant. Fasat, and here
rs the dialogue that passed between them:
any thing:
tri Rob me The eNchelner the hr>i thing thou icst."
lie (Alr. Floyd could fancy that there some
ng OF this kind gong on IN tins county lie could
fancy that we had here a Prince Hail. who, for >
tricks or misconduct, had long been the shade u;
popular dlspleasure lie could imagine that this Prince
'ia should fancy he had been restored to favor aud
hat he should say, with staggering air. 81 yield to
'ny lung; and that thousand cr,ngin- thToats
with the rush Of mighty waters, should ant .n!I
| us the cxchcquei the fret tang thou io'st
lie had no design to mpugn the motives OF gentle
mem but The understood TO say) be believed the
same means which had been rescr!ed 10 for the pur-
pose OF securing the election Of the present party !"
power to be resored 10 or the pnfpoe OF secu:-
ing successful termination OF lis measures
lie did not suppose that any thing he could say could
change vote or single 10 ialer in his
course but his duty himself aud 10 those whom he
represented required of him deliver his opinions, and
he should do
The second section of tie bill provided for the dstrl
button of the proceeds Of the sales Of the public lands
among the States and the District OF Columbia, accord
ing 10 their Irrespective Federal representative popula
ton" This he understood 10 mean according 10 The
representation OF this House, winch based upon
slave well as free population lie would call the
attention Of the ibollionss on THIS floor 10 th:s point
He wished 10 see the understood TO saw whether
they would carry out their principles, whether they
would introduce provision restricting the distributor!
10 the whites or making such distribution the blacks
could not participate IN
Mr. f. proceeded TO remark that his objcc, was
inGuire lii,ic first the title Of the u ). 10 the
public lands proposed to be Distributed secondly, the
duty Of the Government III regard 10 them, and then
10 examine the propriety Of the measure proposed by
this bill IL was faniliary known that the CLAIM Q!
certain States 10 large bodies OF land previous to The
adoption Of the Constitution, seriously objected 10
bv some Of the smaller States, under the idea that,
should they unite cnuiedcracy with larger States
possessed Of such resources, they must eventually b.
lost and swallowed up, ANA become mere dependencies
upon their stronger neighbors On hrs ground they
hesiiaed, and for long time refused 10 enter the
Union until these lands should first have been coded
10 tie Union 1T large. In this posture Of things the
rreat State Of New York-forcmost then, rs she had
ser been SINCE all acts ol magnan'nlty and pubic
spirit-authorGcd her delegates To cede the lands she
held for the use and benci. Of the |. >. and Tor ~
other use or purpose whatever. Virginia, following the
noble example, i'll Ike manner empowered her dele
yates IL ccde al the lands held by her North ana
Yves, Of the Ohio river The condition that they
should become common !und for the Use and be-
ncht Of III the States who had then, who should
thereafter become members Of the alliance 10 be ap-
Piled according their respective shares IN the general
charge and expenditure. Similar SESSIONS had subse
quen,iy been made by Connecticut, North Carolina,
) Carolina, and Georgia, III terms not greatly varying
from those employed by SrIna Such was the title OF
n Il Ind ny derived from of
by The States Bat il must be noted that these sevefa!
acts the States had ceded merely their right 10 pur
chase the lands they claimed from the Indian occu-
pants OF The SOIL and every had 10 be paid for
cording 10 the provisions OF treaties subsequently made
with tie aboriginal tribes.
Bat 10 understand more fully our title To these lands,
must be considered resting, III part upon another
ground At and before the acts OF cesson before refer
red TO- il had been contendcd that previously to the
Revolution all those lands which the different States
held had been Crown lands, and that by the
OF the Revolutionary struggle they passed u the Com
tcdcracy, Which had by force Of arms achieved TIE
Revolution; that, consequently, the tile Of the L. )
10 these lands title BIZ conquest, and periained
10 the whole Conrdeacy o!te States, and TO no State
in particular This doctrine hal been strongly pressed
II the time by the smaller States. But hcrc too, II
should be remembered that the Government had since
been compelled pay for all these lands by purchases
successfully made from the Indians. 10 induce tile
States TO cede and to give them that they
The provisions laid down in the deeds OF cession Con
press had passed resolution which had an important
bearing on the general subject, declaring that The I'M
appreciated lands ceded BY the States should be held
or the common benefit of all the States and should be
formed into Republican States, &c. Thus the COM
ui,,ce had The terms on which the lands were
rranted TO the L. s. the terms on which Congress had
eceived them, and the States making the cession on
hese conditions.
Eu, there was third mode in which these lands
lad been acquired, viz by purchase, II the case
,f ouisana and Florida. Mr. i. presumed there were
re,temen now on that floor who would vote for the
distribution Of these lands while they had INSISTED o.
,l,ims of individual citizens TO the amount oil SIX mn.
ions ofdollars for French spoliaons-claims which had
,een adjusted before the purchase OF LOUISIANA from
France and which formed equitable len on the
property purchased II claimed that all these coded
anas belonged TO Tie States, and therefore it was
,ghi ia distribute among them the avails Of the sales
IN this il would be a sufficient answer 10 say, that
Congress- in accepting the ccssion, had declared wha;
l,sposton was to be made Of the lands; and inge
,uity could be sufficient 10 show that, III conior
uty with that resolution, the proceeds were ever IL
,e distributed as now proposed. On the contrary,
he lands were 10 be held for the L. 5. whole, Tor
he Union as SUCH for the "E PtuyibuS tnum. There
vas no mystery to the meaning Of the phrase, 18th"
jnlted States" every schoolboy knew that II was ap
,led 10 the whole united ConedeTacy Of States consi
Tered as one and ever designate the several States
IS discovered from il, and standing IN their individual
capacity Yet Of this plain, incligibe praseolo-
~ gentlemen got the doctrine that these lands were
o be distributed 10 the States indivGually-the lands
yere received as lands to be held .ior the benefit Of
he L. s = that IS, not for the benefit Of the L 5,
,ut for the several States individually Ii We held
he lands By conquest then It was BY the conquest Of
he nation and the States that ground, would have
is little individual claim 10 the public lands as to tho
public ships obtained by conquest Such doctrine
would turn glorious Revolution into mere pratt
al Expedition, and the glorious Of 20 INTO slng
If mere n,arauders in search Of booty 1t would re-
luce the fathers OF this Republic 10 level with tie
villain inonarchs of Europe.
But whether our title were derived from ccssIon, or
conquest or BOTH were not claims upon the land
Il ms time which il would be most gross fraud Oh
he mart of this Government to defeat FIRST, there
claims by the Indians for moneys guaranteed 10
her, hv the most solemn treaties; claims Tor annucs
hich constituted the very purchase money Of these
snds, amounting 10 many millions annually. 1t was
, strange thing that In Sc vino but short time uso
,ors n.urnp out their tears this House behalf Of
he "poor, defauded, oppressed Indian, were The
first and lhe forward TO support bill which took
rom INN the security for the payment of his annuities
r formed hs stable his r:na men, spcuritv far