Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-05-28
CONGRESSIONAL.
DISTRIRCTION QUESlIi

question Delng upon tie mouon OF MT. SllttcHush
to recommit the bill TO the Committee on Public
Lands with instructions to report bill TO provide
for the distribution of the proceeds of the sales oil the
lands among the States.
Mr.. WRIGHT said he would occupy single mo-
ment to explain the singular state of facts before the
Senate, and to put himself right in the matter, he
could not hope, at this any other tine to fulfil the
expectations which the conversation going on was
likely TO excite here and out of doors 1t had been his
intention TO take part in the discussion of the question
before the body, but he did not know until yes
terday, that the honorable Senator from Kentucky
Mr.. Clay] was DESTROYS to follow him, again to ad-
dress the Senate in the Of this debate pri-
vate conversation between himself and the Senator,
that day, had notified him of both facts and he had
then manifested the willingness he then and now felt
to accommodate the distinguished Senator upon both
points.
Still the discussion, in the of that day,
ed TO him TO take wide departure from the question
before the Senate aud with the collateral matters
thus drawn into the debate he had little and did not
wish to have any thing TO do. Ills OBJECT had
been to obtain the floor when they should have been
disposed of and he had RETAINED from making The at
tempt for this day, because It was expressly nmated
him that other Senators desired TO occupy part or
the whole OF il IN continuance OF the discussion OF
those collateral topics He had not therefore, come 70
his seat with expectation Of addressing. the Senate
day. and being reluctant to throw himself upon us
attention at any time, he much more so, when ne
consciously unPreparcd 10 offer the views he WISH
ed to present Yet rather than tue day consumed
for the purpose of anrdng him time Tor preparation,
and be, in the time the declared object oil mat
delay he would now enter upon the task he had de-
signed to attempt, and would ask the Senate TO extend
to him its patient ndug ence, while he should pass, as
briefly as he might, his too volumnons notes
He had not desired, if he could have avoided Il con-
sis,en,ly with his sense of bis public duty, 10 address
the Senate all upon The great question which now oc
cupes its attention. indeed upon the bill TO which the
proposition now under consideration relates but occa
sions had arisen, in The Of the wide dIscuss'
when that duty seemed imperative, and now he wouia
cndcavor TO perform IT with as little consumption u
time possible.
What is the proposition Immediately before US ~
is very simple and may be perfectly intelgble TO all
who will try 10 understand II. IL il to take IRON Inc
permanent revenue of the country, at time when that
whole revenue is conrssedy inadequate To meet tie
wants Of the Treasury from oneith TO oneqnarte OF
its whole amount and TO give It away, so far rs the
National Government and lis Treasury arc concerncn'
to do this at time when proposition 10 supply The
deficiency Of TO be thus caused is directly ana
practically before either IIouse of Congress, and TO Do
this under these circumstances, within i've weeks VI
the close of an annual session of Congress.
This was presenting the question Of distribution Of
the land revenue to the States in manner IN winch
it had before been presented 10 his mind, al rasi,
and he believed, in manner and under circumstances
which had never before attended its presentation 10
Congress 20 the country
In the course of the debate, much had been SAID OF
former propositions Of this character and the high an-
,hority Of distinguished Statesmen had been qno'cd
in favor Of the policy. In favor OF it, how: By thus
giving away the public revenue hen the Treasury OF
the people IS in want: No, But by dscharging that
Treasury from an inconvenient, vicious, and dan.
cerous surplus; aud by doing that in constitutional
mode in obedience TO the will fshe Consuon-nak-
ing power Of the country lie would 90 back 10 the fst
ofthese high references in point oftme a distinguish
ed Governor ofhis State dewitt Clinton now de-
ceased had been quoted as favorable to this policy
Favorable 10 il at such time this, and in tins shape
and wayo No, Sir. Favorable TO il BY way OF reileT-
ing the Treasury from surplus, expressly reservng
any opinion us to the competency of Congress to make
the distribution under the Constitution as Il IS and cx-
pressly referring the Of all power, The people
themselves the proper tribunal to settle all GoubtS
upon that point by an amendment OF the Constitution
E1pressons of subsequent Governor OF his state,
and of its Legislature had also been made matters Of
reference in favor of the policy but all these express
sons would be found accompanied BY the same reser-
yatons of an opinion to our constitutional power
even 10 distribute surplus, and the same references 10
one great of power, for authority TO carry on;
the measures thus cquivocaly recomme nded.
The late President Jackson had also been repeatedly
quoted as a friend to this distribution policy, and quo
tations from several of his early messages had been
read to the Senate 10 show his views THIS was far
as to him and fair 10 the questions but what were his
views as thus given by HIMSELF to distribute the rcyc
nue., when the Treasury was in WANT No, Tar from
that They were to relieve the Treasury from sur
plus And did he express the opinion that Congress
possessed the constitutional power to make the dstr-
button No So far from il, he expressly, IN his first
message in which the subject s mentioned, and an rx
tract from which was bu, few days ago, read to the
Senate recommended an appeal to The people to amend
the Constitution 10 reach the object In that same mes
sage in conformity with his prolessed principles ard
uniform practice he says these appeals should be made
in all cases where reasonable Gonbt exists, and the
ercse ola power not expressly granted is supposed 10
he desirable lie considers such appeals not dangerous
to any sound policy, bnt beautiful and sa!u'ary IN their
very nature And why did he favor distribution nj
all: He tells it was because the country was then
threatened with SUR plus revenae; that when the
tional debt should be fully paid, such surplus must
accumulate unless our revenue laws were materially
modified and that he did anticipate that the public
opinion would sanction notifications so sudden and ex-
tensye as would be required TO bring the revenue with
in the wants Of the Treasury Ills only OBJECT was TO
devise safe and constitutional mode OF d'sposlng Of
that surplus which did accumulate from 1884 10 1857,
and which brought upon the country many OF the evils
under which suffers to this day, and upon this Govern
ment the very e1travagar IN expenditure OF which
hs pol,ical opponents had loudly and perscverngly
complancd but he did propose the distribution Of
SO mschie vous surplus without an amendment ofthe
Constitution which should expressly confer the power
to do it.
The high authorities then, 10 which reference had
been made authorities for the proposition now
before the Senate They had proposed TO distribute
snrpluses only, not current revenue of which the
Treasury was in daily want; and even such disri-
button as they suggested was always with ,hema qucs-
ton Of constitutional power, which they proposed 10
rcer to the sovereign people, the Of power
der system i was that question, prominently y
that discussion, merely rcmarkng that he felt most
sensbly his inability TO conduct The argument as its
Importance required The consciousness of this fact
had, from day 10 day, deferred him from making the
attempt, until further delay might be, on his part,
criminal neglect of high duty That he might now
have the attention of the body as far as their great pa
,cnce would permit, gentlemen would pardon him for
saving that he believed, in his heart, If he could do
Justice to the facts and the fair conclusions from them
hi, would be the last occasion upon which the word
d;s,r;buton" in The sense in which it is here used,
would be heard in the Halls of Congress, under our
present Constitution, and with an empty Treasury
Now to the discussion.
His first proposition was one which he was sure
would not be controverted from any quarter 1t was,
that all the powers Of Congress rest upon and are de-
lived from The Constitution of the United States, and
that it has no single power which is granted by that
instrument.