Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-26


teal examination of the committee, should the amend
ment be adopted and referred At the present stage,
regard nothing but the great principles on which
and It's outlines, to be at ISSUE ana do nope, lhat all
who may concur with me principle, VIII give the
amendment their support, whatever imperiecuon lney
may suppose exist in notifications. measure reat-
ing TO question so vast and complicated can be per-
tccted in lis details, however sound the principles on
which 1t rests, correct It's general outlines only py
the joint consultation and counsel With these REMARKS
it will not be necessary for me, at this stage 10 give
more than general summary Of the provisions oil The
proposed amendment
Its object is to instruct the Committee so TO amend
the bill To dispose Of all the public lands, lying III
the States of Alabama Louisana Mississippi, Arkansas
Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana win
the exception of sites for Forts Navy and Dock ARDS
Arsenals, Magazines aud other public buildings: me
cesson not TO take place till after the Both June, iol2
and then only on the States respectively agreeing 10
the conditions prescribed in the amendment; mat Isl 10
pass acs rrevccabe adhere To those condtions inc
most prominent Of which is 10 pay annually, Oh dhy hA,
ed to The IT, States per cent of the gross proceeds o
the sales Of the lands; that the land laws as they now
stand ana proposed to be modified by the amendment
shall rc,.sain unchanged except with the cons "i Con
gfess; that The shall BE- in full Of the per cent
fund hereafter to TO those States; that they sha
be exclusively liable for the cost of surveys, sales eX
tinction of Indian titles and management generaiy
that the States may, within certain prescribed l'n''s'
gradually reduce the price OF the lands that may re-
main unsod after having been offered Tor sale ten years
or upwards may grant, for limited period, inc f'5hl
OF preempon for ninety days to the aetna! seters, ~
each step in the reduction Of price, and finally That II
the conditions of the cesson be violated by Stale IN
any PARTICULAR all titles grants to lands thereafter
sold by the State to be null and vod-thus giving the
measure the force and solcmnity Of compact, ana
placing the whole under the protection OF the courts,
which would pronounce the titles 10 be yoid u made
after an iniraclon Of the conditions Of the cession
II ,,,tn gstI ri
these various conditions al this time. On question Of
reference, where the principle only is al issue, u IS
not necessary. Ii sufficient to say that the leading
object is 10 make ttle change in the land SYSTEM rs
il exists, consistent with the object IN vew,
and to adopt such provisions will enforce the iath-
u performance OF the terms of ccssIon on the part OF
the States. with the least compensation for their ex
pensc and trouble and loss to the Government, IN
p"cuniarv point of yew consistent with tile arrange
mrn Ii IT be made TO appear that there are rea
sonabe grounds to believe that the States VII ath
fully comply with these conditions Sund that there -"
he 10 pccGnary loss 10 the Government compared with
the system stands, III consequence OF the pro-
posed disposition, ii wuud difficult to conceive
what substantial objection there can he 10 the mea.
sure
am thus brought 10 the great, might say Ill" only
question admitting doubt 10 the eSpedlency OF Tie
measure " Ill The States adhere to their contract or,
to express differently, would there be danger that The
Government would lose the land consequence Of Tie
States refusing comply with the conditions oi the ccs
sion: And ii not will the recnnlary loss TO tie So.
vernment be such 10 make 1t nexpedient, even y
there be n assurance that the of cesslon will
not be violated:
Before enter on the discussion OF these important
points il will be proper TO make few remarks on ihe
extent OF the interest that would be embraced IN Tie
ccsson. Without H. there would be but an imperfect
OF the subject
The quantity OF public lands lying in the new States,
i ,i ~ lup Wn
an The Isl OF January 10, aboat 100000 GU .: acres
has been reduced by sales the exact qudn" MOI
known but il will not materially vary The amount" lhe
Indian title has gushcd 10 nearly the whole,
and about threeioufths has been surveyed ana pat
!ed olwhch larger part has been long IN the market,
much more than twenty years. and has been picked
and culed and again, with The view OF TAX
nr all worth having, at the present price, even during
The great expansion Of currency and consequent rise
in price and speculation III public lands IN iri1, "h,
and a. ii compared IN quantity TO The remainder oi
le puc domain il will be found 10 be not equal 10
,,r.siy;h part of the whole In this respect, II IS
;,r mure limited measure than that proposed by the
Senator from Kentucky 10 which mine IS an amend
mont That embraces not only the proceeds 81 the
whole publc domain exceeding 600 acres but
Includes in addition the large sums drawn from the
dntes ON IMPORTS which are annually expended on It's
sales and management, all of which he proposes per-
nonentv to distribute. 1t is also more limited IN IT'S
application than the rignal bill, which embraces all
The lands to which the Indian title IS extnguisheo as
we'll Territories as Sia'es, WHICH CREAMY eAeee"' '
quantity lying in the latter >,
J,v;nr nov shown the object and the character win
The scope Of this measure, shall next proceed 10 Inc
great and must say, IN my OPINION, the Only iies.
that admits of controvcrsy-w the States adhcre iat-
uy 10 the terms Of the ccssion: Or on lie contrary,
y;, they violate a compact s0lemnly entered INTO, on
Inc, and liberal principles mutually beneficial to boh
and which will place them, 10 their domain, on the
.o,De ;ndcpendcnt footing which the other States
stand
would ask n the outset is there any thing in their
history To justify suspicion Of want Of @"oa 'a''ni
Have they been in the habit OF violating contracts IL
- mint ont n single instance: Instead OF giving
,round 10 excite Suspicion rejoice 10 say their hsto
~ affords many and striking examples 81 exact ana
ni,hgul compliance with their engagements. They all
Ia co standing compacts with The government eneleo
n,o on their admission INTO inc unioh wh'ch IMPOSE
pnor,ant Iii,aiions what otherwise would be tneiF
,ncuestioupd ripht independent members oil thc
i:ou. and among others, the important one, not ony
= o !, the vast portion OF their domain held ny tic
Il : within their limits, but also, TOR the period u bye
,o,rs o,lcr sale the portion held by purchasers 10
heir honor be il said that IN The long pef."a wcn mas
Ionsd from the admission Of the Oldest Of tn Sc States
nero has not been single instance OF violation OIL
mir mari Of their pligntrd faith With 50 striking an
,yample of fidelity 10 engagements, WIN WHAT Jus'.e
can i he objected that The States will violate their
,rbted faith 10 contract every way advantageous 10
hem rs we'll as the rest OF the Y mon: .
Bni take higher ground, and put the question, WIN
what propriety can object to The want OF aiih on
he nart of the States TO their engagements what is
,ur Constitution but compact between the states;
md how do we hold seats here but in virtue OF 'hat
compact, And it for 10 turn round ana question:
he faith OH which system stands, ana through
which we have political existence; aud ms i"o'
yhcn il is notorious that the State Governments nave
,dhered with far more fidelity than this to the cons
utional compact: Many and great violations = are
.harged and truly charged to u.s. while i's, very lev"
.an Justly be attributed 10 them ,,o
But, admitting there might be danger OF losing .,c
ands should they be disposed OF as proposed from te
want Of good faith the part of the States po!uly
assert that the danger of their being lost IS tar erea'e
the present system should unfortunately be continued
md that, too under circumstances vastly more a'sis
rons to the peace and safety of the Union Hhat !
ave asserted comes from deep and solemn conVe'.nn
esultnr from long and careful examination OF THIS
,ast and complicated subject. :.
Those who have not given special attention TO 1t,
md the progress of our land system can form no Just
conception Of the danger to which the public lands are
,xposed. The danger is two-fold: that they w'ii DC
os by the mere progress of etement, without Pay
or the country, 10 which the Indian title il exlIn