Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-10-26
From the New York Sun.
THE REVENUE AND THE PUBLIC
- LANDS.

THE REVENUE AND THE PUBLIC
.n13. ed LANDS.
We stated Yesterday the substance o:
the amendment which had been adopted |
n fhe Senate 10 the bill for distributing !
the proceeds ofthe public lands. "heIh-
ertbeso amendments will be conCurred IN
by the House is doubtful" II not the oIii
will probably fail, for the Senate Will IN
sist npon them. Ii they are concurred ~
the bill will pass, but il is doubtful wheIh
eFit can ever go injo operation. lis ma
ture is entirely changed.
By the amendment of Mr.. BerTlen' us
tGbution is to cease whenever the wants
of the Treasury shall require duty oi
moro than twenty per cent. ad Valorem
wnor. any imported articles. As we under
sIand the state of the government imam,
re, the amount Of expenditures and OF
rsvsrne. the very case contemplated by
,be amendment now exists and IS likely
10 continue for long time TO come. A
tariff oftwenty per cent. would be INSULT
cient, even now, TO pay the curren, expen-
sea of the Government aside from the
income Of the public iands. II this be
40. the passage OF the distribution bill IN
its shsse renders it mere dead let
far. The contingency which is to render
It imperative, is already staring it in the
face.
There is then but one way to escape
from this dilemma, that s to increase the
national debt. BY borrowing meney TO
pay the expenses Of government an in
crease Of The tariffmay be avoided, and
the proceeds Of tho lands may then he
distributed. But what would this be in
effect but borrowing money 10 distribute
among the States? What can it matter
whether the thing be done directly or in
drec,ly9 Can it be supposed that any
American Congress would ever sanction
such proceedings? Or would President
TYLER who has avowed his uncompromls
inp hostility TO a national debt, ever
coun,enance the creation OF one br
such unconstitutional purposes? No, ne
YER.
Bht suppose all these difficulties eur
mounted, and the process of distribution
under way; what will be the effect OF Iis
Suppose New York to receive hve hun
dred thousand dollars as her portion
does this enrich New York TO that a
mountP No:on the contrary imPoyer'
ishes her; her citizens pay it back dollar
for dollar, with the interest and expenses
of collection added The whelc revenue
of the Government is paid by the people
All contribute towards it-.tRe poor old
woman who sips her tea and coIae, as
we'll as The rich nabob who wears the
costly fabrics, and consumes the lu&ures
OF other lands. Abstract the income q
the lands from the revenue, and We, the
people, tho consumers, mnsl make up
The deficiency in some other way. II a
debt is created we must pay both inter
est and principal; il higher duties are le'
We'd upon our food aud clothing, we must
nav those also. The five hundred thou.
sand dollars, therefore, ostenlanlonsly
given TO the State Of New York as
a generous grainiry would in real
ty cost her citizens q much larger
sum.
These are simple truths, which com.
mend themselves to the common sense
ofeyery intelligent man. We state them
because the public ought to know aud
consider them, and not from any hostility
TO the friends Of the bill We are ia ia.
vor orraising all the revenue necessary
to enable our government to 60 on plos'
perously, both at home and abroad II
must be raised too, by taxes, direct or in
direct, and 50 long as the latter mode is
not used TO cheat the people ont OF their
money tor improper purposes, II does not
matter which. But this government
travels entirely beyond its proper sphere
Of action when il raises revenue from the
pockets Of the people TO distribute among
the States. BY direct taxation It would
never dare do this Ought II then to dc
II by indrection2 An honest men mus
answer no. II the States want money
let them tax their own people, and not
call upon the Federal Government to do
II for them. The people are not a mass
Of fools. They know it will cost them
less to pay the money in direct taxes TO
their own State Governments, there to go
through with the further process of divs.
ion. Isit not far better therefore, TO let
the public lands remain as they are, and
let the States rely upon the wisdom and
Justice oftheir citizens for such financial
aid as they need.
Ss@
AMI. .-.onj,.on.. vro,a eJopIad