Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-08-17
Friday august Is.
II sen ATE

or The ueope al Portsmouth, Virginia. concerning III
.ra session. and the sbose system OF measures vino
was called Ia cons unliiile
The resolutions wore IN strong ana decided anguag &C
Ac,on.r them was the following:
mpssoir,d. That like the Democracy of the oidc
time who aroused the people TO sense OF their dan
ger hurled the maraudefs ifoh power, repeated IN
Alien and Sedion laws, and rescued the C"nsti,utio
from Dissertation and outrage, We pledge ourselve:
should Congress pass any law establishing Natona
Rank distributing the proceeds OF The Public Lands,
assuming the State Debts, to relax our exetion
until these unconstitutional and dangerous enactment
shall be cxpunged from our statute books, ana IN
ssnctty of our national compact be INDICATED an
maintained. 80
These proceedings, on the motion OF MIR. Calhoun
were ordered to be printed. In this order, as well a
that Of yesterday printing the resolutions presented
Mr. Tappan the Federal side OF the chamber show tina
the are already driven from their design OF supPressn
repeal resolutions sent in by the people The experl
me made upon those from Fauquer together with tn
debate introduced the attempt Of the President
the Senate TO strie debate appeals from his deci
sons has convinced the leaders OF Federalism that they
are not vet SO firmly rooted power TO venture OF
the expedent of excluding popular sentiment from The
halls OF legislation; OF suppressng The comment o.
the representatives upon II.
Mr. Henderson made some motion in reference to the
Post Office Department. 1t led 10 some Incidental re
marks on its total ineficiency at present managed
Mr.. Sewer of Arkansas said that the mails had al
most ceased to in his Stale. Daily mails were
turned into semi weekly and weekly mails, and on
many Of the routes they had ceased altogether When
the Department Congress for money 10 CONT
nue. such an establishment, he disposed rather 10
surrender It's pretended benefits, and rely upon private
conveyance.
Mr.. Linn alluded to the state of things in Missouri
being similar to that IN Arkansas portrayed by
its Senator.
Mr.. Saith of Indiana attributed the condition OF the
mails TO the Of means the Department; and yet
has the that gave such extension and ac-
tyity to the mails under the last Administration But
reform has put in such numbers Of inexperienced post
masters-has given such license to the contractors,
who busy the late election Of President, that
not only the representatives of the States, but the pub
lie journals Of all sides in politics, are driven TO COM
DISTRIBUTION AND PRE- EHPrION BILL.
This bill was taken up, the question being OIL the
amendment of Mr.. ARCHER TO strike out the provl-
sion in the 9Th section applying The land grants to the
new States to objects OF Internal Improvement, VIZ
roads, canals bridges, Improvement OF water courses,
and draining swamps.
Mr. CLAY of Alabama briefly opposed this on the
ground Of the proprety OF continuing The system here
toore pursued distributing the lands tor speciiic Pur
poses, roads, &c
The amendment was then rejected, without oivi
sion.
Mr. McROBERTS moved an amendment, to strike
out in the 9Th section, the provision granting TO each
of the States of ONO, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Mis-
uri Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Michigan,
(Which have not heretofore received o0oOOO acres Of
land for internal improvements sum sufficient with
what they have already received, 10 make up that
amount; and insert provision granting TO the States
Of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Arkansas,
aissSsIpp and Aa5ama, quantities OF land
which together with that already received, exclusive
of the 10Th section OF lands appropriated Tor school
purposes shall be equal 10 that granted 10 Ohio, VIZ
10 Illinois 700 acres; Indiana 2-oOo0 acres; MI
chigan 037 900 acres; Missouri, l0is0U0 acres; Ar
kansas U4O,O 900 acres Louisiana, 100000 acres;
Mississippi l,U95,00O acres, and to Alabama, o12ooo
acres
MIR. McRoBERTS, in offering this amendment, con-
tended for the justice well proprlety OF It's adop.
ton The vast resources o. Ohio might be attributed
her grants lands made by the General Government
in her infancy. He referred the works of internal
Improvement in Illinois, which would be OF advantage
to the great conederacy, and asked Of The justice OF
Congress 10 give her credit and resources 10 prosecute
them 10 completion.
lie denied the moral and constitutional right of d.
vdng these lands the old States and conended that
the lands within the borders Of the States were
taken possession OF in the as tile territory
Of the old States; and belonging 10 them States, and
Individuals could with more proprlety DC DIS
trlbuted than the SOL OF the old States They had no
power 10 appropriate money Tor the treasures OF
the States, than TO take money from those States
Mr.. SMITH of Indiana said the motion pending was
10 equalze apparently the grant OF lands TO The new
States, with that which had been given TO OHIO. The
grant Of land Ohio of alternate sections on the
Inc Of the public works; and, tie alternate sections re-
served being Increased to value double, triple, or four
LINES the amount OF the minimum price, 1t was IN tact
no grant from the Treasury The lands Of Illinois, on
The contrary, averaged the whole sales only 81 %
SO per acre, being but eIgh;enths OF cent above
he minimum price. From these and other considera-
ons, as Chairman of the Committee, he maintained
hat there equalization Of grants 10 the States
this not the case he should be wiling 10 correct
t. lie opposed the amendment.
Mr.. CLAY, Of Ala, surprised that there should
De opposition to this amendment from any qnar,er, es
oecially from the Senator from Indiana, whose State
was b. benefited by it. It's object place the
new States equal footing, which not accom-
ollshed in The present form of the bill He them
length, advocated the amendment doing the
Justice to Alabama and other States, as had already
been done to Ohio.
Mr. CALHOUN should vote for the amendment, as
he thought If The bill passed right; but for much
CHER reason, that he would much rather give the
whole of the land to the States which It lay, than to
distribute il proposed by this ball The bull
most unconstitutional measure The proceeds Of the
lands belonged TO the Treasury, and il they were not
Appropriated 10 this purpose, then tile States had
The best right to them. They belonged 10 the whole
Cnion ana this condition the States entered the
compact; if this violated the land reverted back
TO lis original condition, and became the property Of the
States in which IL lies. Viewed III any light, both
stltutional and otherwise, this was 10 HIM, the most
odlous measure that could be presented.
Mr.. YOUNG SAID there view of this subject
that had not, yet been taken. This distribution
was a violation Of the compact with the new States,
which was, that the proceeds Of the lands should go TO
Tie Treasury. Ii this doue and thus the compact
violated, the right which had been given up By that
pact should be exercised, Of taxing the public
lands within the borders of the States; which, in his
State, at tax Of three cents acre, would amount 10
The sum of 600 annually.
Mr.. WHITE explained the Of the grant that
had been made 10 his State and contended that the Pc
ruliar grants TO some States should not alone be
sidcred, but the benefits arising thence to those States,
and TO the General Government. Indiana had finished
canals OF 300 miles IN length, and Ohio twice that
amount BY the aid Of those grants The righteousness
Of the settlement of those States COMPARISON with
their favored younger sisters should also be taken
into consideration lie disposed to vote for the
amendment, as at present advised believing it would
not prejudice the passage Of the bill.
Dir. CLAY Of Alabama conended that the appropra.
tons Of lands 10 Alabama had been judicousiy and
beneficiaily improved of Ohio or Indiana lie con-
tended that justice IN the States entitled them 10
The lands within their borders, the same manner as
the old States held their territory. If however, equal
4 III. -