Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1841-12-10
From the Richmond Wing.
THE LAND ELS rRIBUTION ACT

'u0COnNlt0tlOndI Dul now OF Wn6T0'
fore is it unjust, unwss and unconsttu
tional, we are not informed, The ipse
diru ofHhe meeting is the sole author.
ily for that; which, however is by nc
means conclusive with US. First, re-
specting the alleged injustice Of distrib
utiug the Land Fund among the States
To whom is it unjsst? Not to The States
who are merely receiving that which,
under the deeds Of cession, is their due.
Not to the Federal Government in sur.
rendering fund wuich it only held iD
trust for another. To whom else can
il be unjustf These are the only par.
ties. 1t may operate hard upon the
Federal Government 10 pay its debts at
this lime, in consequence Of The straits
to which it has been reduced By the pro
fligate extravaganza Of the late admin
islralion; but the sXaction Of the Gebt
by the creditor does moi argue injustice.
But the act, in ITSELF is.most manirost,
ly just in principle, If fustice is best de.
termned by reference to the antagonist
propositions. The chief Of these as was
most clearly demonstrated by Mr..
RiVes, is the ceSSaOn scheme Of Mr.. CAL
houn, or, what amounts to the same
thing, the graduation scheme of Mr.. Ben.
ton. The idea of retaining this fund in
the Fedora Treasury, TO meet Federal
expenditures, has long been abandoned
BY all parties in the country. 1t was
expressly repudiared by General Jack
son: and, even during the extra Session,
was discarded by the whole Locofoco
party in the Senate, who supported a
proposition 10 set aside this fund for
building ships, dock yards, forriicalons,
DC. But this was mere fetch, and so
admitted to be by Mr.. Calhoun and all
the Locofoc0 Senators from the West,
who distinctly avowed their dotermIna.
ti0n TO have the whole. This is the
rival scheme to that Of the Distribution
Bill. This scheme, which gives to .
part what belongs 10 the whole, is that
the justice Of which we are required to
commend, That such project should
have an advocate in ono Of the old thir-
teen is only to he accounted for by sup.
posing men TO be the duPes OF the gros-
gest party deIusion,
As to the conslitulionality Of the ac'
it is marvellous how any man can doubt,
and it is a subject OF speciGl wonder how
Rny Jackson Van Buren, man could mus
ter the brass to deny it. The Consitu.
ton isexprcss and direct upon tho sub
ject. 1t says:
"The Congress shall have power to
dispose Of, and make all need(ul rules
and regulations respecting, The territory
or other property belonging to the UNI
ted States and nothing in this Conslilu.
,iou shall be- so construed as TO preju.
dice any claim fthe United States or
ofany particular State"
This vests foil and absolute dscro
ton in Congress subject 10 40 other re-
striclions than those contained in the
deeds Of cesson These last declare
1--WE copy from the Virginia deed that
"all the lands thereby coded shall bC
considered as common fund for the
use and benefit Of such Of the United
States As have become, or shall become
members of The Confederation or feder.
oil alliance of the States, Va included
according to their usual respective pro.
portions in the general charge and ex.
pendlure, and shall be faithfully and
bona fde disposed Of for that purpose,
and for no other use or purpose whOt-
ever"
The act Of the last session was in
strict accordance with this limitation and
the foregoing provision Of the ConSIi'
tuition. But there are some politicians
who have more faith in men than they
have in tho Constitution, For their
benefit we give an extract from the Mes
sage oI General Jackson in l832-an
authority which no man of that meeting
dare question, Hero is his distinct and
emphatic language:
"Among the interests which merit
the consideration Of Congress, after the
payment OF the public debt, (war debt,)
one Of the most important in my view
is that Of tho pubic lands, Previous TO
tho formation Of tho present Constitu
lion, it was recommended by Congress
that portion OF the waste lands owned
by the States should be ceded 10 the
United States, for purposes Of general
harmony, and as fund to meet the ex
Penses of tho war. Tho recommenda.
lions was adopted, and at different peri
ods Of time the States Of Massachusetts
Connecticut, New York, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia
granted their vacant soil for the uso
which, it had been asked. AS tho land
may now be considered as reiieped froa
&he plcdgs, the object Tor which the,
were ceded having been accomplished
IL is in the discretion Of Congress to dis
pose of them and ln such way as bos
90 conduce to the quiet, harmony an
general interest of the American poo