Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1841-02-06
DEBATE on THrLAND QUESTION


toe Clay. OF Ky, the Land Question will DO reach
81 an the due Of publication oftho Debate up
on that sahjeci readers will dare say eo,sid
ering Mr. Ciays particular relation this question b.
Obliged ovs Tor brief sketch oi The course OF MS re-
marks upon some o. Ee chiefoP.ss which he brought
in'u review
hnonss, o:hsr pious IA h. ,pScch. the follow Ing
were succcssivcly touched upon.
Mr. Clay quiet u all aP?r,h soas e an -p ieaiion
Of tac principle ofJsif5u;On of the land ind The
I'M osiiion Of Or he purP1io OF subsequent div -
iOa among tho States Tho taE-ioycr an. the land .
power Che srgusd) stand totally dHesen ground. ]
congress IS invesei with power 80 lay all collect 4
taxes dacs. iniosi-, and excise. ray the debts and
prov de or the defence and ycucra welfare of
Ihc Uniied States The purpose OF the revenue inns
derived are specifically defined, AMI d-ri,niion - not
among the specified PURPOSES Congress. therefrs
cannot cons tuonaly impose tixcs f,r dis,r,hnt, A
TO tAc phsase general welfare" Mr. G. said IL was
now perfectly settled that u conveyed no power bui
simply designated the Siject OF the revenue n Was
otherwise with the land power Congte., wa. e,n.
powered 10 "4isPa.s uf tho territory or oher prapsry
without restriction
There view which Mr. C presented anil
dwell upon with powerful effect. Pow,r, in tie
country he sad was divided beiw ths State Gov.
eTnineni and the General government. Thus com,ier
in'chinery acted upon the people. In adams
ering. each Of these agents aIIha nc,,le within
ats sphere. should lrus; az g. DO the mo
g0od and tho lcas; harm To tho People Now il,
STATE had no power 10 Las any ipplS dutics Ba,
revenue was easiest collected IN that form of asses.
saent No State can FAX luXurics; the General Gov.
! crnmeni can. Oughi we not then To nav ih. Jeb
(i1r Mr. c. argued. onl hiak. proved tbat under
The terms Of the deed, ofceceSsioi il vs. NJ debt) y,b
we owe 10 the State for their dslri5sve share Of the
pGule lanisl 1.-Two wi hhold IL. whit i, the couss
qnoacef Take the case for example u; Illinois. IIor
annual portion ',Oull be about 81 OF 600 five nay
mat 70 Ter wi, relieve the people ol that State f
slO! ooO ofdirec aEatou chei!, Land iaI, the mosi
ouricnSome Of all taxes. Olght not ;he General Gov
cTnm,nt, iheR 20 assign the States the land find
and re.nH TO that p,wer which has. which IA, States
have no.. ~ supply tbs wants OF The Treasury fuIn
foreign luIurirs.
Nc Clay denied that there ever cIiste, my purpose
Of assuming Stale deh, " could not be ,lrne The
inequality OF ;e Of those debts and the ,oni
freedom OF mlny OF the sttes from all debt rendered
s1eh proposition wholly uuienable lie conceived
that 'he payment 0f debt which we we'd them was
widely different from assumption Of theft debts.
lie condemned ia srong the negl'iye proppsi.
tion introduced al the last session against the usIu
iion. IL was grair iious wanton, ard unnecessary Il
had injured, beyond all doubt. the credit ol the States
al moment when several of them were strugg ms
under uneIamplcd difficulties, brought upon ,hen IA
the andble effort to improve their respective terrific
, ries,
air Clay showed how dis,ivaut,gcou.lv we nov,
carry on the trade with France Oar iuiperrs .ccor
diHg to The last commercial RETAIN. cIceep-d our OF
ports Of native produce France about seventeen
est value 10 maierial We receive her luIurie,
froc and she leves du,y oftwcuiY francs 10 the hup
. area kiogFainhes Oh our c"'"s; that - nearly two
cents per pound at the pr, sen, price 81 eUion,
Mr {. sad he friendly the trade will France
IL al his instance that di.sfisninato had besp
introduced ia favor ofths silks france against those
OF China. But he wished see the trad. on some
.OCsing OF more reciprocity.
Ia pssslHg, Mr. Clay paid n high compliment 10 Lon.
IL Phi!hppo lie had seen with regret an ntiniAon
OF doubt NJ 10 the validity O his rIe TO the hrne of
, France, 10y venerable AMI dsiinS uished country.
inan OF ours. AGer the Revolution OF 1889, On which
our immortal friend LAFAYETTE bore such salinrui
! Var) by which Louis Philippe was paced on the
ihrone; after eleven years OF subsequent
by Franae Ar Clay said ne thought his tile was quIle
rs good ~ that OF any other EnropIan monarch or a.
any which the accident of birth csad confer lie had
IN uIc md OF great political smbarra,sInents and CT
IsanrIn1ry personal pcrls. conducted himse it'll firm
ness, wisdom and moderation.
Tan we stand distilled TO consccnccs and 10 on
country he asked, in permitting hose ioroign Injuries
70 dram Is OF AL our specie. cnl IN refusing ay
seasonabls duty upon them and thereby enable VA 10
iiorI saeh as.lstincs 10 the States they will Derive
irOm Their respective quotas OF The land fund.-
}, There were persons uho seemed To derive pleas
"fe rom me contemplation of The sPerIcs Oft State
4 'ionh"g iia public engagements. They haze capital
ISIS more hGn they are disposed 10 cherh The rood
faith and honor Of the States Such spectacle uould
excite IN lns (Air Co bosom nothing but the rnos
, painful emotions No State. part OF the counIry
could be dsonored without affecting more or !ess the
whole. National character. national honor nsfion,l
glory was an aggregate, Of which the elements were
e charncier the honor, tbs glory OF the States and Of
individuals. The whole cannot stand pure and nm
blenishsd whilst the paris contaminated no more
than that tae paris should remain uUtarni,haJ ils
The whole should be dshonorsd and degraded
On the power OF distribution, Mr. argun.nt 49,,
unansweFabe. lie showed that, by the very term. OF
the deeds Of cessiOn, in consequence Of a change Of
is lon o. ernmont upon the adoption Oflhe no
Consiitnlion distribution, and nothing but disribulon
would satisfy the intent and purpose o The deed. The
deeds originally contemplated separate s.signtnsr,
70 each State IN Tho form Of a credit agans; its IRA
'cfood quota of ITS portion sf tho land fund n, he
J. ne" constitution Tho rule Of Taxation 10 changed from
the Siaics ~ the People. The measure of en t from
ihe land fund 10 he in proportion Ia tho roa,s,.
OF burden from the imposition the siate.' ouoto
The latter Is lost. and what remains for Congress ~ h
Dat TO distribute the fund upon the just and equal ,uo
Of cderal numbsrs9
Il was to bo a common fund Ir,dc, 4, .,.,.r, -,
: dislri5uiioni 10 will not no g common fund
4 one power one villa will direct. control and admin
seF The estate The title and the administration will
remain ~ The hands Of the General Government The
uNsion among The States is only form Of distrb,,
hon. Congress distributes when IL eroenJ. itsoIr,h
ironoY. II tho fund assigned 10 another nsonl.
Ihan those Of the United States IL would n diasrsn,
Us' Oul ths same people receive The benefit Of The
iN' wiener u IS used m current expenditure or /.
dispensed through tho Intermediate agency of Sto,s
, Governments. The only question should be, which
TORN Of disbursement achieves the most goodi
Tossing from the deeds Of eession 10 The cIauso m
Tie Constitution, Mr. Clay commended that that c,v.
90 LOUISIANA and floTids. and perhaps also the land.
euo'u py me SIsiss. The power complete, plen.
airy, and perfectly unrestricted
lie showed m passing thn Afr Virgins account
OF charges against lilo public doiaan va. itror,sc.
mat no put IN too many Items Of debit and Ie ont loo
many Just credits Why should the Public Lands be
subject 70 tho charge Of maintaining our In5,n -
mons Two did not own a fIO, Of public land b,n.o
n.y. peace and policy would prompt ne to incur ihs
'haigss 10 which those relations subject rs On ts
oiher hand he said NJ Wright giyesno credit Cr 10
'.'i5Ny OF b'u''iana hnI Florida; Tor tho re-.