Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-08-10
FRIpAI, AueuSr 6, 1871.
IN SENATE.

coedings of Yesterday. AS the Reporter old hot
reach his position until thirty minutes after the
d,cussion commenced, he foTbeaTs TO give the pro-
Mr. HUNTINGTON, from the Committee on
Commerce, reported the following joint resolution;
R,solr,d by the Senate and House Of Representa-
fires of the United States Of 7merica IN Congress as
sembi,d, That the Secretary of the Treasury be,
and he is hereby authorized to cause the lsht-ooat
now stationed at Sandy Hook TO be removes, and
to be placed neir Battetps reel, on Long lsanu
Sound and TO cause the light boat now at Bartlotvs
reel To bo removed and placed near Execution rocks,
in Long Island Sound.
The Navy Pension bill was then taken NJ; anu
after a brief discussion on the amendment offered
by MIR Williams of Maine, relating to the inroduc-
ton OF a third section, going to repeal the act oi
1887, and making the amount OF pensions 10 WIZ
and children OF officers, seamen anu marines re-
cuating by the pay OF the Navy as u was IN MAY,
1886 IN which Messrs. MANGUM, WALKER
and WILLIAMS participated
The question was then taken on its adoption and
decided in the negative: Yeas ~, nays -;
MIR CALHOUN then moved an amendment, TO
strike out all after the word "now," and insert
provision that the widows and children oil oihceTs,
seamen, and marines, now on the pension roll, un'
der the act Of 1887, shall receive their pensions un
I'll otherwise directed by law; but none shall Oe
hereafter added 10 the roll, under SAID act or any
other, except those of April %, $500, and January
-, 1918, and the second section Of the act OF 9TH
March, 1874.
MIR c. said i, must be admitted on all hands that
the pension law Of 1887 not only wrong IN
principle but fraud on the pension FUND.- and went
on to show the defects OF the law and the abuses
which had crept in under II.
The question having been taken on the amend
ment il was negativad: YEAS 30, nays 81.
MIR BUCHANAN then offered an amendment.
which was adopted, TO str Ike out tho words until
otherwise directed by lnw," and insert the words
'.until the close Of the session OF Congress-
And the bill was then ordered TO be enssossed.
THE LAND BILL.
The land bill from the House, as proposed to oe
amended in the Senate, was taken up; when
MIR SMITH, Of Indiana, the chairman oi the
Committee on the Public Lands, rose and addressed
the Senate FOR upwards Of TWO hours presenting the
subject in a clear and strong point OF view. A brei
and imperfect sketch OF his speech is here given,
until the Reporter can write out the remarks IN
full.
MIR S. commenced by nlluding 10 his POSITION and
10 the fact that the committee had not made spe-
cial report, which he conceived made It his duty 10
present TO the Senate an Imphcaron of that action
Of the committee. He spoke OF the Importance OF
the subject in all its bearings, and the necessity for
deliberate action. He gave brief history Of the
origin OF the title OF the Government 20 the public
lands; said that they were derived from the cesSions
of States from the treaty Of peace at the close OF the
Revolutionary war, and from the purchases from
France ofLolisana and from Spain OF Florida. He
SAID that the lands, however acquired were subject
TO the Indian tile, which was merely right Of oc-
cupancy; that no power, except the General Gov
eminent, could extinguish that title; hence the
cessity for treaties.
Mr. s. examined the right of the Government to
the lands coded by the different States; said the
deeds ofceSson created trust discharge the debt
of the Revolutionary war, and when the de0t was
discharged, which had long since been accomplish
ed, the proceeds Of these lands ofrght belonged TO
the States AMI not TO the General Government
He read extracts from the Messages Of President
Jackson, reports Of committees and opinions Of 9TH
crs, sustain that view; maintained that the deeds
of cession, these agreements, were expressly re-
cognsed by the Federal Constitution, and that their
obligatory force was maintained by hatInstrumeni;
cited the deeds from North Carolina and Georgia,
both Of which, he said, were made after the adop-
ton Of the Constitution, and both OF which contain
ed language similar TO the language OF the deed Of
Virginia. He SAID that II was clear that the lands
were conveyed to n common head for separate
use, or why was the cedng State included, in terms
10y name, IN the use Virginia inclusive "Georsia
inclusive" These States were both members Of
the Union or Federal Alliance. Why did not the
deeds stop with n mere conveyance TO the Conede
ration or TO the General Government If no separate
use was to he created He asserted that the dis
tribulon OF the proceeds of these lands was subject
TO The demand Of the States through their RePresen
tulIves in Congress.
Mr. S next looked into the subject as to tho lands
not embraced by the deeds OF cessOn. He said
these lands came clearly within the prov .sIons Of
that clause iDthe Constitution which gives Congress
power TO dispose ofthe public property of the Uni
led States; maintained that the power this pro-
perry was ample and unlimited, except by Con-
gresssional discretion: that such had been the
whole course Of action since the General Govern
nent had taken jurisdiction of the public lands; point.
ed TO the compacis with the States, and the grants
of public lands for al the uses TO which they hod
been directed by Congress, as being alone based on
the unconditional and ample powers conferred upon
Congress over the subject by the Constitution. He
maintained that the power Of disposition over the
lands was a power over the funds arising from that
disposition, in the absorce Of constitutional drcc.
lion TO the contrary. In that respect he commended
that the proceeds Of the public lands differed from
agtr, II Inc
power was unconditional over the proceeds while in
the latter the use was expressly declared by The
Constitution.
Mr. S. arrived at the conclusion that Congress
vas bound TO distribute the proceeds Of the lands
covered by the deeds OF cession, ard OF liberty
under sound discretion, 20 Dis rIOutc the proceed
ofthose not embraced 10y those deeds. He urged
the eIpedIency OF the 10y oil the considera.
tons that belonged TO the subject. lie examined
the position that he said ha1 been urged by Sena-
tors and others, that the public lands IN debt
to the Government upon an account stated. He
showed from tables, estimates and calculation, that
the lands were over 500 1000 creditor even in
peCuhlaTy point Of lie read the report Of MIR
King, Of Alabams, mode IN 1899, showing the gross
OF the charges that had been made against the
public lands stated that taking the estimate Of Mr.
King and The table OF the slles Of the public lands
since that time the credit side OF the account and
deductlng the just charges against the lands since
that time, the result would be found as he had sta
ted IT, lie read tables 10 show the amount received
from the sales the present quantity and situation Of
the public lands aud said he thought he sales nigh,
average S3,OO0,OOO annually.
Mr. 5. examined tho position that had been, he
said commended for by the opposition 10 distribution
that the proceeds Of the public lands should con.
tnue 70 form a portion Of the general revenue. tie
denied that doctrine showed that II had been given
up by President jackson aud others cOnlendei
that the public lands could never be looked TO as a
permanent source Of revenue that the sales were
TOO huc'unung and uncertain, ranging from $3.50.
Ill 10 25,l6I ,-33 year. lie hfa been informed
that II was part Of tho compronisc act that the
tariff should he brought 10 tho revenue standard
without the aid Of the land funds, and that iulorm1
ton was greatly strengthened by the fact that the
land bill was passed before the compromise act OF
1888.
lie next noticed the objection that the distribution
was fortho benefit of Buiiah holders OF S,1fs prp34
said those who assumed that position did 10 up,p
the hypothesis that the indebted States would provo
fsthess % their creditors without they received thsf,
share OF tho land fund, Ju' h The distribution g. ok
place, they would maintain their honor lie com
tnentod az large this view OF the case and 1rgu.
cd It's absurdity. he maintained that the States
were entitled 20 their just rights, although DO mI,bt
AID them IN paying part Of their debts; and he
CnysI not the American citizen who desired 10 sec
either the States dshonorod or their people ground
Co the earth 10y direct taxation said the debts Of
the States were once paid directly by Congress.
and he vas surprised to see Senators whose States
had received DE benefit Of that payment, Mortified
now lest the states might pay some part Of the mo.
ney distributed 70 their creditors n leu Of Irrrras
ing the taxes on their citizens said D. was no tsr
ton m hs mind that justice and relief were united In
the measure.