Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-06-26

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deliberated upon it attentvely and anxiously.-
What report did he make upon il? lfuninform.
ed upon the subject, Mr.. President, after witness.
ing during these two days, the patriotic socitude
OF the Senator in respect to the revenue dervable
from the public lands, you would surely conclude
that he had made decisive Of not indignant re.
port against the wanton waste Of the public lands
by the graduation bill. | am sorry TO say that he
made no such report. Neither did he make an
elaborate report to prove that, by taking off fifty
cents per acre on 100 millions OF acres, reducing
two. fIths Of their entire value, the revenue would
be increased. Oh no, that was a work
he was not prepared to commit even to his
logic. He did not attempt 10 prove that. But
what did he do? Why, simply presented verbal
compendous report recommending that the bill
do pass! "A general taught And yet that Sena-
Tor can rise herein the light Of day-in the
face of this Senate-in the face OF his country,
and in the presence OF his God-and argue for re-
tanning and outstanding the public lands to raise
revenue from them!
But let US follow these revenue gentlemen a
little further. By one Of the strangest phenome.
ma in legislation and logic that was witness.
ed those very Senators who are so utterly opposed
to the distribution Of the proceeds Of the public
lands among all the States, because it is dstribu.
tion are themselves for all other sorts Of dstribu.
tion-for cessons, for pre-emptions, for grants to
4 the new States to aid them in education and i'm.
provement and even for distribution OF the proceeds
Of the public lands among particular States. They
are for distribution in all conceivable forms and
shapes, so long as the lands are to be gotten rid
Of, To particular persons or particular States
But when equal, general, broad and Just dis.
trbuon is proposed, embracing all the States,
they are electrified and horror.struck. You may
| LEI ;hnta diStri bute
long as you please, and as much as you please,
but not among all the States.
And here, Sir, allow me to examine more mi
nutely the project Of cession, brought forward as
the rival OF the plan of distribution.
There are upwards Of one billion Of acres oil
public lands belonging TO the United States, stu.
aed within and without the limits Of the States
and Territories, stretching from the Atlantic
Ocean and the Gulf Of Mexico 10 the Pacific;
they have been ceded by seven Of the thirteen old
e States to the United States, acquired by trea
ties with foreign Powers The Senator from
South Carolina (Mr CALHoUN) proposes by his
bill to cede 100 100000 acres OF this land to the
e nine States wherein they lie, granting to those
e States 35 per cent, and reserving TO the United
States 65 per cent Of the proceeds of those lands
o Now what wish to say, in the first place, is,
that, if you commence by applying the principle
OF cession to the nine land States now in the I'm.
y ion, YOU must extend it to other new States, as
e they shall be, hereafter, from time TO time, admit
ted into the Union, until the whole public lane
S is exhausted You will have 10 make similar ces
l. sions to Wisconsin, to Iowa, to Florida, Gin two
m States perhaps, at least in one,) and so TO ever
n new State as it shall be organized and received
D. How could you refuse When other States TO tn
~ north and 10 the west OF Missouri, Arkansas lo
=, wa, and Wisconsin, to the very shores Of the Pa
j. cifc shall be admitted into the ConCederacy, vii
g. you not be bound by all the principles Of equat
and. justice to make to them respectively simila
is cessions Of the public land, situated within thei
u limits, TO those which you will have made to tn
g. nine States. Thus your present grant, althoug
~ extending nominaly to but 160,000,00 acre:
l. virtually and by inevitable consequence, embrs
ces the whole OF the public domain. And 20
besow gratuity Of IS per cent. Of the proceed
90 Of this vast national property upon portion
at the States, to the exclusion and to the pre- udic
~ OF the Revolutionary States, by whose valor
VI large part Of it was achieved.
&c Will the Senator state whence he derives tt
Va power 10 do this? Will he pretend that it is
VI cover the expenses and charges Of managing an
'e administering the public lands? On much Il
- greater part, nearly the whole, OF the 100 mi
ID lions OF acres the Indian title has been exit
'eS guished, and they have been surveyed. Nothir
Az but trfng expense is to be incurred on either
ys those objects; and nothing remains but to sell Il
ne land understand that the total expense Of So
W and collection is only about two per cent. VIII
60, what are the charges? There is one per cent.
ave lowed by law to the receivers, and the salaries
ol the registers and receivers in each land distri
not with some other inconsderable incidental cha
Vi ges. Put all together, and they will not amou
sci three per cent the aggregate Of sales. Th
pe, the Senator is prepared to part from the title al
IAN control Of the whole public domain upon the
:, terms! To give thirty five per cent. to cover
u!d expenditure not exceeding three! Where do
the he get power to make this cession to partlcul
- States which would not authorize distribute
nat among all the States? And, when he has fou
IN the power, will he tell ME why, in virtue Of
OF and in the same spirit Of wasteful extraVagan
NIL or boundess generosity he may not give to I
The new States instead Of 35 per cent, fifty. eigh
cen or hundred! Surrender at once the whole pr
rice lie domain to the new States? The percenta!
oil proposed TO be allowed seems to be founded
has no just basis, the result Of no official data or
mat cuation, but fixed by mere arbitrary discretion
orm should be exceedingly amused to see the Ser
oil tor from South Carolina rising in his place, a
rom maintaining before the Senate an authority
the Congress to cede the public lands to particu
mas States, on the terms proposed, and at the sal
ol time denying its power to distribute the procet
ing equally and equtably among all the States.
S Now, in the second place, although there i
IoV- nominal reservation OF 65 per cent Of the p
DIS ceeds to the United States, in the sequel, VI
= tuge to predict, we should part with the whole.
ple You vest in the nine States the title. They
ded to sell the lands and grant titles 10 the purch
ing ers Now what security have Won for the lai