Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-11-23
RICH Mo N ID:
TUESDAY MORNING.. soynMpnn an.

ID else our privilege OF accompanying them with f.
n comments.
Al Two subjects seem to have engaged the spec
consideration OF the meeting the Distribute
IS Act, aud the resumption of specie payments. +
Distribution Act is denounced in sweeping tern
A rs unjust, unwise and unconstitutional" But no
n or wherefore, 1t 10 unjust unwise and uneonstit
a ''onal, We are no, informed. The ipH diri Of Il
meeting, Is the sole authority for that-which no,
{ ever, Is by no means conclusive with us. FIR,
respecting the alleged iaj.sHes of distributing u
, Land Fund among the States. To VIII ION 10 il VI
Jnatf Not TO tho States, who are merely rsceivir
thst, which under tho deeds OF ceSsion 10 their du
Not to the Federal Government, in surrenderins
'nnd, which only held in trust for another L
whom else can IL be uniust1 These ats tho onl
parteS-it may operate hard upon the FEEDERS
Government 10 pay its debts at this lin,e in con.s
quenee OF tho straits to which It has been reduce
by the ProhSa.e exravasanee OF the late Admin
straton but the exacIon OF the debt 10y the credi
TOT does not argue mi Lsiice. But whilst the Act II
itself, IS most maofesily just IN principle, IT.
justice Is best determined by references To the an
/ tasonisi propositions The chief OF these-s,
was most clearly demonstrated by MI. Rives-
is tae estfion scheme Of MIR. Calhoun, or wis,
amounts 10 the thing, the Graduation
scheme OF Mr.. Benton. The idcn Of retaining III ,
fund in the Federal Treasury TO meet Federal ex.
psndures, hA. long been abandoned by all par
ties in the country. IL was expressly repudia,ed
by Gen. Jackson; and even during the Extra Sss.
son, !, was discarded by the whole Loeofoco party
IN the Senate, who supported proposition to sci,
aside this fund fnr building ships, dock yards for
tihea'lons, sc. But this was 4 mere fetch, and so
sn,tff I'D -. h,.N G.
co Senators from the West, who distinctly arowed
their determination to have the whole. This is the
rival scheme TO tina; OF the D,slrb ulion Bill Thi.
seheme, which gives 20 a part what belongs TO the
"hoie, 10 that, the justice of which are required
10 commend. That such project should have an
advocate IN one of the "Od 49," is only to be &C
counted Tor by supposlng men to be the dupes of
the crosses; patty tousion.
As to the constItutons;ity Of tho Ac,-it i, mar
vicious how any man could doubt, and 1t ina sub
Jeci otspeeiaI wonder how any Jackson-van Buren,
man could muster the brass to deny it, Tn, Con-
sinuiIon Is express and direct upon the subject IL
says:
The Congress shall have power to dispose OF.
and make all needul rules and regulations re,pect
ing the territory or other property belonging to the
oh'ed States and nothing in this Constitution shall
oe 50 construed as to prejudice any claims OF the
Oh'ei States or q. any particular State"
inns vests full and absolute discretion in Con.
sres'-suoJect TO no other restrictions than those
contained IN the deeds of cession. These last de.
clare, 1--WE copy from the Virginia Deed,) that
AL the lands thereby ceded shall be considered as
common fund for the use and benefit Of su.b 9Th.
United States as have become or shall become.
members Of the confederation or federal alliance Of
the sad States, Virginia inclusive according TO their
usua! respective proportions in the general CHARGE
and expenditure, and shall be faithfully and bona
noe disposed OF for that purpose, and for no other
use purpose whatever"
The act OF iasi session was in strict conformity
with this limitation and the foregoing provision of
'he constitution Bui there are SONS politicians
(and may 6e that those in Pow halan are of this
Glass; who have more faith in men than thew have
IN the Constitution. For their benefit we give an
extract from the Message OF General Jackson in
'32--an authority, which no man Of that meeting
dare question. Here is his distinct and emphatic
language:
Among the interests which merit the consde
tauoh oil Congress- after the payment of the public
ueOi, Nwar debit one Of the most important in nv
we" Is thal OF the public lands. Previous TO the
iOrmauon oi the present constitution, II was recon-
hended oyCOnsTess, that a portion of the waste
!auds, owned by the States should be ceded TO The
United States, for purpose, OF general harmony,
and as ilnc 10 meet the expenses OF the war
The recommendation was adopted and AT different
periods OF time, the States oi Massachusetts Con
necIicnt, New York, Virginia, North Carolina. s
CaToi'na AMI Georgia. granted their vacant soil Tor
the uses Tor which u had bsen asked As the ia nd,
may now be considered as relieved from the pedse
the object for which they were ceded having been
accomplished, II Is IN The discretion OF Congress 10
dispose OF them, and in such way as best 10 conduc.
TO the quiet harmony, and general interest Of the
hmefesa people In examining this question, all
loca! and sectional feeling should DE discarded and
ths whole United States regarded as one people in
tsTssled aIhe IN the prosperity oil their common
country. IL seems to be our true no
iIcy, that The public lands shall cease a. soon as
Practicable, 10 be source Of revenue and that
they be sold TO settlers IN limited parcsls At a tTc.
barely suihcent TO reimburse 10 the Uhited States
! the ex Dense OF the present system and the coz;
arising under our Indian compac.s."
The Jackson COMMITTEES in the Senate at TINT
time, thus responded &c the sentiments OF the Mes
sage:
The Committee turn with Confidence from land
O'h'e' 10 the Custom House, aud sry, here are the
true sources OF Federal Revenue Give land to the
e1'tEa'ot toll him to keep his money, and Law II
out IN their cultivation"
Ii there be any virtue in consistency. these GEN
temen are then utterly orecosed from u,,ering
word Of objection TO any disposition of the public
lands by Congress-urless they take refuge behind
the "re'ched bubble OF Mr. Calhoun, that Congress
may give all the lands % few States; but it IS
unconstitutional TO distribute the proceeds Of sales
among the whoIei
The wisdom Of distributing this fund eaui,ably
among the States, admits OF no discussion. If il be
as II ~ clearly shown to be, Just and constitutional
The fund is necessary TO many States, to enable
them to preserve their public faith; it can be empov.
ed prohla0iy by oil, ~ periocuDg Improvements and
educating the peope.
Touching the other subject dwelt upon bv the
meeung-Ihe resumption specie payments by the
banks-we have but a word to say. We leave
this matter to the Locos-but we desire fair pav.
DO any Of these gentlemen, who insist up5n the
Banks resuming, owe those institutions any ,bing7
DO they owe any one, who owes the Banks7 ITso
Ills but right and proper, that they make paymen,
/ iorihwilh-that they do equity before they exact
/ II! Andnre they aware that the State has borrow.
ed largely Of the Banks-to the tune Of two OF
three hundred thousand do larsl Are they pre-
pared TO pay their portion Of this debt in the shnp,
Of increased toIesl Let them do II, and then they
may, with some prophecy, hwrah for Resumption.
Some suggestions TO this effect, which We threw
out few days since, we arc glad 70 see, have no
r been without influence upon our neghbor Of TN