Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-07-03


in my colleagues amendment That rule
is founded on Federal numbers, which arc
made up of all the inhabitants of the Uni
ted States other than the slaves, and three
lifths of them The South, surely, should
be the last section TO object to distribution
founded on that rule And yet, if right
ly understood one of the dark illusions of
the Senator from South Carolina, (Mr.
CALHoUN) he has attempted to excite the
jealousy of the North on that very ground.
Be that as it may, can conceive of no rule
more equitable than that compound one.
and think that will be the Judgment of all
parts of the country, the objection of that
Senator notwithstanding. Although slaves
are, in limited proportion, one of the
clements that enter into the rule. it will be
reColIeCtcd that they are both consumers
and the objects Of taxation.
1t has been argued that since the fund
was to be a common one, and its admins
tration was to be by the General Govern
mcnt, the fund ought to be used also bv
that Government to the exclusion of the
States separately. But that is a non Scgui-
tUr 1t may be COMMON fund.- a common
title, and a common or single administra-
ton; but is there any thing in all that, in
compatible with a periodical distribution of
the profits of the fund among the parties
for whose benefit the trust was created!
What is the ordinary case of tenants in
common! There the estate is common,
the title is common, the defence. against all
+ attacks, is common; but the profits of the
estate go to the separate use of. and are
edjoyed by, each tenant. Docs it therefore
cease to be an estate in common?
| Again. There is another view. 1t has
been argued, from the fact that the coded
lands in the hands Of the trustee were for
the common benefit, that that object could
be no otherwise accomplished than to use
them in the disbursements Of the General
Government that the General Govern
ment only must expcnd them. Now do
not admit that. In point of fact, the Gen
eral Government would cntinucto collect
and receive the fund, and as atrustec would
| pay over to each State its distributivc
share. The public domain would still re-
main in common. Then, as to the cxpen-
diturc, there may be different modes of
expenditure. One is, for the General Gov
ernment itself to disburse it, in payments
to the Civil list, the Army the Navy, &c
Another is, by distributing it among the
States, to constitute them so many agencies
through which the expenditure is effected.
If the General Government and the
State Governments were in two different
countries; if they had entirely distinct and
distant theatres Of action, and operated
upon different races of men, it would be
another case; but here the two systems of
Government, although for different purpo-
ses, are among the same people, and the
constituency of both Of them is the same.
The expenditure, whether made by the one
Government directly, or through the State
Governments as agencies, is all for the hap
pincss and prosperity, the honor and the
glory, OF one and the same People.
The subject is susceptible of other illus
trations, of which | will add one or two.
Here is fountain of water held in COM
mon by several neighbors, living around it.
1t is perennial fountain-deep, pure, co.
pious, and salubrious. Does it cease to be
common because some equal division is
made by which the members of each ada
cent family dip their vessels into it and take
out as much as they want! A tract of
land is held in common by the inhabitants
of neghboring village. Does it cease
to be a common property because each
viager uses it for his particular beasts
A river is the common highroad of navi-
cation to conterminous Powers of States
| Does it cease to be common because on its
bosom are borne vessels bearing the stripes
and the stars or the British cross? These.
and other examples which might be given.
prove that the argument, on which so much
reliance has been placed, is not well found
ed, that, because the public domain is held
for the common benefit of the States there
can be no other just application of its pro-
ceeds than through the direct expenditures
Of the General Government.
| might have avoided most of this con-
sumption Of time by following the bad cx-
ample of quoting from my own produc-
tons; and ask the Senate to excuse one
or two citations from the report made
in 1894, in answer to the Veto Message OF
President jackson, as they present a con,
denscd view of the argument which have
been urging. Speaking of the ccssior
from Virginia, the report says:
"This deed crer.tod a trust IN the U. States which
they are not ut liberty to violate. But the deco
does not req4ire that the f nd should be Gishurser
in the payment Of the expenses Of the Genera
Govern sent. 1t makes no such provision in eX
press terms, nor is such Il duty on the part Of th
trustee fairly deducibe from the language of h
Iced On the contrary, the language of the deed
seems to contemplate separate usr and enjOymen
of the fund by the States individually, rather thai
a preservation Of it for common expenditure. Tn
i IN no fur no M