Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-24
RICH MON ID:
rI.IpA1 MomNINn. pEcEMmrn q.
Dis rRIBUTIoN ACT.

submitted to the Senate, TUESDAY lss,, by Mr. Linz
| OF Missouri:
A b;l 10 repeal the distribution sections Of the ac
| e"uued AN act to appropriate the proceeds o.
the ssIcs OF the pne!ic lanjs, and to grant pre
| caption r'rh,'," approved the eth day OF SEN
temoer, 1871; ard In lieu Of the distribution 81
the land revenue therein proposed, 10 3 edge th,
! Same 30 the common defence OF the Union.
| BE it on'cted by the Senate and House Of Repre-.
s-nia;ivcs oi the United States of America in Con.
gress assembled, That ta- hr-I second third fourth
h0h, and sixth sections OF the act aforesaid being
- much thereof as prusnies for distribution Of the
nubIc land revenue among the States and Terrific.
RES, and the District of Columbia shall be- ard the
same hereby are, repealed.
SEC. 2. And he it further enacted, Th,t f. ON nd
aher the passlr OF this act, the proceeds OF the
sales OF the public lands 81 f,r ~ the same shall
not bc needed to dcIrIY tn expenses or To pay the
deb;s OF the GtreIal Government, snail be- and the
stms arc thereby, pledged to the common defence OF
the Urion. and shall bc hi hfully -p,li,d to that
'JeCi, from u"o 10 unir, according t. the plans vi
t~'-rcc which Congress shall ADOPT, unuI the u
States arc placed ~ that state OF rencih and secu-
my which - Que 10 the honor aud irde OF
the counry, and TO the protection of the rights and
interests OF as cisen'. And shall nc the duty OF
the SECRETARY OF the Treasury, At the commence
ment "tvesh stated session Of Congress TO eorl TO
each House OF Congress tho amount of the nett pro
cecis OF the HcJhc lands fyr FAC cIrrcnt year. and
wEich were not TcguI'ei u de'rly the exreRscs or
- pay tic LshiS ~ the Caited States, anu tho
| amounts 81 reported hall be- ard the same hereby
-, appropriated 20 proriduc such mern.. and con-
srjcIng snch weeks OF pubIc d, fence, 5y lard aud
waier, rs th-n may be IN progress, % which Cnu-
gees snail o-eC AVID DIR, CT; and such rpr,prtituns
shc' ennInu" U"ts' he offences of Tie Union snail
be completed, and shall he IN adiiIn TO the Ordinary
'nrua! appropriations toe So N objects
Without considering, ;or the present, the counter
scheme here proposed, let us advert, for moneut,
/ tn the measure proposed 10 be abroca:cd.
/ isuntcn'et, and und tile, that the reverue
arising fson the sales o. pablo lands, occupies a
different footing from that accruing from other sour
ces. THIS IS regulated and controlled by the orsi-
nal compact between the cedirs STATES and toe Fe.
! derai Govecnment-f:nm when II derived It's cxs.
| ienec. Tie LANDS were surrendered 10 the Genera,
Government upon certain spe- .i-i condiliors-the
/ esdlrs ones ~ which were iha, the proceeds were
TO nc applied To the liquidation o: tie National
Debt, contracted m the war OF Independence, and
"itcr Tint sTea; objrct accomplished TO h, con.
sids'ed common fund foc the use and Lentft Of
| the Sr 80. So ran lie Deeds Of C-ss.on. by
virtue of winch alone, the Fejer,I Government,
obtained any control over the SUI j-ct. Tie words
. OF tie Virginia D,'d are direct and ,sp'ici, |,
shall no, III y be commo. Fund for the ter.f, OF
all the States, but shall aesrue II them "ace,. div
charge aad srP'nIii"e,' obviously contemplate
di>lr0uuon,) and for no O.er Uss pu' pose uhai
crsr." THIS vast iund, thus surrendered Tor a sec.
Gifted pu,pass, and upoo stipulated terms. has dis
charged the de0t Of the Revolution Al: the deut Of
tne late War. hssoon rs Lis rs: dc5; was loui.
dated, the p~oae 5sc-n 10 tuFi their eyes to the
original corCiicns Of the ces,ior sfd every on. Of
he "Oli Thirteen" ard several Of the New Si.,ss
have der'n'ej Of Congress an equitable distribu.
lion OF this Fund, according the terms and sririr
Of the grant. Legislature alter Leg Stature ,duptc:
resolutions, ins;racinS .keir Representatives to
press the subject, and finally hill, in accordance
with the popular wish, passed both Houses Of
Congress, 10y overwhelming and unprecedented
n.aI1Tr.c5. |. failed 10 become 4 !Iw by the arbi
trary conduct Of Gen. Jackson. Tn.t despot.
<ncwi":, If lac returned It w::h his vc,o, th,t II
~on'd pass by the constitutional msJori,y Of 2-3L,
Of both Hrusss-so strong aUi decided was th,
popular feeling Irto his pocket ard mach.
ei II 10 Tennessee, and nothing more was heard
OF 1t, un.iI the mex, Session CT Congress. The un
fortunate hold which that Old man had upon the
people, ard the nElsnce Of his vast ra,,onsse
enabled him 10 5, ar the poru feeling for a season
-bu; soon It burst f,-:h a-l'", and con:rib.,,I to
! the overthrow Of hs puay successor. After
struggle Of ten years, the people succeeded in elect
ing an Executive md Congress, pledged to cary
on. this wis", 5an,fceu: and long desired measure.
! There wishes were Crat.h;d. TIE lcng-vexed cues
ton was seiI!,d. But now, before tie law beki,s
TO operate, and its bcnef-i, results to be rea.
lIzed, It's refsa Is demanded Ivy the sane racti,n-
ISIS who were but So recently overwhelmed
by The people for resisting It's adoption
IL is not pretended, tksI il was hastily or in
considerably adopted No such pre.exI can be
alleged. Never has any pablo measure Undergone
30 thorough scrutiny at the he nts Of the public
IL va, discussed by The people themselves Tor years
it Sds discussed by Co1zrsss-it was discussed
by a., Ire a.e Lesi'!I'uFe- in tbs Union, and il
was deliberately nuhsJ. The concurrent ssn,i.
men' of The coun.ry pronounced !; good, md 70 he
demanded allie ny tho best interests OF the people
nni he Government. In fac, It ceased to be
subject Of Controversy, at least, far rs the funda
mental p-incip'' WIS invovsd- =. that il wsss
fund, ~h.-L could properly b. consumed n the |
ordinary expenses ofhc Government. Even this * /,
udmius nov ard IN bill, copied above, by those
VINO -etk to divert it from its legitimate destination
In Wrestling {; from III. States, they have not the
harih1od to claim tia; II shall d. dsburssd in the
ordinary expenditures. not must, by their own /
showing, be appropriated to a particular object, /
which they are pleased toca,l "tle common defence
Of the Union" Tha, is It nay 30 ,qlnndcred by |
Fedsral agents upon Light Houses in the skies and
military posts beyond the Rocky Mountains! Tai.
IS IN subsistence The substitute proposed for the bene.
hcsnt oct to which embarrassed pope, in the
midst Of their Jis'rcs'ss. nave looked Tor relief
For our P1u', we have supported this measure
Tor multiplicity Of re Sons, any one Of which was
sufficient to justify It's wisdom and expsdieney. in
the frs, Place, j. was j@'L The fund belonged !
20 the States, and the Federal Government had no
right to Wi:bholJ II from them. Til, II itself is
conclusive, and oyerrueS OIL considerations OF rn,r.
sIprdisncy, which might be urged nga.nt the mea.
sure. In the ssooud Place, Il Was b,n,fcent and
Wiz, IN tI,en'in: most important relief 10 the
STATES ~ period Of general and vide snr,ad en-.
tarra'smcr 10 The tti.d place u tended to curtail
The patronage q ihe Federal Goyernmont--For
according 10 DunnInR aud The enlightened Liberals
Of England, patronage IS IN proportion To s1psndi.
lures. aud Government waste always keeps pace
with The means Of INDUCING u. Therefore, by
dIyssting thc Federal Government Of this fund, 10
thD. extent wa ne patronage diminished. II was,
moreover, the strongest State Rights measure, which
hos received Tho sanction Of Congress for many
years. To the theoretical State Rights men-the
petty csvii.sU, who cannot understand how a def
cit can be- distributed this may be Incompetent
O.. o.. ....t.r.I CT. ..L,.