Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-07-09

Although when the bill was first introduced, he talr
r had intended 10 have gone into full examination
Of tie questions growing out OF The distribution prn
ciuc vet they had been 50 July examined ny the gen
tsman who had preceded him, that II was unnecessary
20 do So lie had intended I" have examined The dls
,rhution principle as connected with its effects on thu
tariff uueston-in connection with The constitutional
question invoved-in connection with the peculia
praseooGy Of the compacts and deeds oil cesson, ant
with reference TO lis effects The State Rights prnci
ME But the gentlemen who had preceded HIM hat
rome 80 much into those matters, and the gentleman
from Virginia MR. Gilmer especially had so fully ex
dressed his (hIr. BIS views on most Of these points
that he should rbear 10 do so, particularly after the IN
timaon which had been given that II was the desire
on all hands that the vote should be taken this week
or about the first OF the next.
Starting then, at the outset with endorsing nearly
all the views presented by the gentleman who had just
preceded him in relation TO the merits Of the question
and endorsing all The views which that gentleman had
presented at the close Of his remarks relation 10
collateral question, he (Alr should proceed to ex
anime the details of the bill so far as they affected ms
own State lie had said that lie endorsed nearly all
the views Of the gentleman from Virginia IN relation TO
the merits of this bill SO lar AS he recoliected lhe
he endorsed all thuse views, save the declaration tat
in the event Of surplus, lie IN favor of disrbu-
ton He mir b reserved that for future exainna-
ton The Chairman knew all his (Alr b. 81 views IN
relation 10 these questions. lie was not prepared 10
saw thew had undergone any great change In the
| Chairman of the Committee served together there,
these things were fully discussed. lie (alr. BID
Iac did not endorse the statement, that the surplus,
if any, should be distributed, because he was orpo'
cod ~ my LEGISLATION that would produce surplus.
| He believed that Congress had no right TO enact laws
IN nroduce revenue greater than was required for the
economical administration OF the government and any
l,y which anticipated looked TO the accumulation
OF a surplus, lie believed TO be unconstitutional ne
believed bnt the revenues arising from the proceeds OF
,ho Gales nj The public domain, both as to that portion
nc i, which was acquired by deeds OF cession and 10
that portion of it which was acquired py purchase pc
Ionped legmaely 10 the revenue oil The General Co
yernment for the purpose of paying the current ex-
nensns of the Government; and that legislation
should be had further than to supply Deficiencies If
even under such legislation surplus should accrue, il
would then be time examine the constitutional ques
ton and the question OF expectancy bu' "suiilclcnt
unto the day was the evil thereof
He need not that this was not the present state
of the case On The very day on which the Chairman
of the Committee Public Lands introduced this BILL
The Chairman Of the Committee of Ways and Means
introduced another bill authorizing loan of Sl2 000,-
600 rredeemable for eight ten years and this too
upon the fact stated in the report OF the Secretary Of the
Treasury that in addition 10 the current wants of the
Government, there were outstanding something like
s. coo 900 of Treasury notes Now, us we had as yet
heard 10 explanation of the loan bill, he (Nr. b. was
not epared say whether any portion of the loan
was intended for the reduction of this of Trea.
sury notes. or for the purposes the expenses
Of the Government for the payment OF navy and other
PENSIONS and Tor the increase OF forttcauons. But, IN
round numbers, he took II that we had Se,GOO,OOO
ailoat and proposed TO borrow s;l20G0,DOO more,
and this made the aggregate sum of S20,OG0,000.
This was different TO the case Of lc33, when the
chairman of THIS committee introduced resolution
INTO the Legislature o Pennsy lvania tie following
words.
Mr.. Il. said he introduced this preamble and esolu-
ton for the purpose OF showing what were the views OF
the chairman and his party al that time, and 10 show
that they placed the proprlety Of distribution on The
same grounds which the gentleman from Virginia
MIR Gilmer SAID he would place distribution IN case
OF n surplus.
The Clerk then read the following preamble ana re-
solution:
Recitation r,iqfire distribution II hs sHpins
by The official statements from Tie Treasury De.
pancnt Ir United states il appears there VIII he an nna
ropria,rd balance the Treasury :" nineteen ni'"ns o. do"
. IT, ordinary enand Of The toseTnnrn And whereas
i. presumed ia wisdom Of Congress viii NJ" suffer that
fund the Treasury without drSsing means ~
which useful, employed Tor the benefit Of the people u
this And wcr, {! our SISTER STATES th! J" On
srr,s power 81 making internal Improvements
IN III; states, while all admit The power ana pro-
prey Of distributing lie surplus revenue amongst The rvtr
And proportion winch penh>y vaia wund b. e
tailed. should such distribution be made, would enable her -
II schools which would preclude tie Necessity Of taxa
Rsrd H. n, sfne.e and Nous n Representatives. ii
monrah u Pennsylvania General .7senbv ad That our =
nator in Congress Representatives be recommended 10
Use then influence procure passage Of iaw authorizing the
Distribution al surplus the several states,
III proportions number q mtmrs from each State III The
\ liu.>e Of Representatives, cf the nicd States
and, whereas the policy Of our Government 10 snatd
the increase # Executive patronage and especially
against accumulation II large It money ~ hr ifta
~, ,Tr ~,.n,. ,ii,r from III, ale, ii liz publ, land.
Ih ,nln puuery The wl regarded a source
If revenue wl ouG, be applied N The promotion =" td'a
ilom. y establishing system Of common St"" ~ ~ ~" WV
r,, If nlrrna! lmafos r"i, !" i" applied .! te .si'a
lures IL purposes =" Ednaliun Internal Imp "trin't- OF
such other WI best promote The % me sts'
\ le-lmcuvrh -. i. o, :, .., !,
our nnus- and If Congress- from Pennsi rani
coy of ilc Preamble aud Resolution and aeo 10 The
states, with request that they shail l."
state legislatures requesting their co"peiao
Mr. b. SAID he had wished these 10 be read IN or
der 10 show the grounds on which distribution was
placed in l-:,5 in the Legislature of Pennsylvania
namely that there surplus of $l9,O0OoGO IN The
Treasury and also, for the purpose OF bringing that
state Of things in contrast with the state OF things
which now existed, when, far from beng sur
plus of 9000,0GO, we had right 10 lnter deh'
cheney TO nearly that amount, mixing G'nerence IN
the state of the case of nearly S400OOo00 The char
man could not have forgotten that on that occasion
he mir. Bdlack) introduced an amendment 10 these
resolutions and in the preamble 10 that amendment,
sci forth tie fact that there then, as there was
now cause 10 suspect that would at no great Gis
lance of be called 10 resort to the ultimate remedy
among nations for violated rights lie had set form
tie fact that there prospect OF war with france
III consequence Of her refusal 10 pay the amount &C.
knowlcdgcd TO be due for French spoliations Such
4 prospect lie DcIcNcu t8lsltu d. h"t ''''e 49,
/ happened that the then Executive, with great deter
minacn. Lad been represented, said 10 France
'iBy the Eternal, you had better pay the money; and
il was paid, and the storm blew over. lie (Mr. -
would not therefore, ask the reading OF his preamble
but simply Of the resolution which accompanied IT,
The Clerk then read follows:
Rt,oiroi That the distribution If the proceeds arising rom Inc
sales oi the rThc lands belonging The United .aS W ~!
than that pointed above by inc ancient com
pact> which these very lands hodrn would r "lu
Illegal al and, Of the pr"hhne "hlthts
with foreign power above referred To- If not III violation OF soou
faith ehst rSpeilcnt and i'll advised ct thu tune i,
4 After few further comments on this branch OF the
subject
Mr. b. proceeded 10 examine the details OF the hill
in lis effects on the of Pennsylvania first re-
marking that, in addition 10 there being dehc IN le
Treasury at this time, and not surplus as IN lc''
! there now, also, as then prospect oil dhculiy
with foreign power; and stating, that IN view OF all
the circumstances of the case the resolutions INTRO
duccd into the Pennsylvania Legislature were Lard on
the table
| lie took this then evidence that the LcgIsla
ture Of Pennsylvania opposed TO Distribution and
he came down to The views of the people OF ms
own State, as more recently expressed, TO wit, during
off hr puslatnre last winter. lie would