The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-04-16

dollars, while the ordinary expenditure O
the government was more than double thi
amount. This administration also came int,
power without any surplus treasury, or banl
stock, or other cash resources on hand, ant
with diminishing revenue. From the oper
alton OF the compromise act, there will be
deduction of duties in December next o
more than two millions of dollars at once
land like further deduction within a feV
months afterwards, unless previously obviat
Led. The draw back system, in connection
with the tariff laws, demands revision C
lpreVent its becoming system Of bounties
Ichargeable on the treasury. And with de.
Ginning tariff on dutied articles, nearly hall
our lmportations, are duty free, or nearly so
including in the latter list, the heavy and
expensive Injuries of wines and silks.
suggest, therefore, if in a revision of the
tariff further revenue is wanted, whether
1t is not the most compatible with southern
interests that the increase be mainly derived
/ by duty on these two articles? And wheth.
er such duty. which has nothing protective
in IFS character, would not principally be
paid by the rich who consume most of these
articles? But, intending only brief sugges-
tons, and not an essay or argument. ! will
pass to my concluding remark on this head,
that the revision of the tariff at the called
session seems further indispensable, from its
connection with another subject next to be
considered of, viz: The distribution of the
proceeds ct the public lands among the
States. 4.tu
This is measure which, offered last whit
er, in restricted form, as a substitute for a
prospective presumption law, recorded my
vote against. But regard it as an ascer-
tanned fact, that, with or without the vote
of Mississippi it is to become law at the
called session. The states, or people Of the
states in majority, have decFeed this result
AS question of policy, have not been
able to attach so much importance to the
measure as most of its friends or opponents
generally do. It's simple truth, that il
we distribute these proceeds to the states,
We must make up an equal amount to the
general government, by. duties or otherwise.
If her necessities require it, which they Ger.
tainly do at present.: and if our revenue
was collected in the precise equality in
which this may be distributed, the result
would be, that we should give to a state a
certain amount in form of duties paid ON
goods, or some other mode of taxation.-
Some southern men apprehend, that to dis
tribute this fund will create necessity for
a tariff protective in IFS character. Bntmy
opinion is, unless the minimum of the COM
promise act is to be regarded as exception
able in this respect, that these apprehensions
are Misunderstanding that the fund so
distributed can be readily made up by duties
under that standard. But yet the question
Tecurs, of what good is such measured
Were citizen of South Corolina. and
speaking only with reference to her inter-
est, | could give but one answer to this
question, and that not particularly satisfac-
tory, namely, that the state would receive
its dlstributive portion, without direct tax
upon its citizens to obtain it, while the citi-
zens might more willingly submit to the
chance of its reimbursement to the general
government through the indirect process of
the customs.
But to Mississippi Louisiana, or Michigan,
an additional indictment is expected to be
presented beyond that which the old states
will contend for. The state of Ohio, beside
the sixteenth section Sor common schools,
has received for state purposes LAS, Os7
acres of land from the general government.
Indiana, illinois and Alabama have also re-
ceived about half million each. But Mis-
sissippi, in the mean time, has received only
ii, 800 acres-Louisiana even less, and
Michigan and Arkansas only about 100000
EACH Now this immense disparity in the
bounties of the general government to Ohio
and Mississippi, has long been cause of
murmuring and complaint with US, but with !
out any reasonable prospect Of redress, I'M
less through the medium of some such mea-
sure as may be, and is expected to be pro-
posed in this bill: there then PROFOUND the |
question; if in this PROJECT Of distribution
our state can obtain such preference and
concession in donation of lands, or some |
pei centum advantage in the dividend as shall
justly and fairly equalize her claims upon
the lberality of the government, with that
which has been conferred in lands upon the
state Of Ohio; and, in addition, perma-
nent prospective presumption system should
be engratted on the bill, would such mea-
sure be acceptable to the people Of Missis. |
sippR Without any strong prediction for
such ameasure, am disposed to believe,
all things duly considered, distribution bill /
Of this description would not probably be |
beneficial to our state. Beside several hun
dred thousand acres Of land, our state would /
receive in dividends from sixty to one hun
died thousand dollars annually, which alto
getheT, under our present state embauass- !