Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-06-01

to the sum of S56,o50,753 Ot
Being less than the amount received
in the five years covered by these
first four land bills by the sum of 22aG 673 0:
If, then, the received by the States under tho
deposite law Of 1885, was greater than the nett pro
ceeds Of the lands for these five years. it will not be
pretended that any other FIVE years could hare been
or can now be selected, which will produce more ia
vorab,e result for the distribution interests. compa
rson from the records will establish the gfacts
The expenses Of the General Land Office Of Tie loca
land Offices, of the Surveyor Generals Offices Of sur
reys, including all salaries, commissions and cont,n
gent expenses of commissions to settle land claims
and the five per cent. 10 the States, for thu
five years IRON 1888 to 1887 inclusive,
amounted TO S5,3Gs,s43 Il
The amount actually expended in the
Indian Department during the same
five years, as asccrtaned from the ap-
preparations and accounts, exclusive Of
Indian wars and the suppression of In
dian hostilities, was 1S,1i3,3I4 9.
The value Of Indian annuities created,
and stipulated By treaties to be paid dur
ing that five years, estimating the an-
nutes for terms Of years ct their actu-
al amount those for life at twenty.nne
years. and those which perpetual as
capital which invested al five per cent.
will produce the annuitIcs, 1888, 100 20
The value of the annuities resting
ncncement Of five years, and which
could not produce aen proceeds until
those debts were discharged, was Co.., 695 00
The amount If the money paid 10 The
States under the tcposlte act Of 1880,
was 2s,l0l GA o.
These together, make total OF g. c22,s7o GU
The gross receipts from the lands for
the five years, as has been shown,
amounted to 1921, 426 ca
Thus showing a deficiency in the
cepts 10 meet the payments for account
of The lands for the period, TO discharge
the liabilities contracted for and rest
ing upon the lands, and 10 make the
payments 10 the States, which
actually made under the deposte act,
or the sum of S5,573,4 52 81
These charges and payments, for the five years, may
seem large, and they So; but II must not be forgot
ten that while sold lands rapidly during that
Hated and specializing period, also purchased ra-
pIdly from the Indians; and an examination Of the
Of the Government will show that more
Indian title Was eStingus!ed, and greater number
of Indians were removed West Of the Mississippi du.
ring the period question: than in any other period Of
equal length, If not than previously. 1t may
be supposed that the fourth item in the statement that
for the annutes existing previously 10 the commence
men. Of the five years, Improperly charged in the
count. II is not easy 10 see how the lands could he
sad, with truth, TO produce nett proceeds for dstrbn
ton while debts legally and equllaby chargeabe upon
them debts contracted for their purchase, remained
unpaid but if this item be Mistaken another Of less
amount the annual current annutes for the five years,
should unqucstonaby be- substituted. They would
make an amount of Sl,G659lS 40 for the period in
question, and such change in the statement would
Still leave deficiency in the fund, to meet the pay.
ments of SOS, GOO 20 In any shape, therefore, in
which the comparison can be madr the paid To
the States than the nett proceeds n the lands
would have given them for the period which has been
examined.
The later land bills proposed to make the distri-
button for the five years commencing with 1887, and
ending with ls4l, and although they prescribed a
rule, and, he thought, one most erroneous and un-
Just the Treasury, for determining what should be
considered nett proceeds yet under those bills and
that rule the States could not have received any thing
like the which has been paid 10 them under the
deposite Indeed il does not seem likely that
the whole gross proceeds Of the sales for these five
years will reach the amount paid TO the States.
IL was not his intention to enter into any discussion
TO the character of those payments, and whe-
Their they to be viewed in the light of depostes
or distributions. When the bill was lis passage,
which authorized the payments to be made, he attempt
ed 10 show that they would be distributions IN effect,
if they were not in form, and he believed all would
now admit that such likely 10 be the result
A slnnle remark further under this head, and he
would indulge what seemed to be the wish OF the Sc
nate BY Welding To motion to ADJOURN. III should not
escape attention that in all these statements and com
parisons nothing has been taken from the proceeds Of
the lands be applied to the debt of the Revolution,
to the payment of which it is said they pledged by
the States nothing to pay The Revolutionary pensions,
in equity certainly part OF the Revolutionary debt,
and Tor several years last past amounting To some three
millions per nothing to pay the expenses Of
Indian prosecuted Tor The recovery ana protection
Of those lands and two of which, within the five
wears from 1888 TO 1857 inclusive, took from the Ma
tional Treasury probably not less than 900 Of
dollars
Here the Senate adjourned.
Thursdau january 2S.-Mr. WEIGHT said, if he had
succeeded IN making himself understood yesterday It
would be rccollccted that he sought 10 establish the
general position that the proposition now before The
Senate to distribute the proceeds OF the public lands
to the States was in principle, identical with propo
slon to distribute any other equal portion OF the re-
venue derived from CUSTOMS from any other source,
or equal portion Of the proceeds OF any other pro-
perty ofthe u. S. His course OF argument was
First That the power given by the Constitution to
Congress-, over the lands ''terrltory, and over all
"oiier property belonging TO the United States, was
identical.
Second. That the deeds OF cession from the States
provisions laying foundation Tor claims
upon the lands, their proceeds IN favor OF the ced
mo States themselves much less in favor Of the other
States within the meaning of the second clause OF the
third sector and fourth article Of the Constitution
Third That any such ''claims, if existing by legal
inference and consequence from the cessons, and whe
Their Of legal equitable character could only so
exist in favor Of the cedng States and not in IA
vor of all the States to which this proposition proposed
to distribute the proceeds of the public lands
Fourth. That nc such c!ams" flowing from the ces-
sons, either by express provision, BY legal inference
attach any other than the coded
lands and their proceeds, while the proposition under
discussion is to distribute the proceeds of the whole
public lands, including well the proceeds Of the pub
lie lands acquired BY purchase Of those coded BY the
States.
Fifth That if, as is insisted by some, there be equ'-
table claims favor of the States TO the nelt pre-"
ceeds of the public lands after the payment OF me oep'
Of the Revolution, no such claims can yet exist ne
cuuse that debt is not paid and cannot be, whe the
Revolutionary pensions remain a charge upon Tue
Treasury because no part of the proceeds OF the lands
have vet been applied towards the payment OF the le
evolutionary or any other deb except the expenses m
cured for account Of the lands themselves; and be-
cause whether the account be stated with the whole
nublic domain or with the coded lands only the whole
proceeds have not yet equalled those expenses
Sixth That the sum paid TO the States under the de.
pose act of 1886 greater than any sum they could
have received under any of the former land bills, if ei
Their of those bills had passed and become law, and
any equity in favor of the States thus