The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-08-19

10 rspsiI tke bgeAeh q fad Nhish Was
pepsn.aed. Is ne shail hereafter shsw,
BIZ lhe high-handsd Outrage 81 the aBp'
prexioz q ihs1 nszsax il March. lsss
By pressing Ibis measure Bpon de -
lznHon 0f ConEress. with great earnest
ness and power q srglmeai. IN bis mes
sage Al he opening Of de session. ihe
President has discharged his duty 70 shs
People. ConFormably 10 his reeOmmsn.
datirp, thebll for carrying i: into efieeI
has passed one Hoass Of Congress. and
IN fase Il now IN TIE hands Of the Senate.
Ills not. of eourss. with The vain en-
peci4hon Of influencing any vote 10 ne
Senate On this question thar We now adj
vert 70 IL Bot. IS We believe that some
votes against the bill in the House Of Re-
presenaiiFes were given under erroneous
Impressions. which may have reached the
minds also oisOme portion Of oar readers.
we desire 70 place before them the cOnsl-
deraiions which viii ai least serve 10 sus-
iain the votes which were given in its "a
Eor. and might possibly, If urged in season
and duly weighed. have moi been without
effect upon some votes which were given
against il.
One Of the chief Arguments against the
bill has been prored, since ;he debate up
on il in the House, 10 be entitled TO no
weight whatever. being founded in gross
error. or, rather, in preposterous absurdi-
~. We refer 70 the objection 10 il on
the ground OF the proceeds OF the sales Of
the lands not having yet repaid to the
Treasury the money expended in the &C.
QUESTION. care. and management Of them.
So far from this being true. as attempted
% be shown BY simulated account cur
rent got up for the. purpose. the truth is
that the expenses incurred By the Govern
meni on account Of the Public Lands have
not only been repaid by the proceeds Of
the sales, bu, haze been repaid threshold.
Had this fact been a. well ascertained be-
fore the question upon the passage Of the
bill in the House as il IS now, it would,
we believe. have added 10 the majority
by which that bill passed.
The most influential argument against
the bill, however-the argument most re-
lied upon, and indeed the most plausible
lis that which is founded upon The state
Of the revenue, and the consequent imput-
ed interference Of this appropriation ofthe
proceeds Of the land sales with the tariff
compromise act Of 1888. Plausible as il
il, this objection to the Distribution bill
is, when we come to examine il, entitled
10 little more weight than the preceding
one.
Ia The FIRST place. q wTong has bren
done 10 HE staIes, 10 the amount oil all
The revenue drawn from the Pablic Lands
for the use Of The General Government,
since the exllnguishnenl ~ the Pablic
Drbt. BY ,acit consent Of The slsles. after
The adoption Of ,he present Constitution.
HE proceeds Of those lands we're const
tinted fund far lhs payment 81 that debl.
But neither By the terms Of the scIs .of
cessIon. nor BY those Of he Constitution
OF the United States. 10 II contemplated
ihs, Tie lands shall constitute a SQUIRE u
revenue for The support Of Government.
They we're 10 consume, ON the contrary,
according 10 The aeiofcessinn iof Virginia,
fnr example a common find for the
use and benefit Of such Of The Ubilpd
States IS have become or shall become
members of /. the Confederation or federal
alliance Of the said states. according 10
their usual respeeiive preparations 10 The
general charge and expenditure. anil
shall be fai,hiully and bona file dnpo.ed
Of fnr that purpose. and foe 80 Oiier use
or purpose rhGisoerer." Nothing eau
be CLEARER, when tie dale Of this ce.sInn,
1854 and The circumstances Of The case
are considered. Than that, from the &c
tsblishmeni OF the present Consli,ut. on,
when separate contributions 10 The Gen
eral GoseInment ceased. the avalls oI
these lands became due TO The states
severally; and that Il they we're allowed,
in liberal spirit, % be Ilejsed Tor the
payment of The deb. Of the Revolution,
the right OF seserally was nut thereby
annihllaied. bni only suspended until III,
debt should be paid of This view oI
The suhjeci is confirmed ty The silence
Of the Constitution concerning these land:
when. enUufefsung the sources whence
Congress shall have power 10 derive
revenue. It's By the law Of might, there
fore, and not of right, that Tie plocseG'
of these lands have been hitherto (sinc.
the exiinguishment ef the dehD srpro
priated To The uses # the General Govern
meRt. TO redress The wrong. 50 far q
is 10 the power Of Congress, by gisinl
The proceeds Of this pruper,y 10 il. rlghi
| fol owners. Is an act Of jus ice ahleI
ought not 10 be for moment DELAYED
nov that Congress has recovered iIs con
suiullonal authority over The subject
The srgumenl sgaiDs, paving this jus
debt. ihs, the debtor wants the money 10
olher purposes. can hardly be consideret
q Sufficient bar TO the clam.
With regard 10 the Compromise Act
7