Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-07-29
r.om he National Ialslas.aesr.
HISTORY or IHE LAND DISTRIBUTIONS
BILL

having passed the House, and the subject
having been deemed heretofore, as well
as now, one of great importance, the FOL,
lowing brief history Of a similar bal, act
ed upon during the Administration Of
President JACKSON, may not be uninter.
esiing. Il is condensed from manu-.
script " History Of the Administration of
President Jackson" by GEo. MATTERS.
TON, OF this city
One Of tie first objects which claimed
the attention Of Congress during this SEES
sion (1S3a'3) was The land bill. reported
at the last session by Mr.. Henry Clay.
This bill, accompanied By an elaborate
report from the pen of that distinguished
statesman, was the result Of a maneuvre
to embarrass the Chairman Of the Com.
mittee en- Manuj aclares, 10 which the re-
solution OF inquiry had been referred on
the 22d Of March, 1882. Mr.. Clay had
warmly protested at the time against the
absurjity of referring The subject, TO the
Committee on Manufactures, instead oi
the Committee ON Publce Lands, 10 which
It lrgiiimattly and properly belonged
but he did not fail TO acquit HIMSELF 10 the
discharge Of this rxtraneous duty, as he
had done on all former occasions, viii.
his wonted ability and talent, to The man.
fest modification OF his political oppo-
nents, who, after having with some lair.
ness forces this duty upon him, endeavor-
ed 70 deprive him Of the opportunity OF
explanation by moving on The day when
the quesii n was to be considered TO 20
into Executive session.
1.-THE motion was, however, rejected,
and Mr.. Clay was permitted to ex plain
the principles Of his bill end to report 10
manner that tended To confirm the re.
putation he possessed for sagacity, intel.
lligence and eIequerce. The resolutions
/ which had been referred 10 the committee
/ proposed an inquiry into the expedIency
OF reducing the price of the public lands
and of transferring them TO the respective
States of the Union within which they
laid. The report vindicAted with great
/ force the policy OF the Government IN re.
latjon TO this matter, declared the pro-
| positions inexpedlent, and recommended
/ that besides The five per centum, hitherto
/ reserved from the sales Of these lands for
making internal Improvements in the new
States, an additional ten per cent should
be reserved for tho same purpose within
the respective States, and the residue of
the proceeds be divided among all the
States, and applied, at the discretion of
their respective Governments, to educa-
ton, internal improvements. colonization,
or the payment Of any debt already con.
tractcd for internal Improvements. Tue
net was limited in its duration to FIVE
years, and in the event OF war with u
| foreign nation, the appropriation was i'm.
mediatcly to cease. This bold and inde-
pendent measure had startled and oston-
ished the friends of the Administration,
and it was deemed necessary TO counter
act the effect it was likely TO produce BY
a counter-report, and with that view the
subject had been referred to the Commit.
tee on Public Llnds, to which Mr.. Clay
had desired il To 20 at first, and this re-
port was made in a few days in opposition
TO the bill reported by the Committee on
Manufactures.
In this report II was recomme nded that
the minimum price Of the public lands
should be fix d at one dollar per acre
that when the land had been offered for
sale for five years, il should then be re.
duced to fifty cents, and that fifteen per
centum Of the proceeds should be dlstr-
buted among the new States. The sub
ject had be, n thus fully laid before Con.
gress. Mr.. Clay, when the bill reported
by him came up for consideration, demon
stra,ed with great clearncss and eloquencc
the advantages of the plan he proposed,
and after it had been so amended as to
| increase the per cent. reserved for distr.
button 10 twelve and half per centum,
and to grant to the States of Mississippi,
Louisiana, Missouri, lrdcnn, Alabama
and Illinois. 600, 900 acres each, il passed
the Senate by a vote Of 26 ayes and Is
noes. In the House, the friends Of the
Administration succeeded IN rostponng
| the bill I'LL the next session, which was
equivalent TO an indefinite pos,ponement.
Mr.. Clny, however, determined not TO be
thus defeated, and with that perseverance
| and decision which have always charac-
tcrzed him, introduced the bill aguin at
an enr'y period Of the succeeding session;
and after considerable discussion and va.
rious efforts had been made to amend it,
il passed the Senate on the 18th of Janu-
airy, 1888, by vote Of "a ayes to 30
s. and in the House OF Representatives
on the LIST of March by vote of 96 ayes
to 40 noes. 1t was, however, amended
in the lower House SO as 10 leave the APP
plcalion OF the funds to the discretion Of
the States. Tho amendment was con.
Cured in by the Senate, and the bill pass
ed through both Houses BY majority Of
two. thirds.
President Jackson, knowing this fact,
held back till after the ADJOURNMENT OF
Congress, thus contemptuously defeating
the will Of a majority Of the National L..
gislature, sufficient 10 have passed il into
a law had he returned il in time with his
| objections, and thus, too, despotically We.
TONG measure which the public voice
demanded, and the public interests requir-
ed"
/
The Philadelphia North American has
| the following naranraph