Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-08-02
SPEECH OF
MR. GoGGIN, or viRoisrA.
Ic ,xeLuprp.l

q.
In Of the las, session was passed; il did rot how
ever 20 TO the extent that Jesircd, las II passed
on coming from the Senate.) and no doubt, IN that
proyi son relating to lie repeal IN certain contin
geney, IL was Objectionable with majority OF the
friends of distribution, at least in this branch OF
Congress. They, however, were hnely willing TO
Yield something 10 what they conceived to be
peculiar prcpossesson OF theie colleagues, in favor
Of particular phraseoosy, rather than 10 any
~el-founded claim OF right: they, therefore, Votec
as did-to concur in the amendments OF the sc
nate. This amendment only repealed or suspend
ed the land bill, when Two facts were comb ned;
that is, when duties were LAID inconsistent WIN ,he
rrovisions" OF the act Of 2d March, 1873, ana DC
You'd twenty per cent" duty being laid over
twenty per cent docs not Of itsei suspend the DTS
tribution bill IL must also 10 inconsistent WIN
the act Of 1888; and no duty Is ,neonsisen, ~ y.
that act after the 30th Of this month, that IS ald 70
conformity with that sec ion which declares that az
ter the 3Oth OF June, lsi2, 'sueh du'ies shau oe
laid for tho purpose OF raising sueh re.en ~ ~
be necessary to an eeonom,osi '';a, :. ;lam,
Government" A duty laid Tor p'o'e0uo", "nno.>
Yc,,rJ 10 the wants OF the Treasury, aomlt'
would operate a suspension Of theisnd nil; ana IN
view of this possibility, the amendment was per.
ces.ion was not considered, by at least Us apply
inc. for ne had Already gone further uan he who
was foremost in maintaining the most unquahhsd
rsht of tho States to this fund. Notwithstanding
all this, however, in brief space OF SIX months
from the passage OF his own bill. he comes IN with
amessage recommending its repeal or suspension.
In dong this, however, he alludes TO the "urgen-
CIV, with which he had, ION more than one oc-
cason felt il his duty TO press upon Congress The
necessity Of providing the Government with the
means OF dscharging its debts" and he notices the
"incrcasing embarrassments Of the Treasury" lie
tells us shat few Of the burdens Tor which provision
is nov required TO be made have been brought upon
the country during (his) short Administration oi us
nffaitsr Mark that. In the same message, recon-
nendng the repeal OF the land bill, his own bill, he
declares "when the distribution Law was passed
there was reason TO anticipate that there would ot
a real surplus to distributed" But how could ne
have supposed this at that time, more than at the
present. Repeatedly he had urged the importance
OF providing means, as he admits. Inc ouroeh,
for which provision IS required to be made existed
then according TO his own showing, and he treated
"them as facts.n Under his administration, they
had become to be increasing embarrassments. lfany
doubt the assertions, let them look TO his message at
the extra session. dc told ns then there wouio oe
for the wear "a probable deficit of sll 400 600! ~
ITO meet this" (said he,) "some temporary Prov
sion is necessary until the amount can be ABSORBED
by the eresss of revenues which are anticipated 10
accrue ai no distant day." quote, SIR, the very
language oil the message ITSELF from when u VIII DC
seen that nding the state vf the Treasury,
the Presdent, anxious as he declared he then was
to guaranty to she States all the benefits which may
arise from the sales" OF the lands solemnly recon-
mended the measure 10 Congress. tie did not look
TO the money arising from the land sales ms part
of the revenue that was 10 be appropriated 10 les
SEEMING the burdens left him by Mr. Van Bdren-he
recommended the measure as permanent system
In regard TO the debt left by his predecessor, 10
be ovid by him. he knew its extent, be had seiuli-
nized the account he had examined INTO the means for
its payment he had stated the BALANCE and IN Inc
face OF oil this, he deliberately recommended th'
land bill with the same suggestion IN regard 10 th'
act OF 1888 the one hand and declaration, OF
the oiher that all the benefits OF the sales oil TN
public lands guaranteed by compost TO the states
would then ask, what conneIion did he ccnsoe
existing between the two subjectsl None whatever
- Al. ~. laarfwr han
viewed by him in this light, as it mad been at tn
tine Of his celebrated report in the Virginia Legs
laiure, in 1899. will read an extract IRON IN
message OF LIST June, ls4l.
-Under 4 system OF discriminating duties izlp0SedJo
y-pases Of IL unison with the provisans OF e.
sng laws is be hoped that our policy will in the 10
an Anctuatons which defeat the very objects they bas
IN view. We shall thus lest maintain position which
vances OF other countries calculated promote our trad
and commerce, will, at the same ne, Leave W our o~
hands the OF Tciaiang with grelier euee unJu
regulations"
The President then, did not look to the public land
as source of revenue. except 10 the States; and
relied, as is manifest, solely on a system OF dscrim
mating duties 10 satisfy the wants OF the Treasury
He could not suppose surplus would nrise roi
the sales Of the public lands, Tor, with deficit IN h
Treasury of sIlO00OO0, he had recommends
distribution! While in the Virginia Legislature
in the report have cited, he used this strong lar
guase which am pleased TO adopt Us conveyn
IN much more forcb'e terms than could comma n,
the views have always entertained. The oplnic
is here clearly expressed that The public LAND
should lie regarded permanent source Of Il
venue 10 the Siates-one which they could rel
rhe sketch which he draws OF the condition OF ii
county und-r the operation OF the system is M
less striking than true, IL he now would but perm
u TO be carried out.
RS ppsinp AT djsnnsal 81 ~ al The eofnbStrs
Ole ssainft all "a hereby be place
stons ssvc Inc 10 Ss Iae1 ere wh
sF The people to watch narrowly the pursued b
consaat vsance would also be exercised over all the
pendure the Feteral Government order 10 avoid al
d'feie oes in the revenue The ace OF economy, we
IL he moral Sentiment be etyss amu VIII
meat the face Of the whole country would rapidly
play itself Works either not undertaken or angushnr
for The them, would be presse on with
vgor and chains Of union indssoinbe because
reciprocal Interests be thrown aroun1te STATES schools
orthe Instruction aud educ alton Of the youth Of the
iyWeud be bmi up and endowed anl Other subjee s. Of
hRhy interesting tue people At large receive
due attention. The fund for Tie ultimate accomplishment
ofs these noble purposes is ahundsny large The
mated quants Of the public lands Indian ie 10 which
has been eInguished, amounts 10 39 $50 acres while
mated 7C6 O0OGO; 5isOOOO whereof lie eas and us
uN,UO west Of the Rocky mountains. Here, then. is
eource Of which may rslv for nj
unlimited perio 10 enabis them 10 huild up ~ who
useful than the pyramids OF Egypt will in ileir
results equally en- iuna Win their inerease In wealth
and population Tie states will rise condition ofdgnl,y
AMI Importance and thereby furnish to the friends OF
fejerafvc system the assurance that the government
created by our forefathers will be preserved all It's
purity for yet The beneficial effects Of
sneh measure could not fail TO be experienced by th.
Hfate IN an eminent degree HeT people strongly
welded 10 agricultural pursuits and their capital Tie
Is vested in lands Hence the difficulty raising
funds into execution those important schemes N
Internal Improvement which have been from tine TO fine
eontemplatsd. fruitful source OF revenue would,
through such be provided which. aided hy her
other wOuid enable her the fne Of lime
20 iuh wise and glorious destiny. In svanE herself Of
the benefits thus held her she would be guilty OF
injustice any, but would be enjoying advantages which
she carefully reserved her deed Of ccsson aud f1r
which she VIII have pad greatly than lust Cquiya.
lent, Ia the surrender Of her public domain"
These have urged only the opinions Of one
man and Of the Legislature OF which he formed a
part az period Of the time alluded To-; but what
ore those Of the countty7 Can they he mistaken
! think not. Look nt the vote Of Congress of
1888. Did not that body express the wishes and
reflect the sentiments Of majority Of the Amer.
can people in the passage OF bill through both
Houses TO distribute the proceeds Of the sales of
the public lands7 I am satisfied, cir, a large ma
iority OF The people favored that measure; but the
will Of Congress and the will OF The people was
crossed by that Of n single individual, as il has
been since OF Other important measures and as il is
again supposed will be the the land bill il no,
repealed. ! nllude, in referring to the action of
Congress in 1888. to the bill which was introduced
advocated, and so ably sustained by Henry Clay,
that ahlest Of statesmen name is associated
with all that Is honorn be ia the character OF man
and n citizen, with oil that is lofty in patriotism
and political ntegrty-by him, sir, wh1 IT, and hos
been, as hesitate not 10 say, my choice Of all
men in the Union for the Presidency. OfubI
do not design, however, 10 speak on this OCCASION
or any other in this Houss. II s not the proooy
place for the discussion Of sueA subjects.
General Harrison, II cannot be denied had often
expressed himself IN favor Of distribution; and IL