Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-03-15
sPEECH OF MIR. SCOTT,
or FAusuIER

or FAueuIER.
a. reply 20 M,ssrs. HoRaSay and Boyiy
On rns suBJRer or the RECEPTION OF TIL
PRocEEps OF rms PubLic LANDS.
Mr Speaker-I shall make no apology for al
DRESSING the House. II 1t - important, at this late
neriol of tho session, to economic time, IL is nc
,.s. 80 TO consider well the proposition before US.
The subject has already, IL is true, been ably dis
GUESSED on both sides; but u cannot have escaped
observation, that whilst the argument on the one
side hiss been confined strictly to consideration
which belong to the question Of distrbution, on the
o.her side It has taken a much wider scope, and
topics OF general politics, better calculated, If not
intended, TO have influence elsewhere, have been
deliberately treated Of. To these topics l shall
address myself; and before | resume my seat, /
do not despair Of exposing the errors and inconsis
tencios into which the hot zeal OF gentlemen have
betrayed them, and OF vindicating not only the
policy Of distribution ITSELF but the party with
which | act, from the rude attacks 10y which they
have been assailed. To make my observations in
t~ellisib.e, | will make n brief statement Of the
question which is presented for consideration. The
resolution first offered, proposed TO instruct the
Committee on Finance. TO bring in a bill TO provide
for the appointment Of an Agent, on the part OF
this Commonwealth, TO receive from the proper
authorities Of the United States, that portion Of the
proceeds OF the sales OF the Public Lands 10 which sh9
will be entitled under the act OF Congress, passed at
ats late extra session, commonly known MS the DIstri.
III nv IL NHs NV kILkGIlN
from Louisa, mir Holladsy,) moved a substitute,
containing n series of resolutions condemning the
Distribution Law, and the whole policy Of distrbu.
ton, and insiructing our Senators to exert all their
energies 10 obtain its repeal.
IL - manifest that the substitute very much cn
latges tho range of debate. The first rcsolu-
ton was confined TO tho ~propriety OF the Rrcsr-
TI0S by Virginia of the provision made for her
benefit in the act of Congress. The substitute
extends to the p~ropriety OF the legislation oi Con-
.-aAp an1 r,asrn te 80 Yuss ~ a.l,rNnns 800
the distribution law, and supervise and control the
action or oar Senators. Interesting and grave MS
are tho general considerations which pertain 10 the
propositions, there are others VI more immediate
State concern, which cannot lie overlooked. The
substitute demands the repeal OF the distribution
law, and aims It's blow at the policy of distribution.
II demands of us 10 declare 90 behalf Of the REQ
pie of this Commonwealth, not only that we will
Iot accept at this time the provision made for them
by the law Of Congress, but that hereafter all the
Tich proceeds OF the sales Of the vast domain OF the
puhlic lands. the common property Of all the
States" shall he expended in d~elraying the current
expenses of the Federal Government II demands
uf us TO reject Virsinia's rights and close her iron
vaults against tho rich stream about TO pour into
them-and this, too, at a time when those vaults
are emttv; when the revenue is deficient and heavy
taxes ate 10 be imposed; when universal embarrass-
menis Cypress the people; when the Banks, sirus-
Cling amid difficulties, are about 10 be required TO
resume specie payments, and curtail their already
= NNNa @NNN1 @@ANR hh11 SoAbAaAAn NHNAlth ll @lE
very oct Of diminishing the means Of making pay
ments; when the loud voice Of distress is heard
f-om every point, and, growing ont Of the general
distress, a tTAr LAW lies upon our table reported
for adoption. At a time like this, under circum.
stances, such as ! have described, urgent and con-
trolling must the reasons be that will! Justify con-
CUR nee in the substitute.
The amount Of money receivable by Virginia
under The law Of Congress. is vsriously estimated
from one 10 FIRE hundred thousand dollars yearly.-
InFu 80 MAJ, he h. s,r,aA,,t. -. "a.
oanno, be doubted that in times of ordinary pros
perity. consistently with a Just regard for the com.
mon interests, the sales Of the public lands may be
- stimulated ms 10 increase her proportion to n
yearly sum rot short Of the largest estimate. Had
tho distribution policy Obtained al first; that is, had
Gays first Land Bill been adopted, according
IL actual receipts, our share would have exceeded
the sum of $4,000 QUO. The public debt Of Vir-
GINA is sc S9i 307 "a, upon which she pays an
interest of S4O9, 06s 95, and her current expenses
arc S7Us,00O. To meet these expenses we have the
dividends upon the public stocks, &c, S325,si4 90,
leaving the large balance Of 1891 2ai TO be supplied
by yearly taxation.
This statement may serve to give some idea OF
what The measure mag yet produce, and enable us
10 some extent to estimate its benefits. But not
outstanding the resources W tn which it will sup
ply NJ; Notwithstanding the relief it will afford
against oppressive tsxauon; Notwithstanding the
difficulties and embarrassment Of the times, We
ote called upon to ~rejeetit: list Because Congress has
'l NQtlOfliy 10 make the OissTtOul1Or, %. Because
the revenue OF the Federal Government is deGcieni;
and SID. Because the reception Of the money by
the states will lead TO e1tFayagancc and corrup-
ti"n. IL will he observed that each one of these
objections IS separate and indep OF the others;
each rests upon its own peculiar foundation. and
u true, each in itself opposes against The law, and
the policy which 1t pursues an insurmoun;able
im'cd.nent. Separate and apart, therefore, from
each other, weighing each according TO its own
intrinsic merits, | propose TO consider them. ] will
depart from the oder in which they have been
INTRODUCED, and, as 1t will fall in better with what |
have to say, consider the third objection first.
Admit ng that the Public lands are the common
property Of all the States" and the proceeds of the
sales thereof TO be lawfully tistributable amongst
them, il Is insisted that the distribution will have a
70 ruping tendency, and will be therefore injurious.
Whom will il corrupt How will it corrupt Are
they who are 10 he corrupted, the agents who make
the sales and collect the procecdsl If that is the
apprehension, still the evil must be endured, whether
Tie money he retained for the use Of the Federal
Government, or paid over 10 the States. Are they
10 he corrupted who make the transfer merely. This
will scarcely he maintained. who, then, can bs in
tendod2 Are they The representatives OF The people
Of the States, or the people themselves2 Bring the
objection home TO ourselves. Who will stand upon
this flor and proclaim that the reception Of this
fund into the public Treasury will corrupt the Lee
Are the chosen representatives Of the
good people Of Virginia deemed thus lightly off,
How can It corrupt IL is not the reception that will
nave tNia eject Is u INC communication oil If And
shy will not the administration Of q fund derived
from any other source be attended with the same
evI1 IL is a public fund, TO be paid into the public
Treasury, and TO he devoted TO public uses. Are
they, the people themselves, who are TO he corrupted7
Can the appropriation OF $780, 600, by act Of legis.
lation, have such effect7 Appropriate it 10 works Of
Internal Improvements, and will il corrupt Clear
tic Instructions out Of the mighty James River,
and extend It's connexion with the great kanawha,
and ask the people who lnhLbit the vast region
washed by those waters, whose rich soils lie uncul.
tiya,ed, whose wooded hills are still trneted by the
fierce tenants OF the forests, and let Them answer7-
Construct the Southwestern Turnpike, stretching
from the borders Of Tennessee along that almost
~tfactess waste, embracing our Southwestern coun-
ties,-develope the vast resources OF that REGION
furnish avenues to mnrket,-and ask the question
Of the people who dwell. .here2
Appropriate II to the purposes Of Education, and
will u corrupt Endow your Colleges, multiply
your schools, dispel that moral and mental darkness
from our land which ignorance entails, and esk the
rescued. Appropriate II towards the payment Of
the public debt,-to tighten the burden oftaKation-
and ask the people whether il will corrupt Away,
then, with The objection; il is no, less Insulting to
The character Of the people than 1t is TO their under
standing.
But il is said the possession Of 30 much money
Will lead 20 extravaganza, 10 rash schemes Of Inter
nal improvement. / beg gentlemen TO allay their
fears by their wounds, who make this obiec-
tou, tho cause Of Internal improvements Virginia
lies dead; and II aught occurs TO move their APP
pfehcnsions, II is tho unreal creation Of their own
ianciCs-or, ff disturbed Of its uhholy murder. the
fpiut of Tie mighty dead wandefs upon the earth's
surface, still let gentlemen assure themtclyes II - an
unreal hing "a shadowy foTm-a ghost, which, like
Homlet's, Is On honest ghost But II, porchance,
there should be discovered, in this measure Of dis.
tUIuttcn. a nOgtrum which will rrstore The dc.d IN