Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-08-18
RICHMOND. VIRGINIA, THURSDAY. AUGUST - 80

" for that reason thu, the bill now before the
Eosoes mat taey shall not be appropriated. -
| = ~ PUBIC Lands IRE the noble and inarpre-i,ble
inheritance of the whole naton The .sic of ,beo,
u ndisicuIis ~ not a tax upon tho nurchaser bpt
an exchange OF equivalents tc,reely moe burIen
some 70 The grantee than il he should receive /, a,
gra,uiious don iton. To appropriate the pro.s, a
OF the sa'ss to defray the ordinary * pensss of H.
movetnmens Is to waste and destroy the properly
ms property - held by Congress in trust MIR
Eyer spsaks OF tue d,tribuiion AZ il was gitiHg
aDay me property. IL Is precisely the reyerse. IL
u restoring 1t to the right owner. To appropri ,e
,he proceeds TO defray the current exp.n lurcs Is
70 give It up TO dapijaton and WISE I: is in % =
.,S seonSmy precisely The slme as If al indvidu-
~ hndho!uer should sell off, year after year. par
ces OF his estate, and consume its proceeds il the
payment of his household expenses The 6rst
pneiIhe oil political economy necessary for nation
IL 10 raise by TAXATION within the wear the zhole
! snm required Tor the expenditure OF thu year.
Every departure from this principle is step in the
pam Of national bankruptcy and ruin Tn. doi,y
ue'hano; OF the Treasury must be supplied by the
lncone derived from taxation by the var and mn,
| oy the dissipation Of the common property
The second reason e the r, os dent for obisctins
70 The passage OF this bill is no, more ponJero,iS
than inc hrst IL Is the destitute and embarrassed
slAIe oil the Treasury, and the impo cy II not I'M
cohsu'uiljnil u, Of giving awayl utfdl source Of
| revenue, which If retained may be seizsI by the
Government and applied TO meet its daily wants.
but The President had Just told US that this fruitful
source OF revenue was subject wholly dissimar
"a us character from that OF revenue raised Nv du-
ties OF impost-so dssimiar tina, the union Of them
ISrmed IN his mind al insurmountable objection 10
the passage OF the bill. al moSi respecfuly sub
NIX tsays the message) whether this is n time 10
give away the proceeds OF the land sales. when the
pubic lands constitute fuad which OF all others
may oe made most useful IN sustaining the public
G,eoW. Anu how could II be mnde thus ussfu.7-
/ Precisely by giving them away. by giving then,
away forever For r. the principle he once e,t1.
Dshed that tho proceeds OF tho sales OF the publc
lands shall be substituted in the place of reyenus
taxation o tha OrdiD
OF The National Government, never moro will the
people Of any State in this Union have the benefit
OF one dollar rom this richest of mines of inexhaus.
ube wealth, bestowed upon them by their bountiful
Creator for the improvement of their own condi.
uon. But gwen awny-yes, to the last cent given
away forever, 10 pamper the reckless extrayaglt &c
OF Government forever preachin. reirenehrnen
anu economy, and forever heapng million upon mil.
lion OF onnual expenditures ''to sucixlc armies and
dry nurse the land"
The committee submit to the House their unhesi-
Auns opinion that the appropriation Of any part OF
the proceeds OF the sales Of the public lands 10 the
ordinary annual expenditures would be the only ef-
iec:u2 and irreuievabe giving away Of tina, great
ana lresinabe inheritance Of the American People
ma, IL ones that growing and inexhaustible fund
snail DC coomed TO form the whole any par, Of
the ways and means for the annual estimates e the
receipts and expenditures Of the National Govern
ment, The People may bid FAREWELL long farewell,
TO every hope Of ever recsiving dollars useful i'm.
provement from that sft Of God 10 them thus cru
ely and perhdously wre5,ed from their ha nds
Nineteen OF the States o. this Union, in the ar
cent, perhaps, IN some cases, inconsideratey ar
CENT pursuit OF this improvement OF their own con
duon, have become involved, some OF them heavily
Involved, IN debt. The greatest portion OF tins
deoi has been contracted for the accomplishment of
s'npendous works 10 expedite and fscilia the in.
tercou5' o! travel ando trade between the remo.-
est extremes of this great Repubii. swnrnins from
year 10 year, with rsdoubling millions of popsa-
uon. IL Is no exaggerated estimate OF the value of
these works TO say that the saving Of time Of la
eNpersc 81 ~
e Oeon, enjoying the benefit of these public works
more than FePays, IN every single year, the whole
y cosiot their construction.
c But while these immense bensi'shave been Thus
secured 10 the People as Community ~ ;niivi
du1's, ,he States which author zed them have con-
uae1ed burden OF Liabilities heavier than they are
d eSie 10 bear They need the assistance Of
y lnendly and powerful hand, and where should thev
: had It bat in The sympaihies Of the National Gov
ernmen3 ia their hdel ty to the trust commit d 10
. Their charge IN this immense and alGos, bounIess
!. puoHe domain The application Of the proceeds of
II me pubic lands 10 alleviate the burden of these
debts pressing upon the people Of almost all II a
, STATES Is, II not the only, The most unexcepuonabe
|. mode OF extending the mighty arm of the Union 10
III eieve the People Of the States, iom the pressure
OF the burden bearing upon them-a relief consist
ing only OF the distribution among them of IA .ir
own properiy-a relief furnishing them the meas
i OF paying TO the United States themselves no in
ohsd'rio portion OF the debts due from the Stat
70 ihemI so that by one and the same Operation the
People OF the States will be relieved from the in,ol
cradle pressure Of their debt, and tho common
treasury OF the Union will receive back in payment
OF usot no sma part OF the same sums ALLOTTED 10
tns states as their respective portions Of the dis
!, ttibuVon. Us
\. The committee regret that the shoripess Of the
!. Tine which they have allowed themselves for lie
preparation OF this report constants them 10 mss
s over numerous ether considerations amounting To
the cearest demonstration that the disirit nj ON
among the States Of the proceeds Of the sales OF N
IS pu9He lends will be niniiey more conducive to the
n ehus oil justice and 10 the relief of the People from
th emoartassmenis than the devotion OF the sam
funds TO be swallowed up in the insatiae suinh Of
q TOE ofdina'y annual expenses OF the Federal Co.
i Ve'hmen'; 10 perish IN the using like the nine mil
ions OF Tue fourth Ins;1ment promised to the States
ne seven or eight millions OF stock in the Bunk o.
. me United States, and the FIVE or SIX millions al
Indian trust and Navy pension iunds, all sunk
durng the Van Buren, adminis,rs ioa, without leay.
ING wreck behind.
Tits review Of tho reesons If the p,..;J.., g.
. oAIcet NJ 10 the passage OF tie bill NIGH, be ex
tended lar more into detail, and all leading 10 m,
eoHciuson that they are feeble, inconsistent n nd
n unsatisfactory IL remains only for the House 10
take, Oy yeas and nays, tie question upon the final
4 passage OF the hi, and he majority Of the COM
= mhee cannot indulge, even hyfohe .ically the ab
. SIrd hope Of a majority either in this or the Other
n HoVse OF Congress compstent TO the enactment 81
!, Tue OIL into law, they leave the House 10 deter
n mlnc what further measure they may deem neces.
sary and practicable by The legislative authority in
. the present ealamtous condition Of the country,
d my perceive u 81 the whole legislative ?
q OF inc Union has been for the last ff cen months
with regard TO the ac,i3n of Congrtss upor me,-
sufes OF vital impor ance, in a state Of s. 1snded
animation, sransled by the fvs times repeated
structure OF the Executive cord. They observe that
under these unexampled distractions TO the cxercise
OF their high and legitimate duties they have bib
etto preserved the most respectful forbeersnes To-
wards the Executive Chief; that while he bas tn,e
after time, annu'led by the mere act OF his y In th,f
commission from the People to enact laws for The
common We fare, they have lofbcrne even th, Z r
preston oi their resentment fof these multiplied in
/ suits and inIures-thcy believed they had hisb
destiny 10 fuhl, by administering to the Peop'e in
the form Of law remedies Tor the suirerings which
theY had too long endured. The will Of one man
mas frustrated all their libors and Frustrated all
Their powsrs. The majority of the Committee be-
levo that tho case hos occurred in tho annals Of our
, Onion, contemplated bT tho founders Of the Consti-
tuiion ~ the giant 20 the II. Of Ron. Of the p3wer
TO imPc5ch the President Of the u. s.; but they ars
aware that Tie resort TO that txpedient might in the
present condition Of public nifiirs, prove abor,iye
lney see that the irreconcil tbe difference Of opio
ION and OF action between the l. gslative and Exc
cuitve Departments Of the Gcvernmeot IL but
sympathetic with the same discordant views and
iteirgs among the People. TO them alone the
hnil issue Of the struggle must be left. In the sor.
70" and modification under the failure Of on the'r
abors TO redeem the honor nd prosperity Of their
country, % IS n cheering consolation 70 them That
the termination OF their Official existence il AZ
hand; that they even now about 10 return 10
receive the sentence Of their constituents tpon
lee ID la a.. Is.