Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-29

s,,o,e his clear conviction OF Tie ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ne distribution, than his unwigness 10 acqu,esce VI
" ,Loyt ~ amendment OF the Constitution, alta time
~ IT, T,s,surv was Overlooking with money, ana
49,, d,;nItv was how to ret rid o. II! But II the gen
I',nan nuoirs Mr. Richie as lis authority Tor dis
,rhu,;o., h.. must consent 10 aWoca'e ~ o"'y 80
tho so,nc circumstances and uPonlhe same Terms "c'
i,a H., win the gentleman do that: WIN lie oe'e'
until the Treasury isgroanng under sur
,,,. and the Constitution is amended to authorize u
sr,,s gentlcman shakes his had These were tne
,ormsunon which Mr.. Richie would have "acquiesceo
in Il and he is authority for no one who advocates u
rnon any other II is the constant habit OF gentlemen
~ Ills House said Nj B TO quote articles OF the In
and aitemo, TO hold the entire Democratic party
resnonsble for them Against this lie protested Not ina
the Editor OF that does not stand as hgh IN the con
6dence Of the Democratic party as any other mempe'
of Not that the party are noresponsble 10 as gfea
an extent for his opinions, these OF any other indv
dual member-But he objected to il, because 1t was
STYLE of argument in which there is no reciprocity i
j., an arpument which cannot te retorted. For, AZ
wanting IN charity the Democratic party IS Tor tie
Wings no member Of it will be so uncharitabe as u
hold Them responsible for any article OF their organ
Mr. B. said he also objected to this Distribution law
because of the circumstances under which it was en-
acted 1t had already been shown by his friend from
Louisa that il had not passed upon its own merits on
the contrary it was notorious that IT could not nave
passed had not been connected with other measures
But these were not the circumstances TO which he anu
died. lie objected every measure OF tie extra SEES
sion They all we're and designed to be, surprises
upon the people They all ought to be reversed tor
that If for no other reason. Why was the extra SEES
sion called: Does any one doubt Does any one be
eye il was called for the assigned: There
no credulity soft enough for that. The Wings mao
carried the Presidential election in the midst OF an ex
element which swept over the country like "hirl'
wilma. They knew, to carry out their purposes
Wing Congress us necessary as wing ffesi'
dent. The Congressional elections IN most OF the
Stles did not on, until the fall OF lc4l'-
The sagacious men of the party. feared the consc'
quences of u year OF calm-they feared reac'ioh.
The only way 10 avoid it, to call ea:ly session oil
Congress- and thus bring on the election before the
fever of the Presidential election off, and before
there was time fer lhe sober second thoughts. Itey
did not reckon without their host for had not the spe-
ca session been called and the elections
thus thrown into the Spring OF last year, would not
have had Wing Congress, and by consequence, this
distribution law would never have been enacted Let
those who doubt this recoec the result of the cleo
ton, throughout the Union, last fall.
come now said MIR b., to the last and to ME, the
most important objection TO this law. il is palpably
unconstitutional. lie did not to 60 into an elabo
rate argument on this point His friend from Louisa
had covered the whole ground, and with an ability
which left him nothing add. 1t is true, that the
General Government holds the public lands as TpS'
Tee, and that the only express Limitation under the
deeds of cession, upon the manner Of administering
the trust fund is that it shall be disposed OF for the
use and benefit of all the States But il will be re-
collected, that the cessons which were made by the
States the United States OF their waste and unappro
pra,ed lands took place before the adoption ot the Fe
deral Constitution; and when the country was under the
operation of the articles Of Confederation The Virgl
mia cession was made the members Of the Confede-
ration or Federal alliance OF the States, according 10
their usual respective proportions IN the general charge
and expenditure Under the articles Of Confederation,
the common treasury supplied by the several States,
IN aofoI fLa lam
State granted surveyed for any person II is OBJ.
vious that the design in ceding the lands by Virginia, at
least was upply of revenue for the common
treasury Of the Contederated States When, therefore,
the Constitution Of the United States adopted, IN
which power is given Congress "to lay and collect
taxes, duties, mposs and exclses to pay the debts and
provide for the defence and general welfare,
may il not be commended, that this power was gwen to
raise a revenue, aid Of the source oil revenue which
the L. States already had and not an c1oneraio OF 1t:
But do not rely, (sald Mr. BayyD upon the deeds ol
cession | place the argument upon the Constitution
itself II true, many of the lands were ceded before
the adoption Of the Constitution, and the conditions OF
the cesson clearly defined IN the deeds But the
Constitution was afterwards agreed 10 by the ceding
States, amd tho lands must be considered us held
by Congress under ITS provisions. Those which were
coded after the adoption Of the Constitution, are, of
course held by Congress under the provisions of that
instrument. Ii owes It's existence 10 it, and
hold and exercise power, except under It's provi
SONS ana limitations Tue OnIy clause vi the Sonsti
tuition, relating To this subject s the second paragraph
of the third section of the fourth article, which is IN
these words "The Congress shall have power TO dis
pose Of and make all needful rules and regulations
speeding the Territory other property belonging to
the United States Are there no limitations upon the
right Of Congress, 10 dispose of the public lands Un
queslionably there are The right Of disposition is
limited to the powers Of the General Government Con-
gress may dispose of them for constitutional purposes
but for none other. This power is limited, as every
other power ofthe General Government limited, to the
specified grants of the Constitution Congress has the
general power to borrow money the credit of the
United States The words as broad and compre
hensive in this clause in the other But has il
been con,ended, that Congress may borrow money for
any and every purpose whatever: The Government
of the United States of delegated powers and all
which not clearly granted to it withheld. Con.
gress has right TO do what it is not clearly
powered by the language of the Constitution To do
than it has TO do what it is expressly prohibited from
doing Congress may dispose Of the public lands, TO
carry into effect any of its granted powers Ii may
dispose Of them "'Io raise and support armies ''ro
provide and maintain navy. "To provide for arming
the militia" ITO raise revenue 10 support the Co.
TO pay its debit; because all of these pow
ers delegated TO il.
But it may not dispose Of them for the purposes of
emancipation OF education, Of religion Of distrbu
ton among the States because power none Of
these subjects is delegated by the Constitution.
have finished, said Mr.. b. what designed 10 say
against this Distribution policy. Before | take my
seat | desire to submit few remarks upon some kin
dred subjects But before do that, the House must
excuse for noticing portion of the remarks OF the
gentleman from Cumberland, which were not exactly
german 10 the discussion In the Of his Speech
he denounced the President of the U. S. in OF
the utmost indignation, vile traitor have great
repugnance to defending Mr. Tyler against the attacks
of the Wings. have heretofore defended him in this
House. against attacks Of their nearly bitter these
and thereafter when it suited their purposes they sup
ported him for the second office in the Government,
and abused me because l would not cooperate with
them. They have thus shewn, that their attacks mean
but little; and am therefore ndisposed TO make a de-
fence against them. Besides, if Mr. Ty Ter capa
BILE of abandoning his principles and of catering TO their
purposes, doubtless they would take him up aud cnTess
him again, and again abuse me if did not as IN that
event surely would not, join them in it,
But why is the President now denounced by the Wings
as traitor In what has he betrayed lhem' lie &C
quiesced in and signed all of their at the E1
ira Session, except the Bank bill, when he ought not
pp,o TO bovo cir R,,, 4 potn