Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-03-24

Il
| The Government has purchased Louisiana and
| tfosldN-mish. II not apply the proceeds OF :heii
sac 10 such objects As the good OF the Union and
the States might requrtl lie was not aware Of
any restriction upon the power II there was, he
| should Ike to see il.
| Ia the third place, he argued that Congress hac
| the Constitutional power from the opinions Oi
Gen Jsekson-"the greatest and best, "a mar
| who ausht to be good authority with the gentle
men who had addressed the House in opposite
to this law. lie advocated the Distribution 20 icy,
and was sustained by his party, in and OF Con-
gress. No one would deny the fact. In his Mes-
sage OF Deeemb,r, 1899, he said, "ro avoid these
evils, Il appeared TO that the most safe lust and
federal disposition which could be made Of the sur
p'us revenue, would be its apportionment among
the several States, according TO their ratio of nc
presentation" This was not a mere momentnry
OPINION with the old General. Twelve months
afterwards, he said, Thus viewing the subject,
have heretofore felt II my duty TO recommend the
adoption OF some plan for the distribution OF the
surplus funds, which may at any time remain in
the Treasury, after the National debt shall have
oeen paid. among the States in proposition 10 the
number OF their representatives, TO be applied by
them TO objects of Internal Improvement Here
was declaration Of the principle OF Distribution
applicable, II is true, 10 the whole surplus in the
Treasury, no matter where il came from; but It. as
was the fact, the proceeds OF the sales of lands
constituted large part their distribution was un-
doubleday intended. Thus did Gen. Jackson twice
| recommend the measure, and osseS the principle
| OF Distribution. Who, ihta, dcnou need the n,ea-
snrel How many of his numerous followers and
partsens then deserted his Standard He mir
" Lett these questions TO be answered by the in.
senuuY OF the gentlemen from Accomac and Lou
lisa. Nor was this sll. In his Message OF Dscem.
her, 1882, he SAID, that the lands might Lc eonsd.
cred as relieved from the object for which they were
pledged. at Is in the discretion OF Congress to
dispose OF them in such way as best 10 conduce to
the quiet and harmony and general interest OF the
American people" In the same document, he also
SAID, seems to he our true policy, that tie lands
cease TO be "a soutce Of revenue and that they lie
sold for price barely sufficient To pay the cxrenscs
Of The land system; and indeed, he declared ex
pfcssiy That 1t is LEST to abandon the idea OF ras
Irg Federal revenue on: Of the public lards."-
Upon such opinions, plainly and fully EXPRESSED
MIR Il regarded ccmmcnt a. unnecessary. lie
would leave the task Of attempting their repu,sti,
10 the followers OF Gen. Jackson, on the floor Of
The House. Next year, however, when he thought
proper to sppy his rsto 20 Me- Claws Land Bill the
principles OF which he had often approved, VIC
find tina, those who, before, were so st,enuously in
favor OF Distribution, suddenly bocom,rs lis most
violent opponents, and decaIing il uncons tuition
al Such vas the blindness OF parry, and such
the Inconsistency O. those who now raised Their
voices against the Distribution Law
In further support of the consti,uiioraty Of this
measure, Mr. \. inStancc6 the fact that twenty out
OF twenty SIX States, had passed resolution. in its
Iavor; and among them Virginia. Il, said Mr. Y,
INC distribution was Unconstitutional, why did
Gen. jackson sanction the &C. a. Congress outb,-
rzing distribution Of the surplus revenue smonss,
the States, amounting TO upwards Of SIS. 600 OOO5
Nheie, too, was the authority TO make grants and
large donations Of Llrds anlounting % nn,,v,
M Mons OF acres 10 the new States, for schools ard
colleges, works OF internal Improvement, public
buildings, &e.2 II Congress could divide. or Give
away, the land, WHY might II divide the mort y
arising from the sale Of the lanSs7 Why might
NOT each State demand its distrhutige share AMI
that on principles Of strict souiU7
Mr. DickerSon, OF New JERSEY made rsnor, -
the Senate OF TIE United States recommending a
distribution Of s5,00O,0O =nnua w. out II tic
Federal Treasury, to the S;ates. and to leave TIC
public debt unpaid. He urged this pronositior ,s
State Right measure; because the States vyouI5
ihereby have a fund with which to construct inter
mi improvement, and carry out their ,v.tens of |
education, sc. And that very renor, too I, |
wSs sac, induced Gen. jackson to place Mr. d ok !
erson IN his cabinet!
ne gentleman from Louisa objected ~ r..
distribution law OF the extra session. mainv on lie
ground that Congress had no power 10 disc,irrs,c
IN favor OF the new States by giving them 10 p,T
cent ne oolee'ed 10 th's provision, unjust to-
wards the old States. This extra allowanr. va. |
deemed essential to the passage o. the hi and
was agreed upon as q compromise. Whether the
principle was correct or not, coeyaI with the
present land system, and had become the fixed
Poley OF the Government He asked those who
opposed this 10 per cent provision If thew had re-
hecied upon what they were Directing to7 WAS
1t not necessary to give the new States n small
portion, IN order to prevent them from Sc zing n,,
For his own part he thought It better 10 loose This
~ uch, man 70 leoparcze The whole, by exposing
the lands TO the cupldity OF the new States
But there WAS some reason for efantin, ,,,, ,.-
cent to the new Sta,es-some Justice in the nrovi.
sion, although 1t Ind been so much objected 70
The distribution o! the proceeds has 10 b. made
cording to the census OF 1910. Now the new S,,,a
evident increased their population f,ster r.
he old, and by the year $780, will doubtless lie far
head OF their ratio; whilst the cd Siatrs remain
,auonary, or do not Increase so fast the new In
U probability, though the new States receive the
o per cent, by 1850 they will only have received ,
lsir fair proportion. Thus, though the new Stat. ,
sceive too much now yet, IN the end they will get
ut their just proportion.
II this be a valid objection to the consti:u,onal
y of the bill, and TO Its justice, how could Cor
ress make, as 1t had done, partial and soec;sr >
rants and donations OF lands to the new S:stes3-
low could Congress relinquish all right TO those
iuds, when, according 10 the doctrine held here u
y gentlemen. the proceeds Of all lands sold should I
o into the Federal Treasury Or. how could T
congress cede them 10 the States within whose !,
miis they lie, was recommended by General r
aekson, and dem ndei by Benton and others.
nd which, he greatly feared, would ultimately he r
ccomplshed, should the Distribution Law be re-. !,
ealedf The new states Claimed all the lands v
within their limits, to the entire exclusion Of tho
General Government, and all the people Of the u ,
states, except their own citizens. This CAIN on r
heir part, Mr. Y. said. might &c nscrbed to Inc
epeateu attempts OF MIR Benton, 10 graduate the II
lrce OF the lands and 10 ce1e whrt he called "re
use" lands 10 the States in which ttev lie MIR
too, had a measure which he PRESSED =
ipon Congress- bu, which he mir " could not
zee how that body could adop, consistently, either
With the constitution or the doctrine advanced in
opposition TO the Distribution Law on this floor Mr. =
calhoun commended, that unless bis plan were ndopt 7
D., the New States would ultimately take possss
lion Of the public lands, and thus deprive The Fs. .
iefll Goyernment OF the whole domain. The pso- ,
visions Of his bill, stated in Niles REGISTER are
IS follows: "All the public lands within the States J
81 Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas IL :
inois Indiana, Ohio, md Michigan EXCEPT stes .
or iorthcauons, arsenlis, &c, shall, after June .
2Oh, 1872, be coded 10 the States, within the limits
u which they TIE, on the following tcrms:-ts,
That the States shall pass rrevocabe acts binding
themselves 70 pay 50 per cent Of the sales OF such
nnds, on Or before the lst day Of February Of each
succeeding year Secondly. That the minimum
price now established by law, shall remain un-
changed till 3Oh Of June, 1912, but after that ne.
.od, may be reduced 10 the following scale: All
ands that have teen offered for sale and remain
insoij, 10 years preceding the Both June 1892
nay he reduced to price Of not less than 8 per
icro; oil that remain unsold > years, 10 be 70
iuced TO IS cents; all that remain unsod 30 years
50 cents % years, 25 cents; and all unsoId nt tho
end OF 30 year, shall be coded TO the States where
in they are situated" In support Of this bin,
which could be regarded in no other light thnnas a
mere dictionary project, (or though the 80 per
cent IS reserved, there Is but little doubt ;hei Il
pose the cessi0n N he made and suppose the Debt.
or States faIl to comply with the terms by paying
The 80 per cont-how could the Federal Government
force them 10 ronrfy7 ne1dr- tie or-T.,-tto, ,,t