Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-08-25


remark may perhaps be accounted for by the sur
mise that II was new discovery, made since the +
writing Of the Philadelphia dinner party letter;
and the modest presumption ascribed to the Com
stitution that the Executive can commit no error |
Of opinion unless two-thirds of both branches Of
the Legislature are in conflict with him, is tenn
perod by the amiable assurance that i'm that event
he will cheerfully acquiesce in result which !
would be precisely tho same whether he should
acquiesco in Il or not. The aptitude Of this hy-
pothetical position may be estimated by the cal
culation of the chances that the contingency
which il supposes is within the verge of posi-
bility.
The reasons assigned by the President for his
objections to this bill are further preceded by
narrative Of his antecedemt opinions and conmu-
nications on the subject OF distributing the pro-
ceeds of the sales of the public lands. llo ad-
mits that at tho opening Of the extra session he
| recommended such a distribution, but he AYERS
that this accommodation was expressly coupled
with the condition that the duties on imports
should not exceed the rate of 20 per cent. provi-
ded by the compromise act of 1883.
Who could imagine that, after this most cm-
Phatic coupling oithe revenue from duties OF I'M
post with revenue FROM tho proceeds OF the Of
the public lands, the first and paramount objec-
tOn Of the President to this bill should be that it
unites two subjects, which, SO far from having ;.
| ny affinity to one another, are wholly incongru-
GUS in their character--which two subjects are j.
L
coupled together in his recommendation to Con-
gress a, the extra session. If there no alini-
~ between the parties, why did he join them to-
gether! If the union was Legitimate, who was
the administering priest of the unhaowed rites
1t is objected to this bill that it is both
and appropriation bill. What then! Is not
the act OF September 4, 1911, approved and sign
ed by the President himself, both revenue and
an appropriation bill Does it not enact that,
in the event of an insuflicioncy of impost duties
an IL
the current expenses of the Government, the pro-
ceeds ofthe sales of the lands shall be levied
part Of the same revenue, and appropriated TO the
same purposes! The appropriation Of the pro-
ceeds of the sales Of the public lands to defray
the ordinary expenditures of the Government is
believed to be system of fiscal management I'M
wise, impolilc, inprovdent, and unjust; and it
is precisely for that reason that the bill now be-
fore the House provides that they shall not be so
appropriated The public lands are the noble
and inapprcciable Inheritance of tho whole ma
f ton. The sale Of them To individuals is not a tax
upon rhe purchaser, hut an exchange OF equiva-
Tents scarcely more burdensome to the grantee
than if he should receive it gratuitous dona-
lion. ITO appropriate the proceeds o: the sales to
defray the ordinary expenses OF the Government
is to waste and destroy the property. This pro-
! perry is held by Congress in trust Mr.. Tyler
f speaks of the distribution rs if it was givng :
, ,ray the property. 1t is precisely the reverse
/ Ii is restoring it to the owner. 10 appro-
pirate the proceeds TO detray the current expendi
lures is TO give it up to dilapidaon and waste
Ii is in political economy precisely the same as if
an individual landholder should sell oil, year at
ter year, parcels of his estate, and consume its
proceeds in the payment of his household eXpen-
SEES. The first principle of political economy ne
cessary for nation is to raise by TAXATION with
in the year the whole sum required for the expen
: diture of that year. Every departure from this
principle is a step in the path of national bank
ruptcy and ruin The daily demands of the
Treasury must be supplied by the income derived
from taxation by the year, and not by the dissipa-
ton of tho common property.
The second reason of the President for object
ing to the passage Of this bill is not ponder
Gus than the first. Ii is the destitute and embar-
rasscd state of the Treasury, and the impoicy, il
not the unconsttutonality, of giving away, a
fruitful source OF revenue, which If retained may
be seized by the Government and applied to NEE,
IFS that ms fruitful source of revenue was sub
Ject wholly dissimlar in its character from that of
revenue raised by duties Of impost-so dissimiIar
that the union of them formed in his mind an in
snrmountable objection to the passage of the bill.
~ most respectfully submit (says the message)
whether this Is time TO give away the proceeds
OF the land sales, when the public lands consti-
tute fund which of all others may be made most
useful in sustaining the public credit.n And
how could it be made thus useful Precisely by
giving them away. By giving them away forev-
er! For If the principle be once established that
the proceeds of the sales of the public lands shall
be substituted in the place of revenue by taxation
to detray the ordinary annual expenses Of the Ma
tional Government, never more will the people Of
any State in this Union have the benefit Of one
dollar from this richest of mines of nexhausble
wealth, bestowed upon :hem by their bountifil
Creator, Tor the improvementof their own condi-
lion. But given away-yes, to the last cent given
away, forever, TO pamper the reckless extrava-
gance OF a Government forever preaching retrench-
ment and economy, and forever heaping million
| upon million of annual expenditures "to suckle
armies and dry nurse the land"
| HE committee submit to the House their I'M
hesitatIng opinion that the appropriation of any
part of the proceeds of the sales of the public lands
TO the ordinary annual expenditures would DO the
only eiiectual and irretrievable giving away of
that great and inestimab1e inheritance of the A.
! merlcan People. That, if once that growing and
| inexhaustible fund shall be doomed to form the
whole or any part Of the ways and means for the
annual estimates Of the receipts and expenditures
OF the National Government, the People may bid
farewell, long farewell, TO every hope of ever
receiving dollars useful improvement from that
gilt OF God to them, thus cruelty and peridiously
wrested from their hands.
| Nineteen of the States Of this Union in the
ardent, perhaps, in some cases, inconsideratey
ardent, pursuit of this improvement of their own
condition, have become involved some Of them
heavily involved, in debt. The greatest portion
oil This debt has been contracted for the accom-.
plIshment of stupendous works to expedite and
facilitate the intercourse Of travel and of trade be.
tween The Iemotest extremes of this great Repub-
tic, s"arInlng, from year to year, with redoubnp
MILLIONS OF population. 1t is 10 exaggerated est.
mate OF the value of these works to saw that the
saving OF time, Of labor, and of expense TO indi.
vidua citizens OF the Union, enjoying the benefit