Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-03-25
TIE MONEY

II
disnation OF the people. letter from Dinw idde
these msn-wha, do they meant Are they
bent on self-desiruelion1 without a cent in
the TreasuTy-on tho beg-will they yet withhold
this pi,tanes from thes constituents am comfort
ell by the rejection, that IL will lead to their over
throw. Then We may say for once, that alb
straeilon achieved great eood," A letter from
Buckingham says: ~ hope Gregory will not hesi-
tate to appoint agent the first day OF his Admin
istraIion and thereby entie himself to tho thanks
Of every taxpayer in the commonwealth. If lie
thinks il right. he will be to do IL, and how
can man Of his good sense think otherwise ~
Without knowing, we ppprehcnd, that MIR Gregory
may consider himself instructed by the refusal Of
the Leeislature-and will not act unless the people
at the polls shall declare their wishes in favor OF
the reception Of the money.
Letters from other quarters, and the entire Whig
press Of the State TO the same purport. All do
clare in favor OF the money. II this question be
properly presented to the people, there will DO
thirty Locos returned to the next House of Dele
gates. Let the wings bear this in mind aud 20 to
work accordingly.
As sample Of tho sentiments Of the press, the
following sound article from the Winchester Repub-
liean is preSon,ed;
From the Wineht,isr Republican, March IS.
THE LAND FUND.
The relief which we promised ourselves in Vir-
GINA from the operation of the act OF Congress
providing for the distribution Of the proceeds OF the
sales Of the public lands amor: the States has been
dashed from lips iy tho refusal of the I.esisn-
iure To appoint an agent to receive the portion tn
which Virginia IL entitled. How this result, 50
injurious 10 the State, hiss been accomplished, and
trho Gre 's.ps-sit!s for a. questions about which
we src not len 10 conjecture. II will he seen, by
reference 10 the proceedings of the Senate and
House OF Delegates, and the recorded OF the
! representatives, Of -. people, that the wisdom or
The FOLLY, the good or the evil of this proceeding,
onss exclusively 10 the SO called Democratic
party IN the Legislatute-those peculiar friends OF
The dsar PsoP!e-mos,o OF whom obtained their places
by pro'estaiions OF regard for their interests which
would bind them TO pursue measures calculated TO
lessen Their burdens, and relieve the ombarT1ssme ns
/ under which they were Suffering. How they have
fedosmed heIT promises, let their rcco ded votes on
this important question answer. We have wit
messed within the past few years, much Of the
blghiniHs effects OF party spirit upon the hes. in
ieress % Tue country. We have seen a powerful
party, under the guidance OF selfish and desie nns
leaders, moving on, step by step. from experiment
I TO experiment, and from one ruinous measure 10
another, until the county has been precipilated from
height Of Prosperity unsurpassed by any other
on the face Of the globe 10 the very verge OF uni
| Government of the Union, unable to meet the Just
| demands Of its creditors, resorting TO shifts and
contrivanees for temporary relief and finally, is
the case at this very moment under protest for the
| non payment off its bIl q. We have seen the sove
reign States OF this Confederacy boldly and, in the
face OF day, repud.at:ng obligations into which they
had enersd, and to the observance Of which they
stood pledged IN the mos; solemn form. We have
! conhdercn between man and man growing weaker
and weaker, until private credit has almost pcrshed
beneath the rank growth of suspicion and distrus',
whose baleiul influence is and felt in all the
business relations of society. And il is at moment
/ like this, when the people, writing in agony under
| the accumulated evils which bad men ard bad
measures have inflicted upon the country, most
| need relief, that we find party IN the Virginia
Legislature refusing TO receive into the public Trea
sury OF the State fund which ordinarily would be
more than sufficient 10 derny the annual charges of
the Government and 10 which the State is in every
view, as Justly entitled as che is 10 the tax which
che evcs upon the property Of her citizens. III the
annals OF history, ancient or modern, sacred pro-
fame, furnish any example faulty to be compared
with this, unless 1t be in the of Esau who sod
his birth right in the kingdom OF Idumea for a mess
Of poinge, 1t has most certainly altogether escaped
our researches.
Let It be horne in mind ,hat the question presented
10 the Legislature was not a question as TO whether
il was right or wrong in Congress TO have directed
this money 10 be paid over to the States. That
was question which was fully considered and de-
hated 10y Congress. and who, IN our opinion wisely
decided 10 make the distribution. The question: and
the only question, for the Legislature of Virginia,
was simply, Will you receive your share OF the
money! And this, the average annual amount Of
which il is estimated would reach from 5000 900 To
$500 600, Is scorniully rejected 10y Legislature
at the very time when complaints are going up 10
them om the people IN oil parts Of the State, set
ting forth the deep pecunary distress which affects
them, and imp'oring the Legislature for some mea-
OF relief; and the relief which they grant u.s. to
reject the States quoto OF the sales Of the public
lands-to search for new subjects OF taXation-nnd,
after all, TO exc out deficient revenue by borrowing
money from the banks; and then, after having Dor
rowed hundrtd s Of Thousands o. do lars from these
institutions, they have the shameless efrontery TO
turn round and dcnounce them 10 the world for
having loaned too much money. The people have
asked for bread, and ye have given them stone.
How those who have done this deed dare TO face
their constituents and ask a renewal OF the trust
they have so much abused And can it be that a
people who boast OF their intelligence will prove so
blind 10 their own interests that their perception of
right and wrong IS so blunted ard besoued by the
fell spiri; OF party thathey will again condo their
interests to hands that have grossly betrayed
theml We call upon the people Of Frederick espe
on'ly, 10 examine this question cooliy and dispas
sonately and TO decide for themselves whether
their wishes and interests have been consulted in
this most indeenSIble act Of their Legislature We
cali upon them 10 look to the recorded votes Of the
House OF Delegates where they will find that with
the exception Of MIR Grimes, Of Poeahontas, and
MIR Martin OF Tyler, the entire body OF the Demo
cratic members las they eaed) voted against its
reception; and after having done So TO cast their
eyes at the votes taken in the Senate, where the
party, without an exception, refused TO vote for the
eception Of the money, unless coupled with a pro
position which they we'll knew would defeat il al.
together. And after they have done this, we ask
them 10 determine 70: themselves whether they can
be instrumental in again returning members 10 the
next Legislature who have shown themselves ready
and willing TO play into the hands OF party leaders
al the expense Of those whose interests they were
chosen 10 defend and protect. Ii needs no prophet
TO tell Us, that, unless the immense fund which must
accrue from the sales OF these lands IS distributed
amongst tho States at once, the day is not distant
when will be too late TO assert our Just claims in
regard 10 them. II is truth known to all that tho
political power Of the country is rapidly pass ng
from the old TO the new States IN which these lands
lie; and that the day in which they acquire he 8.
tendency in the councils Of tho nation wi forever
put an extnguisher upon the claims of the old
States. Indeed, propositions TO code or IN effect 10
give them to the new States have already been
made, and 1t has been again and again boldly md
eNuungly proclaimed 10y Col. Benton and other
Senators from the new States that "the time would
soon como when tho will Of the new States would
stand for law" on this subject; Or in pain English
when tho new States would hold and exercise the
power Of con mttng them TO their own use Are
the people Of the old Stntes-ae the people OF Vir-
glnn-willlng 20 stand by with folded arms until
that day arrives, which ~ 10 strip them 70 eyei Of
their interests in these lhnds1-or will they assert
their claims before is too ate7 II they would act
wisely and efficiently, they must net al ones and
take care 10 select those only asheir representatives.
who will not racrhcs the interests Ut The psope 10
nfgmote the vfeye n nofty Icnd,rr 49,.