Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-05-02
VOL. kX.-.yO. 20.

tuns irua tie Department show that in the last three
months tho land. have produced but hundred thou
.nd dollars and assuming this AS the basis of cacus
ton the whole amount for the year VIII not exceed
million.
But where is this land fund Il has not gone from
II in the course Of employment by the Treasury
or tie Senator from New Hampshire, when at tho head
OF the Treasury, as have already said, laid his hands
on whatever he could reach, trus-fsnds and all. A
laugh This land fund then las not passed away it
is still IN use By this Government, is il correct TO
say that 1t is yet IN any other hands than But
wefe all they say Is, ii would not from tbs
Necessity Of laying new duties.
What were the motives under which the law was
psasd' The inst and greatest Of all the general
confioion Of The necessity OF adopting measure
thai should quiet that element Of agltato the question
Of the public lands. III this point OF view il
mrndrd bl General jackson himself. and the necessity
Nas iecognstd md admitted by every Senaior IN all
sides 81 tie Chamber. rlous schemes 10 settle il were
proposed here The Senator from South Carolina sug
Res,d ccSslon 10 the new States; the Senator from
hlsso0 suggested graduation, aud. believe, ultimate
eeaslen Other Senators proposed other plans--pans
Winch looked mol 10 revenue Int 10 a final disposition "
the eXrd question. None oi The advocates OF these
fiens ach'mca urged hcr own plan discussed tho
Eeuenl question. principally with any view 10
On The contrary. lie Committee on Ike Public Lands,
asmaeh ten years ago expressly declared that the
public domain ought 10 cease 10 be source ot revenue.
and pointed 10 the customs reliance for that
end-th". very customs TO winch We now propose 10
resent The discussion OF these projects for final dis
p4sal Of the lands greatly ogitaed the public mind. and
ere Ms general untasn.ss the subject beth IL aud
ont oi Congress II WAS under llese circumstances that
proposed the distribution Of the proceeds # the public
domain among thu States. This mode Of d3posing of
the subject was recommended by It's equality and its
equity by our duty 10 postcny, and by Tie bonoIs 1T
would coucr upon all tlc Suites. Two questions pre-
vent Themselves III considering the plan. s. the qucs
uon d power; AMI md the question Of eSpediency
Aud, hfHt, a7 10 The question ot power. shall not
her ouNcr the ground which well occupied hy
A+4,, t. a.
matiee, Mr. Saun) lt sustained the power Of Cons
9tfss 10 make thus distribution hy weight Of authority
winch Was astoniahcd Senators the other side did
mol bow To and aclnoW ledge His proofs drawn
from every quarter, from General Jackson, the admitted
Ia ad OF hcr party from repeated OF Congress
in word, from every sort o documentary proof calcu
lated 10 carry conviction TO the human mind shall not
argue the question again that ground Nor shall
20 nj largo into the constitutional view Of the subject
but shall say only word on The terms Of the deeds Of
eesson to the Inilcd States. These cessions werc
made under the old Confederation, when the several
States Wcrr required to contribute hcr respective quo
as to the gcneal expenditure And What was the Ian
2naae employed by glna Ia her de I'd O eessoa, which
led the 10 all the resR That the ccdcd lands slall
be considered as common fund. Tor the and benefit
Il sir Of the nted States as have become shall be-
como members o tho Confederation or Federal Alliance
81 tht said states, UgUd Htef9Sire, according to their
usual rcpccie proportions in The general charge and
ptnditnrc; aud shall Go faithfully and bona tte dispose
d Ion that purpose, aud or other and purpose
whatever
W. commended that this language looked severalty-
10 separate aud distinct benefit Of each OF the States,
measured 10y the charge to which it liable in the
genela expenditure At the period of the grant, under
The cid articles ol Cont, deption each State liable
oberacd upon by rcquson for It's quota OF the neccs
aA charge or expenditure Of the General Government
aud the d'gree d benefit to which to he entitled
by the terms Of tho grant the Of that quota
The Senator from Ncw York fAIr. Wmenr) speaks a.
bout rcycIson Ia The ctdng States after the purposes
oi the grant should be cNhanstrd; but that is the
language Of the deedol ccsson gives the land the
States, for the benefit Of caei according the quota Of
each III the general charge aud expenditure Tile durl-
ton ul the grant Is therefore coeeXlensve with the
nnnanoc OF the tonlcderacy union of the States
And the only question is in what mode shall the several
States cuWy the benefit of the grant according lis
true spirit and meanng2 Whilst the Coniederacy ex.
srd lhcrc difficulty in apportioning the proceeds
Of the lands among the States An raised
with each State, which the was debiled with her
ot OF the general change oud credited with her share
d the proceeds of the public lands II there had been
general charge Tor the General Government, then,
each State would have had the separate enjoyment Of
its respective share in the proceeds of the lands. But
alter The adoption ofthe Federal Constitution the power
ol taxation conceded 10 the General Government.
II sno longer possible to ascertain what is the charge
each state Tor the public expenditure and what ought
Ia be her corresponding benefit from the public domain
~ lar from the distribution Law being violation of the
terms o the deeds OF cosslon maintain (and challenges
reiutaun) that during every day since the present
CONSTITUTION was cSlallSltd, nj all events since the
payment Of the debt of the Revolutions for which the
public lands pledged, ccmpietel YOU, by
nnlng to hold the proceeds of the lands. have your
selves been violating the spirit Of the deeds of cession
But II Is commended that il this argument be 30
sound applies an to the lands coded and not TO those
acquired by treaty. Agreed; but it is tho coded lands
that yield by FAR the greater part Of the proceeds to tho
Treasury; and To the others. the Constitution contains
a provision bread enough amply To the whole
ground both of the coded lands and the nds acquired
by the treaties of Louisiana and Florida What is its
anguapc} The Congress shall have power to disposs
e. and make all necdu rules and regulations respecting
the territory other property belonging to the United
+ States Can any grant of power be more clear
plc and free from all qualification rosrciion2 The
whole subject Of the grant Is contided to the sound
but absolute and uncontrolled discretion of Congress-
But the Senator from New Hampshire tells US that
''dsposo Of only To SELL but this is not the
true aud legal force the yernacular meaning of tho
terms employed. Todisnose OF thing i'll law and rea-
son to ALLEVIATE, to part from, give away Yes,
To give away. The words dispose off, probably
transplanted from the deeds Of cesson into the Constiih
Thus that from Virginia declares, after granting
the lands for the benefit othe several Sates that they
shall " be faithfully and bona de disposed Of for that
purpose, and for other purpose whatever"
naneotly intending to employ the words disposed Off
IN the comprehensive and unestrained sense Tor which
now contend. That the gentlemen themselves tho
ether side understood these terms. is demonstrated
by their projects to cede the lands? And what hrs
been the practice Of the Government Has ii rot gives
the lands away by hundreds Of thousands of acres
cry variety Of ohecs--o purposes of philanthropy, pus