Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-04-25
DISTRIBUTION OF TIE LANDFCND.

We sec no difficulty IN ansm eng liz kjcHs e. IL,
f,ssn' the correspondent Of the "Repati!c1na who
Las attempted 10 controsett tie tpn.ors ayowed y Us
i, reference 10 the Dis.ril u,ion policy
/, his second letter h. contends that III the lands
woe designed 7'si it3d II Tie lards If gps,Tr-
,,,at. and that Trust Las teen falfd. il clear that
he government IS dyr,iel oi III rgi, whatever in
card to the subject oHr;lswor To IL is, Hat the
,,u.t has net teen flfsd tie e,ds aeess,u requiring
Inst that government sail L.ld tic an,s in rerpeiuy
I,i mol as sotrcc = ie7sa1t Il jtse,f. The deeds
were drawn with rhallalc oste aud lttc.-i,n Fl lar
suage indeed if, !lest,ire tie lurT,sp 10 Which the
Land fund might lclentr,d, IL throw aT,rrd the G
sual ri ats Of the Sicits inIT.gn:lo larr.or The
" gina deed, for cNasplc, declared that the fluid de
RI ed ium the proceeds Of the ards should lie for 1.-The
use aud benefit Of the etates,-in what way By
louring into lie treasury. and arl rating II 10 the
ordinary expenditures Il tic i,doial eoNeniGor2 No.
But according oir usual r,sl ectiye proportions in
the ecncrai charge and Slciditurt" Let il lie rcncu-
LcI,d that this dotd made tt.Ctr tie nd Ceni,d-
ega.l1n SYSTEM and prar to the adoption ol the federal
crnseion When the Irrespective p'epprtloHs' Gl each
Sat, lin the geEonl olarc AID ortun cold he
asccriaincd with absolute ccr'anty. Congress theap-s
,,eael no power Of loaltg duties uips;s. or Of
Kissing revenue IN any oL,r wa,. The States raised it
al, and Cotafess u2te :.In,a nelustor- ultn them
Tor the amounts Which tley wee s,yelay required 10
contribute, according ia GN,d and eq-l ratio Tie in
rrst Ct each Ct lcu III III and fund tl, fore bore
M accurate frororon - dc at Nil each vas re
CURED TO Contribute 10 tic "g,rlal srtnl.tr3e.'
Thus: If 4 ltauisiaa nae upsu Virginia fr
100000 and So much Land sid during tie year
asenlitlcd her tothe sen 10000 shc,was compelled
to raise the additional sum o tjoC0ly upon her
citizens, 10 make up the deficiency; aud, ty parity Of
reasoning well according the strict rules o JUS
tce her Interest ii ti.c iand sales amounted $1,000
she would have been ehtt'ed the s,Hyas Of $4,000
IL 90 into her own treasury. When the cJ:stituon
vas adopted, the rights Il the S;at,s were MT in any
manner abridged but were, the contrary in express
terms affirmed. They are now rs much entitled to
their dstrihutiyc share in tic Public ans as they were
then And il is maiiif st that il is oiy by distributing
the proceeds Of the sales at the injunction Of the decd
can be complied with; fer il these proceeds flow into The
rational treasury. 10 be drawn out ty arprpati'n for
the purpose Of deaying the ordnaiy expenses Of the
national government IS manifest tat tar tm oacl
State aying the and benefit Of the lands accor
ding then usual respective proportions in the general
charge and expenditure lcw of the States, in which
there annually large expenditures will receive more
less, and Of the interior States. in Which there are
forts, arsenals, docks nor ship }ars n vessels
Of var. troops viii ulaju scarcely a dollar It is on
yby distributing hr Pr goods at the reht ftho States
t, an equal participation in The the Iand iurd can lie
stcurcdand the federal COY crnmcnt is the pc.1anent
trustee. to which is entrusted the solemn duty ,lpratcc-
ting aud guarding tie right OF each and all tf them
Aud may remark here by the way, though MOI strict
" applicable 10 the subject, tla& Mr.. Calhous propo-
son TO diyes the federal government of all control of
the subject. by surrendorn2 the management of the
Lands on certain conditions, the States in which
they lie would be rlac treach trust, and faith
lees disregard of the most binding obligation.
But then met " it'll the objection that il is Il
common fad' and the IDEA is some extent prevalent
that it IS thcre not property distribeiabt ued Tie
the iallacy Of tbs ora, however. may he sloWu "
very simple liu5tration--hus: I. y. and C. wealthy
capitalists, propose to throw together int 'onnon
iuod, $4,000 each lor purposes of traffic. and net
being disposed to cngage in the drudgery # tn.ncss
themselves, they appoint ihcr agent to manage the bu
snes, with written instructions to appropriate tie prof
lis to tieir Use aud leni', according 10 their Fr.
portion IN the general charge and cApendurc' of the
pint concern. Snppse after paying alloypeaaes It ;hc
end Of the first year, D finds that he las made pu fit
OF S}o9O-What docs he do with ii? Has he, the a
gent Of 4, y and {, the right II ,lau il FIR himself
and appropriate to his uses? Just much as the
general government, the agent Of the States for the
management and disposition of the Land fund. has to
seize upon the money arising from the sale othc Lands
and by singular peryt rsion Of the meaning oineuagc
e. "rrrcnue.' No: the fund. though "a coulnlon
f' a nevertheless dstrilutablc and Us duty would
be distribute toll y aud {, $1,000 apiece the dis
tri5atirc share of each in this ''conmcn iiq.d"
We are tod, however, Ly jefferson" tlat even if
'hcrc re arcre.icnoIy interest IN the Public ands ii is
limited 10 the States which made the c,ssson and
that eight Of tho original thirteen States IN which there
were no public lands and the thirteen rev members Of
tho Con'dcracy have elt TO participate in lis bcne
fits. To this most singular ASST rtion-tle more sngu-
lar that it is made by gentleman ofuaqngsto1ed b-
/. and Of discriminating mind-wc l;yelut lef re
llY to make. 1t is this that his position would he true
II hc deeds If ccssicn lad not in cNprrs ems placed
all the States upon equal lco,in--ie la72uage Of
re Virginia deed may stand for al # ttrm and ii
rays tlat these lands shall be considered common
fund for The ss md LcncM cfsnch IF the United States
"s0Re incA:sice, rs HAVE BECOME OR SHALL
''ECoNE members # Ike ccJtdc,acg," Sc. The
e'''ng Stairs ty this EepcrouS provision reserved to
themselves greater share ia the public lands than they
voluntarily clinqnslcdto d,i1 sister States; and il is by
'hc'F generosity that the eight odd Suites. which
'heR members Of the Gontdcracv and which owned