Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-12

act, if unrepealed, IS seii.nuliineu " 'He 'o'1s
clause contained in 1t, VIZ: :,
,.p,er;J,J That nothing herein contained shall be
construed to the prejudice of future applications Tor
reduction OF the price of the public lands or 10 me pre-
iudce of applications for The transfer OF Tue puoc au
-, reasonable terms to the States within winch ihp!
lie or 10 make such future dspos'''"n OF ''e Puo'
lands. or any part thereof, as Congress may deem ex'
pedent." .,,
The question of distribution remains, therefore,
mere question of dollars aud CENTS
CONGRESS has agreed, for the present, that there
shall be distribution in time of peace, 80 long as 'he
,e Of The reasury does not require the imposition oi
duties exceeding 20 per centum ad vaorem; but thal
whenever il becomes necessary TO subject The people
10 such an amount Of taxation, then the proceeds OF Inc
nnblic lands. instead of being distributed among the
States shall remain III the Treasury 10 tighten ti'e
burden OF taxation, iihposeo oh TIC PeoPie W '"e
deral Government.
ON the other hand it is said, that by ceasng TO re-
on, n the public lands for revenue, and by relying
wholly on duties the question of The Federal revenue Is
relieved from the disturbing cause oil The Iucluatioh
and uncertainty of The element oil The revenue derived
from public lands and that moreover The necessity thus
created for higher rate of duties on lmporls's bench.
cu 10 certain interests by giving them higher pFoec
| ton.
This assumes contrary 10 what experience proves,
that The revenue from customs will be OF itself alone
enough to carry the Government. Whereas, tor
auu that at present appears, unless recourse be had
10 The public lands it may be necessary either to add
continually TO the public debt, or to provide additional
revenue by means Of excses stamp duties, or direct
tax on real or personal estate.
Besides which, in the present attitude OF The ques
lion if the protected interests have adequate per
manent projection, without meddling with The question
of the public lands, is not better Tor those interests
to make sure Of and be content with, an abundany
good thing, adequate permanent protection, ralhef
Than desperately and wantonly TO throw away that
onndantiy GOOD thing The chase OF the idle shadow
of a supposed better thing
For Il is 10 be remembered that the Distribution
question has become mere wachwoFd oil paites, ana
that unstable all party ascendancy IS IN Tue un'teo
States il is unwse, aud not sound caculaonot sta
by and certainty for the protected interests build
themselves on the sandy foundation OF such an neon
siderable point this, and on decision vi th' qnes
ton which decision, al any new election, - subject
TO be revised and probably reversed by another Con-
gress.
Then as a consideration Of money, what Id the
amount Of money which any person IN the U. D. ~ To
gain by the proposed repeal OF this Limitation OF The
distribution acE
sum of money is to he paid over 10 the several States
by the Federal Government. What IS The proht and
loss on this process each individual citizen oil The w.
4 States:
1t would be we'll Tor every citizen of the U. ., before
he undertakes ccnsure any members oi the present
Congress- for not wishing to stop the wheels of Co.
vernent for the sake Of Distribution before he makes
up his mind to two three years OF "grndlng power
y in order TO ge, his share Of the distribution, TO sit
down deliberately with pen and paper, and reckon up
the amount of his share.
Suppose a million of dollars, million and half, or
even two millions, to be distributed, how many cents,
or rather how few cents, will that make 10 each ndvl-
dual citizen of the U. S Let every man calculate for
himself And, in order to get those few cents head,
do the farmers miners manufacturers sugar planters
and mechanics intend desire to sacrifice the Tariff
/ But, suppose they get those few additional cents
which the repeal Of The limitation will give them
Suppose instead of cents it were dollars, would there
lie any profit in the operation? Where does the money
they are from: Is 1t not their own mo.
new paid the Government IN taxes out OF their own
pockets For the distribution money 10 be taken out
Of a deficient, not an overlooking Treasury. Every
dollar withdrawn from the Treasury for distribution
leaves u which has got TO be filled by additional
taxes; and it is very losing operation for you TO pay
taxes TO the Government in order to have the Govern
men pay back the nett proceeds TO you; because you
do not get all your money back again. 1t would
have been much better to have kept 1t in your own
pocket the whole tme for you receive II back subject
TO the deduction Of the loss and expenses incurred IN
the process Gifts being collected from you kept awhile,
and then returned 10 you by the Federal Government
Or, view it in another way. In order TO get two
millions distribute, il becomes necessary TO impose
tax on tea and coffee Which is best for every poor
man in the country: TO receive few cents head dis
tribution money, or TO drink unaIed cofec and tea?
But it is said the distribution is for the benefit OF the
States some of which are very much in debt. But,
what then. What is State: The argument implies that
State something totally independent of, and discon-
nected from, the people OF the Stale The Federal G"-
yernment is TO impose taxes the people Of all the
States united, collect the money into the Federal Trea-
sury and then pay it over TO the State Governments.
Would il not be direct, cheaper, and better for
the people of the States, to pay these taxes at once
4 into their own Stale Treasury, Or, on the other
hand what reason is there for employing the agency
OF the Federal Government TO collect part of the mo-
ney needed to conduct the State Governments which
does not apply TO the whole Why not give up State
taxes altogether, and centralize the Government at
once, by having uniform system oil taxation, and
collection and disbursement for all objects whatever
within the limits Of the Union, relnqnishing the pre-
sent system of taxation, collection and disbursement
for any object under The separate authority OF the ndi
ydua States, Certain is, that citizen of an ndi
vdua Stale any thing in taxes oy this round
about process of paying to the Federal government
and through the Federal Government back to his own
State the taxes necessary 10 carry on his own State
/ Government.
So that neither to any individual citizen of the U.
S. nor the citizen Of any Of The indebted States
and still less TO any citizen OF either OF The nntndebed
States is IL easy how any pecuniary Prett should
accrue by the distribution Of The proceeds Of the sales
ofthe Public Lands ehiiStMe Fedrra TreaSuryis IN
efficient and impoverished condition.
Tables are published in the newspapers showing how
much money each county and each State, NC, would
be entitled to receive under the Distribution act. UM
WE'LL but ,cih dfoient and innpOrerishcd Treasury
the table of what each State would receive under the
act ought TO be accompanied with table oil what each
State had to contribute in taxes in order TO make up the
sum disrbuted and il would then be seen, that Mas
sachusets for instance must pay two dollars IN taxes
for every one dollar she receives in distribution.
Nor independently Of this, the distribution, as
SUCH of the proceeds ohe public lands he of essential
service to any Of the indebted States For the amount
TO be received by each is nconsderahle that If the
of the State of Illinois, cannot
provide 10 pay her public debt without this pit
lance, she cannot with it.
II may he that the State Governments wholly una
Die to carry en- their financial ntiars-tha they
have not strength, courage or virtue TO face their
pecunary difficulties 10 raise money 10 pay their debts,
to their people for the pecuniary obligations they
have incurred; and that it will become necessary for
them have in this emergency to the tax
chirery Of the Federal Government. IL may be that
the indebted States expect and intend 10 call on The un
indebted States to contribute for their relief from their
financial ernbarrassmens IL SO, then the existing the
ory of the Constitution, and ofthe relation Of the Fede