Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-08-29


the ordinary expenses of the Government is TO
waste and destroy the properly. This property
is held by Congress in trust Mr.. Tyel speaks
of the distribution as il it was giving dtsdy the
property. 1t is precisely the reverse. 1t is restor-
ing II 10 the owner To appropriate the proceeds
to delray the current expenditures is to give it up
to dilapidaton and waste. 1t is in political econ
omy precisely the same MS if an individual land
holder should sell of, year after year, parcels of
his estate, and consume its proceeds in the pay
ment OF his household expenses. The first prln
ciplo oil political economy necessary Tor nation
is 10 raise by tdrdtion within the year the whole
sum required for the expenditures of that year
Every departure from this principle is a step in
tho path of national bankruptcy aud ruin. The
daily demands of tie Treasury must be supplied
by the income derived from taxation by the year,
aud not by the dissipation of the common property.
The second reason of the President for object
ing to the passage Of this bill is not more ponder
Gus than the first 1t is the destitute aud enlbHr-
raised state of the Treasury, and the mpolicy, If
not uncOnsiuOnality, OF girtbg dtcdy fruitful
source of revenue, which il retained may be sei1
ell 10y the Government aud applied 10 meet it's dali
ly wants. But the President had just told us that
this fruitful source of revenue was Il subject Who'll
ly dlsslmllar in its character FROM that OF revenue
raised by duties Of impost-so dlssnar That the
union of them formed in his mltd an insurnOun-
table objection to the passage OF the bill. most
respectfully submit (suys The messagc) whether
this is lime giUe atcdy the proceeds Ut tie aud
sales, when the public lands constitute II iund
which OF all others may he made most useful in
sustaining tho public credit Ard how cout5 it
be made thus useful Precisely 10y girjng them
dUdy. by giving them away forever! For II the
principle he once established that HE proceeds of
the sales Of The public lands shah he cubs uned
~ The place OF revenue 10y taxation To dcifay the
ordinary annual cXpcusus OF the National Govern
ment, never more will the people Of any Salc in
this Union haye The benefit of one dollar from this
richest OF mines OF incxhausah'e wealth, bcstOw-
Ell upon them by their bOunlilul Creator Tor the
Improvement OF their own condition. Bun giren
dt0dy-yes, 10 The last cent giUen aiOdy forever 10
pamper the reckless extravaganza Of u Govern
inent forever preaching relrcnchmcnt ui,d crOnO-
my and forever heupIlg million upon million ut
annual expenditures "IU suckle armies and dry
nurse the land"
The 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
10 the ordinary annual expenditures would be The
only eflectuuI aud rretIievable giving atCdy OF that
great aud incsliInable Inheritance ot the american
People. That, If once that growing nnd mex
hausIahle fund shall be doomed 10 form the whole
or any part OF the tOGys aud means for the annual
estimates of the receipts and expenditures OF The
National Government, the People may bitl fare
well, long farewell, TO every hope OF ever recelv
ing dollars useful improvement from that gift
OF God 10 them, thus cruelty and perhdiously
wrrsted from their hands.
Nineteen Ol the States in this Union in the ar
dent, perhaps, in some cases neon ,lIernlely ar
dent, pursuit of the improvement Of their own
condition, hace become involved, some of them
heavily involved, in debt But the greatest portion
of this debt has been contracted Tor the accom-
plishtnent of stupendous works To expedite and
facilitate the intercourse OF lrave and OF trade he
tween The remolest extremes OF this great Rcpub.
lie, swarinng, from year To year, with rebuilding
millions OF population. 1t Is no exaggerated esl-
mate OF the value of these works to say, that The
saving of time, OF labor, and OF expense TO ind-
yiduuI citizens OF the Union, enjoying tho benefit
OF these public works, more than repHys, in every
single year, The whole cost OF their construction.
But, while these immense benefits have been
thus secured TO the People, us commuuiiy oi ill.,
dlydualS the States which authorized them have
contracted q burden of liabilities hea, Ter than they
arc able to bear They need the assistance Of
friendly md powerful hand aud where should
they tiud il but in the sympathes Of tho National
Government in their fidelity 10 the trust COMMIT
ted 10 their charge, in this immense and almost
boundess public domain The application OF the
proceeds of the public lands 10 alleviate the bur-
den of those debts pressing upon the people ol-a-
most all the States, 49, not the only, the most un
exceptionnble mode of extending the mighty arm
of the Union to relieve the people OF the States
from the pressure Cf the burden bearing upon
thcm-n relief consisting only of the distribution
among them Of their own prOperty-a relief fur
nishing them the means OF paying to the United
States themselves no nc0nsidernble portion OF the
debts due from the Suites to them 50 TINT hy one
and The same operation the people Of the States
will he relieved from the nOerablG pressure Of
their debi, and the common Treasury Of the Uniun
will receive back in payment OF debt no small part
OF the same Sums allotted to the States us their
respective portions of the distribution.
The committee regret that abe shOrincss OF the
time which they have allowed themselves for lie
prepalatio OF this report consrans them 10 pass
oven numerous Other considerations amounting 10
tie clearest demonstration tlut the distribution
among the States of the proceeds of The sales OF
the public lands will be Infinitely more conducive
to the ends OF jusIlco and Ia the reei OF the peo
pie from Their embarrassmenis, than the devotion
OF the same funds to he swallowed up in the nsL-
itate guph of the annual expenses OF the Federal
G0vernment-to perish in the using, like the nine
millions Of the fourth insalmcnt promised to the
States, the seven or ght millions OF stock in the
Bank OF the United States, and the five or six mill
ions Indian trust aud Navy pension funds, all sunk,
during the Van Buren, administration, without
leaving wreck behind.
Tins review of the reasons of the President for
obJecIing 10 the passage of the bill might be ex-
tended far more into detail, aud all leading TO the
conclusion that they are feeble, Inconsistent, and
unsatisfactory. II remains only Tor the House to
take, ny yeas and nays, the question upon the final
passage of the bill, and as the majority OF the
colnmltlee cannot indulge, even alphabetically,
He oosu'u hoPe vi aHhJoIly filneT III iillS UT inc
other House OF Congress competent to the enact
ment OF the bill into law, they leave The House
10 determine What further measure they may deem
necessary aud practicable by the necessary author
ny in the present calamilous condition OF The
country.
They perceive that the whole legislative power
of the Union has been for the last fifteen months.
with regard TO the action of Congress upon meas
ures of vital Importance, in a state OF suspended
animation, slrangled by the five times repeated
structure OF the Executive cord. They observe
that, under these unoxalnped distractions 10 The
exercise OF their high and legitimate duties, they
have hitherto preserved tbs most respectful for
bearance towards the Executive chief; that while
he has, Time after lime, annulled by The mere uct
Of his will their commission from The People 10
enact laws for the common welfare, they have for
horne iL.n exLreasinn IL IheL