Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1842-01-13

dltureS.
1t is worthy of consideration also, whether the
large draughts now made upon the treasury for
The payment of costs in criminal prosecutions may
not with advan tage be transferred to the respec-
tive Counties in which they occur To my own
mind, there would b. evident proprely IN the
change. Should ii be adopted IN addition to other
advantages it " ould not perhaps be unreasonable
to believe, that the vigilance and security OF the
county officers, while doing justice to all inter-
ested, would effect very considerable reduction
of the aggregate amount of this portion oil the
public expenses.
| would also suggest the expediency of repeal
inr the law approprating the per centum now paid
on the bank capital to the several towns and plant
atoms in the State for the support of schools 1t is
a tax usually paid with promptness, and can be
conveniently relied on by the Treasurer for the
payment ofthe interest on the public debt, and
! other demands upon the treasury. When diVid-
ed and distributed, the amount received by the
| towns aud plantations is but trfling-and as the
deficiency thus caused in the treasury has to be
supplied BY a tax those who receive the suppos-
1 ed benefit, there would seemto be 10 good reason
for Directing to a repeal especially II we cohsd-
er further that the expense of an additional assess
! nent and collection would be thereby avoided. II
our common schools were 10 suffer determent from
the course suggested however favorable IN Imam
cial point of view it would constitute serious
objection to it, II is believed however, they viii
not. An equal amount of money for the support
of schools would probably be raised by the towns
and plantations, to that now raised, including the
portion now received by the bank tax. And this
would operate no hardship as the dminution of
the State tax would correspond with the school
tax.
If therefore, the sums justly due from the gen.
rral government and from individuals, be paid
our resources i'll land and timber be properly hus-
banded-the treasury be relieved from the pay
ment Of the bank tax and costs of criminal pros
ppDfiOnS-thn m rIpId economy be DIlCtISpd IN
all the departments of government-and a reas-
able amount be raised by assessment-we may
hope to see our state debt rapidly diminishing and
> thereby avoid the odous imputatlon Of throwing
5 the burden upon our children, justly belonging
to ourselves
Nc notice, thus far has been taken of any a
mount to be received under the Act of Congress,
providing for distribution of the proceeds oi the
public lands, inasmuch as cherish that hope that,
that law will not long be permitted to dsfgure the
statute book. Deemng 1t to be IN violation OF the
Constitution, dangerous precedent, corrupt
ing in its nfnences,a deluson and cheat in the
good it proposes, prospective burden to the tax
payer, and, under all circumstances, an act little
short of faulty, cannot refrain from recommend
ing the adoption OF resolutions upon the subject,
and instructions ON your part to those who are
bound to obey you, to exert their influence to
procure its immediate and unconditional repeal.
, A former act to avoid the difficulties lnterpos-
2 ed by the Constitution, made to assume the
form of deposit of the public money with the
States. The late law does not adopt even this poor
disguise. 1t makes ostensblv and in fact, an alb
solute Gift. If therefore, II have any warrant
y in the Constitution, it is not easy to perceive
why equal authority may not be found for bes
towing gratuitously any money in the treasury
from whatever sources it may have accrued. Con
gress is limited i'll its powers to those granted IL
the Constitution. The power to give away tn,
public money, is nowhere to be found in that in
all needful ru les and regulations respecting the
l territory and other property of he United States
cannot be made to include without doing gross
violence to the plain and palpable import OF the
language used To sell and dispose of land is one
thing. To give away the money arising from such
Il sale, is another and different thing. One is ex-
pressly authorsed-the other is not. Nor would
the be relieved of difficulty by reference to
the peculiar terms of the deeds of cesson from
the individual States, even if the act applied to
the proceeds of the coded lands alone. But it does
not. Much the largest portion of the public lands
were acquired by purchase, with money from the
treasury, raised mainly by an indirect tax upon
the people AT large. Stripped of its DISCUSSES the
act clearly involves the power of tarafi0n Tor the
purpose ofdistFibutioa and practical conirma.
ton of this, is exhibited in the fact that smuta
Erous with the Donation was the raising of the tar
| if and the creation Of loan.
Its injustice and nexpedicncy,are no less glar.
ing than It's unconstutlonality. That it creates
void in the treasury to the extent of fhe amount
distributed, is evident. That the whole amount
was needed TO detray the ordinary expenses OF the
government, has been officially shown How then
can this void be supplied, but by taxation, direct
or indirect; A loan does not change but merel y
poStDones the result. Providing for the defcen
cy by raising the tariff, draws the amount indirect
ly, from the pockets of the consumers and conse-
quently to a considerable extent, will constitute
tax on persons and not on property The opera