Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-08-11
rOL. xLI.--.s0. a.

II Is obvious then ii TO me-. Tint the United
States ara but trustees holding the fund for the benefit
Of each and all the Staes that trustees the u States
IN Congress assembed hound to distribute the fund
according Ia what would be ''the usual and respective
charge and expenditure Of each Of the States il tho
cles oi confederation in force instead Of tho
Constitution; for must be borne in mind that at tho
time the deed Of cession executed by Vrpinis the
present Constitution of The United States had not boon
adopted Each State lhcn, Tor itself, was bound to
furnish s proper proportion Of the charge and expend
ure. which, however, tho States often neglected do
In order therefore 10 obviae tho serious enence
in come degree, aud fund for tho use Of the
States. these anda were ceded the e. s. as the agent
or trustee Of the several States for that pup 50, and fol
no other USE or purpose wha,ovor The article Of
federation 10 which reference evidently had, is tho
9Th. in these Words
"Anr. 3 All charges Of war and all other expcn
that shall be incurred for the common defence OF
general welfare aud allowed by tbs United States in
Congress assembled shall be deay ed ont of common
Treasury which shall be supplied by me several Slaes
N proportion to the value OF all land within each State,
granted 10 or surveyed for any person. snc land and
the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estna
ted, according To such mode the United S.ates in
Congress assembled shall from time to tlmo, direct and
appoint
"fho taxes for paving that proportion shall ba laid and
levied by Tho authority aud direction o the Legislatures
of the several States within The time agreed upon by tho
United States IN Congress nssombledp
II Is vrfy manifest thai the cedlg States merely IN
touded 10 place this Land Fund in the hands Of Con-
grrsa Whtte an the States are represented Tor their
bcuoft only. inasmneh ms. by the article have read
they We're thou required 10 provide treasury,
to be supplied by themselves in certain proportions or
IN the very words according 10 'te usual respective
charge aud expenditure" Tho reservation Of the
State OF Georgia, subsequent thereto after tho adoption
oilhe Constitution. but strengthens the position
II it Ind bren the intention TO place this fund uncondi
touay At the disposal Of Congress why limit H. Us wal
DONE 10 specific use. and to no other whatever II ii
was intended 10 be the property Of Congress, why
have declared it should he heirs instead Of settna il a
part or the Of the Staes II /, had been designed
10 be applied without respect To the States it would
most naturally It seems 10 me. have been declared to be
common iuud for all national purposes, instead Of beirf
specially reserved for the and benefit Of the Saies
including tho ccdlng States; aud this, | repeat IL the
language both Virginia and Georga-hnguago used
both before and after the Constitution was adoped
Slr saon alter the eessonby Virginia. the present Con
siituiinn Of the United States becano the supreme law
and II contains within itself all the powers of perfect
Government. Among others it has that "to declarp
war, ITO raise and support armies;o ''to provide and
maintain anavy.n That Congress might be enabled to-
carry these aud other powers into effect, without rey-
ing Ito be supplied by The States when necessary il
was hts provided ~ithihe power'to lay and colec.
taxes, duties imposa. and c1cisns. 10 pay the debts SC
o the L. States" and also, the that these fall
may lastly even "lafrow money tho credit of tho
l.. Sldtes' The Constitution declares in the 9Th sec
lion of the lsl article.
oil clauses,
Sos enumerated, the Congress Of tho t. s. has ample
powers 10 raise revenue wllhou; the aid of tho States
without luolg. to them fur spplies foJ hheoharges
Of war or "uthcr oxpensos." There is 10 claim, in
the Constitution, of this land fund for such purposes; but
On the contrary it Is implicitly diseaimod by the express
provision Tor tho powers have named This power 81
laying mposts, duties Imports while given to
Congress- eannot be exercised by any Of the Staes aud
II ~ expressly denied 10 them unless with the consent
Of Congress The States, therefore, being without tho
means OF missing revenue in the form that the Unitud
States do. they require lar themselves the OF the
land MONEY. would ask if it can be supposed for a mo-
mcnt. when the States parted with portion of their SOW
rsnty, they did in euncedng the General Govern
ment the power TO LAY and collect axes &c.. that they
meant to surrender all claim TO the land money! which
was properly lhcusl Did they Ia give up this l
the United States. well the pow 10 their own
clti2ensi Did they mean to reserve nothing, in
the hands OF trnsiees To pay their own dehts Sir. they
meant 10 place these lands in the hands Of Congress only
as their trustee and the trusenshp is recognised in tho
Sd section Of the d article of the Constitution, which
cuutcrs Congress the power ''o dispose of Tive pub
lie ands.' When we look for guide TO direct us how
the money is afterwards to be applied tho Consii,n-
ton is silent, naturally led TO tho compacts that
were made before and since tho Constitution was adop-
~ or IN other words. to the deeds Of cession. That VI
Virginia declares il 10 be common fund for the benefit
not OF the United Sates in Congress assembled, but for
the and benefit OF such of the United States wefo
them should become members of the confederation
each State State, is consequently kept up By the
words thai employed in all the cesslons; while the
intention 10 confer ON the l.. ). aggregate body,
the right to use this fund for the purposes Of the General
Gov enment is moi to be Inferred il being as a.
gain repeat appropriated 10 the and benefit of the
States and 10 no Other use purpose whatever.
After the close OF the Revolution, (said Mr. G) aud
down the close Of the late war; while the Gunc-
raj Government greatly in debt, when the country
had yet recovered from early struggle for liberty
hon
opraliou Of the land money national purposes was
acquosced in, rather than conceded be right Its APP
pcoon, therefore, under the circumstances the pay
menl Of the hlted States debts, certainly no argu-
mcnt in favor Of It's continuance now, when tho States
compelled TO cali their Tor it pay theiy
own debts.
There was at the time Of the cession of these lands,
degree OF prorroty in making the disposition of them
that ultimately effected. Some of tho States Wero
small, and therefore naturally looked with little jeal-
ousy the larger ones; and indeed the larger
ones that without lands felt that there was great
inequality in the old thirteen, long such immense
tracts of these western forests belonged to portion Of
them and TO the whole. While this inequality ex-
sed in regard territory the States were all consider
ed sovereign in themselves These independent coz
poalions sovorcgntes bound together only BIS ropa
of sand the confederation was called, might wen
it is 10 be presumed have with jealous eys all
the advances that We're madoby over the ether in
the acquisition of territory. of political powcr and i'm
porauce, which were likely at day make too
strong for another. This very subject. therefore, was
the great cause OF dissention, and it had like have
prevent the ratification of the articles Of confederation
Now Jersey decided in fact, fine to rafify he