Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-06-07
tEcpw re Lyaehsurr Republican

MIR. Irving OF Cumberland, on winch you seem In nave
placed much reliance, containing an aahorttahre
because cotmporantoas ,lposiiou ri The de,ds If
sian. have examined Mr. Irving speech, for the
purpose of informing myself more thoroughly in regard
TO the matter; and find that have been but badly re-
paid for my labor. The passage IN The speech which
has been so often referred by you, and which So
much stress is laid is in the following words and IL
CURES, To wit:
sin tie examination s,jec, have referred the
Journals Of The Cuni ,erao, and find rl,at va.
cptete corperaaro" exposition n ne intention II Lc acts u
c.op Tie House rrcoicct that ilr deed iin the State
If Virginia was executed IN lc ~ tr h>t session thc
Congress the Con,edcra"n after the execution {" this deed
ordinance was passed. iS'ns The ncr OF these an- AZ per
acre, c7tene II Ftie debi This ordinance directed them
sH-r,ge dio l3 p0rons acfordng 10 the
gaotqs oj he a am"ngst
lc deren SicS and edat tcrg CoHa'y Co'thoase This
ordinance Snd ht Iemcmhrcd passed nj the trst
the deed o Virginia The York date
year ISL Here, then, was lEGrI.tivE SCI rLrM.>r " III
enton, shown. u"tHr. that rHr
rralic ,Sps IRA. ,uteadcd BY the c.atng S;at.''
SIR, am not disposed tn offend nny one: but am con-
strained say tina, this habit OF topping IL conclusions
is BY means, favorable 10 the establishment ut truth.
The above quotation presents fair example OF the la
| bit; and lis influence you faithful commentary
on Tia tendencies. could have wished that Mr.. Irving
had qroed the very language of The ordinance since
settled rule Of construction tn he drawn from H.
stead of the deeds of cession Tie has, however, from
other, failed 10 do ,h's and not having
the ordinance tv me, am constrained 10 take his COM
mcaiarg instead of tie te1t. But under this DIS
adyanare il is most clear that lie is error. Accord.
ing 10 his showing Congress surveyed, divided,
and fixed tie price o the lan!s-and determined III.
times and places ofsae, and the meda of payment The
States merely authorised 10 SlH them far the fcdc-
raj Government; and from this fact alone, you and Mr.
Irving teop to HE conclusion. that the 'proeeedS IF these
iaads" were intended IL be distributed amongst the
States to be applied fGch might Minh proper need
not say 10 you, Sir that Tins Is most obviously non Sc
qui;tr 10 constitute man The rtndor OF lands, by no
means implies that he l. The proceeds for hS
I a is *
them by the express provisions oi the warrant under
which he This the in the ordinance refer
red TO- The States expressly required 10 account
to the Government for the amounts winch they had re-
suecively received ami every ceat 10 ne appued
to the Iayacn, OF obligations incurred by the federat
| G0rernmeat-whe not one tdrthing was 10 be applied
TO the debts of the States in their ndirduai characters,
unless they contracted on accountct the I. S. In
order 10 explain the matter fully and clearly,
J.. ,sc:e 10 pre.ect ar5i history o the man points
| in as few words possible.
I ln l7-5, when this ordinance was passed, the u. S.
was deeply debt and compelled to borrow money 10
DISCHARGE The interest accTu;ng annually on the public
debt This debt composed Of three items. First.
! The loans made fam fore Tn States. Second. The
loans made of domestic capitalists, obligations incurred
directty by the Government in support Of the war, &c
IIird. The Announcements made by the md rndnat
States 10 support the credit, and maintain The
indie pc ndrnte Of the Union. The evidences of these
items of debt were. FIRST. Government stncs or
or e. 5. certificates for the domestic CREDITOR and
THIRD. Siaic certificates for the Stale creditor. The
two latter called "ioau nGicc certificates, and
sometimes 'ndtlits' fof th.sc several deDts, The
States in their Federal character, responsible ac-
cordnr their ''0sua rfspe'ticc proportions in the
general charge cnd c9pcndifuse
| As soon as peace established with Great Brl-
;ai. Congress. from the most urgent necessity, set
about 10 MAKE provision Ilf these debs. The i!r3t step,
so far as the domestic debt concerned, 10 as
nced hv Sfales
w. which floating in the form Of "ccrt.fcatts, and
daily becoming and more deprecated. 10 alb
sor, these far possible, and 10 fund the balance
we're primary Objects 9Th Congress and TO this end
various ordinances passed that referred to y Air.
Irving being one of them BY this the lands cedtd by
the States 10 be surveyed, divided into portions,
and exposed 10 sale above mentioned Congress had
to objects this. FIRST, 10 increase the quantity OF
land sod (caah Stale being coa3de!ed a. INTERESTED N
selling as much possble,) and .E,oSD, TO absorb
these utc certificates, 1r the redemption OF which The
Jnitd S,attS were responsible. They WERE therefore,
made receivable IN payment ;Sr tie lands. Another
reason !nr the was that The states had lam
Offices, and line Gorera..ien. bad none.
Now, Sir, in ali this, the individual debts OF the states
whether composed q! current expenditures or founded
on ny considerations othcr Mnn tic 3cftacc q
he ion entered into the virw of Congress; no.
IL there the Gig ec rlnaton III that, or any other
ordnance resolution or law, b"pr" % sinua, thht lie
proceeds ui The lands In be applied 10 any other
pn7pose than the payment Of the d,dt II Tie
taion The division Of the lands into l3 portions,
priced at 81 per acre. and allotted according the usual
ratio Of expense, vas but another mode oil dividing ana
applying the pr0ree"S, just &c II tie Government had
sold the lands themselves. The same apportionmen,
and application took place in either case. The money
belonged; 10 the tnd S'aiss and was applied 10 the
unidaton Of cai:is ans the aifed Suites, and them
only The States made lhe mere 0endors of the
Of the lands Ggrnts Of the Intd States, and were re-
qmired 10 account Receivers
| ri of, salcS uas hv no
lar a. the time, and subsequently abandoned The
committee IN Congress, who reported The ordinance
were believe, diyifcd in opinion. sir. Graysor, al
tina: time Representative from this State, aud subse
auentiY Senator in Congress- wrote 10 Gen. Wash
ngton ust bef;ra The passage of the ordinance and
requested his views la gar. 20 It, That great man
the greatest of any age couniryhouIh hurried by
an express informing him OF the deaths Of Airs Wash
ngtons mother and brother, wrote, IN reply, the toll
lowing hasiy remarks under date the ?5,h April, 1883
ITO be ca:dd, have had scarce time 10 give The
Report OF The Committee, which you did me the honor
10 send me-, re?dng much less 10 consider the force
and tendency OF i. lfexperience has proved that tie
advantageous way al JiSpo>ng fand is BY whole
townships, The arguing against facts therefore
if had ,;me, should say nothing that head; bat
from The cursory reading have given il, il strikes me-
HAT by snjtrEg each State to dispose of proportions
ale part Of the whole in the State, there may be Stale
obbng; in other words that the citizens % each State
may be favored at the trpense Of THE UNION.
81, is scarcely to be imagined, that any man so
cic;y Of men, who may incline to possess township
would make the purchase, without viewing the lands
! in person, or by agent Wherein, then, lies the
grea, advantage ofhaving the SALE each Stas and
by State cffefrs' From parity Of reasoning there
should be dGtrent places in each Stat-, ,his remark
perhaps, led to change from the nnd oGTce 10 The
| Court housts) "fnr the accommodation Of lis citizens
Would not all tie osensible purpose. be tn!y answered
BY sufficient promue CATION in each State, Of the time
and place OF SALE TO be held e, the neares! convenient
place to the land a. the seat OF Congress- Is it moi
highly probable, that those who may incline 10 emf
CRATE, or their agents would attend at such time and
place And, there being fired prices 10 the land,
rhs perhaps, caused the price TO be fixed at 81 pei
acse,) "woud not the high or low sale of it depend