Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-05-07

ehtite3 IN act regulating the grants Of land D.
proPuafed TOR the refugees from The British prov
luees OF Canada aud Nova Scotia" TINS oct
grants Internationally, - 10 acres without pre-
tenco OF valuable consideration paid by the
grantee.
Mr.. Jefferson, on the 2lst Of February, 1906
IS nave already stated. approved OF The to
dispense with the COZ sideratioo on the part Of
The French inhabitants of GlltipoIis for he grant
made 10 them by the act Of 81 March. 1915
Mr.. Madison, on the l1tb February, 1873,
approved and signed "Au ACT for ths relief Of The
inhabnants Of the late county Of New Madrid, in
the Missouri Territory, who suffered by earth
4laNes.' Tins act horned persona "h@ea / >"
had been materially injIred BE- earthquakes 10
locate other lands
Mr. Monroe. on the 26rh My. 1921. approved
and signed An act granting donations OF land IL
certain actual settlers in the Territory Of Flori-
da-" By this act go wee to be located
10 include improvements, upon the prutessed con
SD ration "a settiemeut and cultivation.
Mr.. john . 1incy Adams, on the 23i May, lS2S.
approved aud sigaed ''An act 10 grant certain re-
Hnq4shed and unappropriated lands to the State
OF Alabama, for the purpose 81 Improving the
navigation Of the Tennessee. Co0sa, Cahaha. and
Back Warrior rivers" This act grants 100000
acres for the purposes indicated III the title.
Gen Jackson on the 2I March, 1881, approx
cd and signed x IA act granting land to The Ter
iHorY of Arkansas. for the erection Of public
building at The seat of Government for said Ter
purposes Indicated.
Gen. Jackson also approved and signed ''An
act to extend the time for selling the land grant
ed to the incorporated Kentucky Asylam for
teaching the Deaf aud Dumb This grant
cd one township Of land to that incorporate and
the act approved by Gen. j ckspn recognized
the grant and authorized lis sale and the appIica-
ton Of the money TO the purposes indicated by
the lille Of The act.
Mr.. Van Blren, the 9Th July, 1888, APPROX
ed and signed IAN act To encourage the introanc-
ton and promote the cultivation of tropical plants
IA the United States" This net granted to DIR.
FtrrIne aud his associates, a township OF land ~
FLORIDA ipr The purposes stated; and as the act
was passed since the recent political division OF
parties, aud since the strict construction doctrines
nave been carried 10 the utmost verge OF com
mon sense; and : the case covers the whole
ground fer which coutond-,hat Is. that the
power uf Cogros- axis f...i-i.s larl
cred BY the deed Of cession, i fol-, ample, pIena-
~, and unrestricted, except BY its dlscreuon--I
beg leave to read :he affirmative and negative
votes on the passage of this act:
A,frmative-M essrs. Blysrd. Benton. Blch~
anan, Clay, of Ky. Clayton. Fulton, Grundy,
Z t5.nson, Rngg!cs. Sewer, Smith, of Conn,
smith. Of Ind, Southland, |almadge, TroItcr,
Wall. Webster Young.
Negarivc-Mezsrs Allen, Clay, of Ala. King.
Norris, Niles, Pierce, Strange, Upton, White,
This net, have said, The whole
ground. Congressional discretion alone, in the
disposition Of the public lands is the only prncl-
pie upon which it stand lr moment. Some
OF the Senators who voted against the bill did 50
on the question of eXpedIency and not of consil-
tutiouaItty. Such was the Gaze. know, With my
lamented colleague, Gen. Tp'on; and it must
have been with others, hey had vetoed the
same principle frequently.
Mr.. Ty!e approved and signed the land distr
button act of the last session. His constitution
II :
surely Senators who were delighted with his
strict construction Of the Cors tuition upon the
bank question a the extra SESSION will scarcely F
charge hin with being lati'u3inarian in his con
struction of the Constitution.
SIR, should do injustice to myself we'll
to others, were | to omit noticing the distinction
assumed BY several Senators. perfectly salts
factory TO them, upon this constitutional question:
but which candor compels me 20 say has never
torcibiv impressed itself upon my mind. They
contend TINT il Is constitutional 10 give the land
or, what Is the same thing, to grant it to IndyId
uals States without consideration. to be solo nv
the grantee and the money distributed used at
djscF elton; but that unconstitutional to grant
the proceeds to such State INDIVIDUAL, TO be Us
cd IN the samo manner; that Is that this Gov
eminent can do that BY another that she cannot
DO by herself: that power over the property Is
not power OF tho incidents; anl that a grant Of
'he land Is not grant of the rciue and proceeds
Of the land in a constitutional sense. 1t has been
said that we have the constitutional power TO dis
pose Of the lands, because they have not reached
the Treasury; but we have no constitutional pow
or tc distribute the proceeds. because they have.
Ii this s1inctlon Is worth any thing, it would
apply 20 customhouse bonds we'll to lands
| would 7ilg like to hear the Senator from New
York the Senator from South Carolina. attempt
to maintain these distinctions; or If any body
can do it. they ,rv 1t seems to me, howev-
er, that lis statement shows its absurdlty And
vet, upon the truth of that position hangs the
q iment Of all who admit the cons'itntionaiity Of
the acts TO which have referred. and Geuv the
cousiitntionaitv Of the distribution act. will
only that # one Is Unconstitutional. so IS the
other: they al rest upon the same bas:s--ihe IN
restricted power to dispose Of the public lands. as
provided in that section Of the Constitution which
| have read | shall have occasion to recur TO
this arrlment again before take nv seat. Hav-