Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-01-07
From the N. Y. Journal of Commerce.
DISTRIBUTION.

& the proceeds OF the public lands among the
q several States, instead of applying them to
the common expenditures Of the U. States,
RELY chiefly on the claim of title. They
ms list that these lants do not belong to the
United States, but arc the property of the
several States-that they were given IN
trust to pay the national debt incurred by
s the revolutionary war, and as that debt is
extngushed, their proceeds now enure to
benefit of the individual States, and can
not, in justice, be applied to the national
expenditures.
TO ascertain the soundness of the sen.
timent, recourse must be had 10 the nation.
al records. There we have the stipula-
tons on both sides-the conveyances by
the States, on the one part, and the nations
solemn pledge, how they shonld lie appro-
priated, on the other.
That portion of the public domain
which was granted by individual States,
was given by Massachusetts. Connecticut,
New York, Virginia. South Carolina and
Georgia. TO these six States the Union
are indebted for all the public lands which
/ lie within the original boundaries OF the
y United States.
On the 9th day Of September, 1850, an
9,crior to any of the grants except that Of
'oNew York, Congress passed an act in
; (which they recommended to the several
States in the Union having claims TO waste
and unappropriate6 lands in the Western
'ncountry, a liberal cession 10 the United
States Of portion of their respective
claims for the COMMON benefit Of the u
aion." Son afterwards, ON the 10Th day
Of October in the same year, they passed
d resolution containing repetition OF the
pledge in these words Resolred, that
The unappropriated LANDS that may be &C.
! dcd or relinqushed to the United States,
{ by any particular State, pursuant to the
Recommendation of Congress of the 9th
DAY of September last, shallbe disposed Of
}or the COMMON benefit Of the y. States"
81 Thus the national faith was twice SOL
7smnly pledged to appropriate the proceeds
A6f all future grants for the common benefit
of the Union, and not the Sercrdt use OF
3 The individual States.
sIA On :he lst day of March. 1850, the state
of New York made the first grant OF
Western territory to the United States, by
lanes Duane and others, their agents, in
Pursuance OF previous act of their Le-
9islature, passed before the Federal ALI
snce was fully perfected. The enactment
was that the territory TO be ceded or re-
slnquished by virtue of that Act ''shall be
land enure for the use and benefit of such
of the United States as shall become MEM
bers of Federal alliance of the said states,
0and for no other use or purpose tvhatsoeD-
er." The agents reclte the language oil
ibis act and make the conveyance COM
mensarate with its terms. Now, to whose
benefit did all the right and interest, thus
granted, enure ? The deed answers to
chat of the United States" The grant
contains no intimation that any screrdtln-
sfcrest was ever to vest in the States. but
Expressly negatives such claim. 1t not
oniy declares that the title shall enure ''(or
sihe use and benefit Of the United States
but adGs the Negative declaration. "and for
no other use or purpose whatsoever" The
abest conveyancer could not devise Ian
euage more explicit, to vest the title and
proceeds of these lands in the Union, and
repel all claim for several interest or dis
tribution.
;af In the Preamble to this Act, is, indeed
Gated as one motire 10 making the grant,
That whereas the articles Of confederation
bud perpetual Union recommended by tha
honorable Congress of the United States
"a America, have not proved acceptable
all the States, il having been con 'eivcC
bat portion of the waste and uncutiva
tcd territory within the limits or cltims o
eeItain States ought to be app pr tie -:
p common fnrd for the exp is OF Tho
war, and the people of tbs 5 ate LeLg, OF
all occasions, disposed L manifest III re
gard for their sister States ard earnest d.
fire to promote the general welfare" SC