Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-08-18
THE PUBLIC LANDS,
DISTRIBUTION OR NO DISTRIBUTION.
nTnAT s5OOO0 ANNuALLY

understood thot some $4,000 has been received q
enough, minus some $4,000 to pay off the
! state Prison debt of Milton Brown e. Co-those
Sterling patriots and rigid economists who were
SO severely shocked at the aedged ex'ravagance
oiMr. Van Buren,, and thrown Into toars and con.
ortlons ut the bare idea of the " Gold Spoons
Some people have been and still are of the opin-
ION that 1t would be very wise policy aud pretty
thing to distribute The Land Proceeds annually
among the States, Notwithstanding that the Ma.
uonal debt under coon management, has riser
near thirty millions Of dollars, and that the rcve-
n,es from both the customs and the lands are ir-
adequate TO meet the current expenditures
~ Tor the fun, we suppose, of paying the expense
! OF the distribution and collecting the additional
revenue necessary to make up the deficiency
created by such distributions IL is for the nIor-
nation ol these profound aud sagncious political
economists that we are led occasionally, to in
qulre how the thing progresses--us well rs to en-.
| tighten the people generally as to The filfilment
OF The promises Of 1870 ". Patriot
1ne Land Fund is not needed by The Federal Gou-
| ernment.
In our last we showed that The Federal Govern
nent had no right TO the public lands, aud there
fore no right to use the funds derived from that
source. Our next business is 10 show, that il is
mol necessary for the government 10 use the land
! fund for Tue payment OF the ordinary expenses of
the Government Before entering upon this, how.
ever, let US correct very gross mistake of the
Patriot That paper aiIirms that "Ihe national
debt under coon management has risen near thirty
millions Of dollars, aud thu the revenue from 10th
the customs and the lands is not adequate to meet
the current expenditures" Mr.. Van Buren, left
the Government in debt from % to 80 millions,
and ti'er a months OF Wing management, VIZ.
on the LIST OF December lS42, tbeng the last peri
cd reponed,) that debt was $40 593345 20. To
this, however, the outstanding appropriations
should be added, [as that item, we suppose, was
charged over to MIR. Van Buren, when he went
out and the result would probably he tbat the
debt did not vary vast deal from what il was
when the Wings came in. Most clear il is, tlat
there has been no such INDUSTRIOUS increase the
Patriot alledges But as 10 the adequacy of The
revenue to meet The current expenses IL was not
adequate in the years al and ~ we admit-but
1t was because the country was without tariff
sufficient TO secure revenue except for The last
four months Of that period. Now we do not pre-
tend that miserable ocofoco tariff is to supply
sulceht revenue especially if we have another
profiigate locofoco Congress TO up expenses TO
80 millions year. We do insist, however, first,
that The government shui practice rigid economy
and second, that it shall have tariff high
enough TO give good protection TO every branch
of domestic industry This is the Hhig policu-
and on these conditions, revenue can I've annual
ly raised, exclusive Of the public lands, which
shall be sufficient to meet the current expenses and
gradually pny off the public debi. Can IL be done?
We 60 10 the only sure test, the history Of the past
and unswer-it can be done. From The adoption
of the Federal Constitution down 10 the 3lst of
December 1881, Tie total receipts from customs
alone were S566433,6 $50 O5
Total expenses, exclusive of The
public debt, were 4l7,644295 o3
Excess OF revenue over expenses, 1858 799, 53l OF
1t seems then, that from AZ years experience un-
der the good old republican administrations,
such as The Wings now want. by the way-he
revenue from the customs alone paid all expenses
and left more than 1853 millions 10 be applied to the
National Debt. We insist, therefore, willl evidence
before us, which is utterly rrelutabe, that il is
n necessary for the Federal Government to rob
tie states Of their lands
Danger 10 Protection, Sc.
Finally, insist that the policy Of putting the
land Fund into the Federal Treasury which is
the policy universally adopted by the Locofoco
parly-iS utterly r,iaouS 10 The cause Of Protection
1t is mainly for that very reason that The South
suslaus the policy: The slave power considers it
essential 10 their success in running Free Labor
and The interests Of The North and We doubt not
ihst it is mainly to buy southern and south west.
ern support tina, the northern locoioco leaders 90
against Distribution, and willingly sacrifice the
rights Of their opn Nates The diversion of the
land fund from the states TO federal is iraught
wl,h danger 10 Protection, aud in various other
ways which we cannot now parlicuInrize. |, les
sens the amount of revenue TO be derived from
duties on foreign goods, and thence creates u ne
cessiIy, either of reducing The Tariff or OF raising
II surplus Of revenue TO be divided among the
states or proAigateIy spent by the government
The country has once experienced the fruits of
this policy. On the payment Of the old National
Debt land bill was passed, and was defeated by
General Jackson. "A large surplus ensued-more
than thirty millions iUere distributed 10 The Siaies-
expenditures toere largely Increased and The Tariff
Of 1882 pds so reduced as 10 be utterly dresied Of
all lis Protective features. 1t is answer this
TO say, tina: the land sales nre now diminished
they are not less Than they were previous TO 1892
aud it must be borne in mind that the President
alune has the power of pushing them into mar
ket at will, TO any extent and AT any time. What
has been done already, surely may be done again.
There is no security that all nntl-Iarf President
will not sleze The first opportunity 10 PROSTATE
Protection, by pushing the Public Lands into the
market. Is safe trust that great matter in the
hands Of such an Executive? Who, unless i; be
men blinded by the msls OF locoiocoism, wish TO
go through such scenes again, and end with all
American interests Frustrated, and the nation in
debied 200 millions Tor foreign products The
frightlul history of the past ten years warns us
against this ruiinous pocy--lhere is not The shud
NJ ihn