The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1844-01-13
Gov, Thomas and the
PUBLIC LANDS,
From the American Wing.

Thomas views OF the Public Land were
'"nS0Had IN argument. UHLa'rioiic IN prin-
'iplc aad auicislm IN pohry," and WI shall
now cndruyor IN prove the correctness oil
What we then said.
We shall for the present, dismiss from
Our mind al! that his ExccIlency SAYS ~
bout the assumption of the Safe debts hy
the General Government: as We have ever
looked upon that Tr9j {! as rnpraclicAble.
and rs nn, being within the legiiim1tr
powers vested h. tie Constitution Of tina,
& ,vrrHmGUt.
The Governor assumes as fact. that
the "jroc'"d$ Of the sa cs Of the rpjhc
La'hiS are imd'$p nSujIg HecfSSury 10 tie
GenTal G2rernm'M" lie arrives at
this conclusion, by taking its financial o.
pcra,lonS Of last year as guide for the
future. as if il were not possible by the
imp 'si'loa Of duties upon FREE articles,
and by thc retrrnchmcnt Ct The cypcndi-
lures, to produce a very different result,
and relieve the treasury If the General
Government not only from cmbaMass-
menl, but have a surplucs therein. That
sach articles as are now admitted free
should he subjected to DUTY there can be
no question first, because Tie necessities
OF the Government require that it should
be donc. and, secondly because i, is con-
genial alike to the lcucr and spirit of
our Constitution, that EQUALITY 81 ould
exist IN The imposition of duties, and il
must be ada'tled that equality cannot ex-
list where one description Of goods are tax
ed and another admitted duty free.
With regard TO 1ctrenchmcm Of crpcn-
diWcS, we will make few remarks -
The fact must be fresh in the recollection
Of all, that the Wing Congress iaa gear
reduced tic expenditures Of governments
about nineteen millions of dollars from
what they had been under the LxTRAyA-
CANT administration Of Mr. Van Buren,.
and as they did that, it is but fair to rre-
sumo that If necessity really exists there
for. that Congress possesses the ability to
stall further reduce them so as 10 relieve
the treasury from It's present and future
Embarrassment. Every inducemcnt exists
to make the effort. as it is very evident
better times have prevailed unhcr the re-
'rentIlng operations Of the Wing Con-
GrcSs than did under the wastciuI rulc Of
Mr.. Van Burcn'S administration. II then.
this Topping of Of more than half lie ex-
pcnditures of the government could he
made without producing any disastrous
consequence, ii is but fair TO presume,
that still further reduction could be
made with equally good results. For
urpart we so IN for the SiricitSt tcOEOmv
III The administration Of tie national aC-
fairs, and as the locorocn party have taken
To themselves the credit of being the
OPPONENTS of internal Improvements
by the General Government. the Wings
should hold them to their PRETENDED
iaI'h, and vote down all such approplia-
tlons as may not be impcriousIy called
iof ny the absolute necessities of the
country We use the term rRETEsrrD.
because ii is part Of the history Of the
administrations from 1929 to 1910, that
while they were Boosting that they had
hHcd Internal Improvements by the
General Government, they appropriated
more than three dollars for every one en-
pended by Adams administration for SIM
liar purposes-so that all their Loas.ng
was not only dcceilul but untrue. and Ut
tered with the view Of dccciving the peo-
pie.
10 show that further rcrcnclmcnts in tie en-
pcndltnreS OF the General Government are sus-
ccep'lblc OF being made, VIC will refer TO single
TACT nder the administration OF JoLn Quincy
.fddmS tie business of the New York Gust ON |
fIO,lEp "a .,J
with Ia officers at an expense of Sll9,OS2 SO |
cents whereas Mr.. Van Buren, employed at the
same port the last Of his administration 494 Of |
iiccrs, at an aggregate expense Of 100, 0G9 dol |
lars. we point to this item, because il is con- |
splcuous one, and will 90 far to illustrate the |
reckless course pursued by those who dccricd |
MI Adams administration for its eriyaraguncc--
all administration as pure any that ever bcs-
Scd our na.ion--and because it shows that tlero
Is sui room Tor the pruning knife Of Wing econ
omy' 1t MIR. Adams administration could car
ry on the affairs OF the New York Custom House
WIN "a officers, IT could and ought TO be done
so now. Why then not reduce the number of
"'',cers OF that port to what il was under Mr..
Adams as affairs were well managed hcn--no
Swartwontng, 10 Freeing, nor IIoytinr, to car
~ oil million and halt Of the peoples money,
by peculation and dishonest distractions. We
say then, let the spirit of economy be carried
*iH farther and farther, until it brings down the
expenditures TO what they were under Mr.. Ad-
ans, and the bug-bcms Of Governor Thomls
amount to nothing; for in that event. the pro-
cceds Of the sales of the Public Lands viii not
he wanted by the General Government; neither
VIII there be any occasion for resort to direct
taxation. The Affairs of tins nation never were
better conducted Than under the administration
OF Mr. Adams--nor were times ever better, and
we should glory N seeing the same system of
enlightened patriotism and true economy restored
to the nation as prevailed then; for we confess
we have no faith in splendid governments, as
extravaganza always leads to corruption.
again, Gov. Thomas says:
"from what has been stated it is clear that if
the land fund be withdrawn from the National
Treasury, direct tax on the pant of the Gcner-
al Government is inevitable
However honestly his Fxccllcncy NAV in.