Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-10-29

,ion bu, taxing the people, 10 raise money io'
Statc purposes? Is there any duty assigned TO
Congress by The Constitution, which ooiiSts 10
The performance OF functions which oi necessity
pertain to the States, and which Hcge ca" "etu
surrender and sur,re? You may lay anu COZ
lect taxes" &C. For what! "Io pay 'ts aeo,S,
&c. What debts Those of The Sfa.e% no
sir. no. Your own soph;s'ry Is l:vilea anu &C.
fled 10 pon. 10 single phrase m 'he consult
lion, which either ohiges, or permits oi justin,
this Federal substitution ana Gilst!ous i'''e' '',"-
ding with these primary ana scii-lit>e'''',s "",
lies ot the States We were STATES before
ye wcrc n nation We were :orcrcien when
we established the Constitution lie people
made the States and preserved thcm as tncf ore.
They furnished them with powers 10 PROVIDE l.e
pabninat needed for their sroWiil ana 10 sustain
them in sovereignty whenever they were S'o" u:
When they have 10 crave susenance OF the OH
spring OF their own suspicious alliance, Is c'cai
that old age is upon them, ara sIcohd Vl'ii.-
hood has come; or worse sui. mat ludSH'ei', -
reelins and iunacy rcigns What l''t."e' Sh'I
heIde them, is net worth 4 srech!a''o" u e"
thought
we h3yc seen then tha; the mere expense ac-
coun, of the Land Fund has hitherto not ohly
absorbed all lis avails. bat that balance STANDS
dehitcd against il of near nineteen m.iiiois. nc
Whigs admit that the fund i bound ior inc deDl-
and yet dispose OF the fund discharged OF Tue uep
They admit still more and acknowledge lhat Inc
fund stood pledged to reimburse the leasurv,
for its advances in discharge oil Inc revolutionary
debt, Now soon after the adoption OF inc cue
raj Constitution, in 1852 the debt OF the Revolu-
lion was assumed and funded, and amounted in
round numbers TO Sl0o000,0C0. The debt is ex-
tinc,-the Treasury has paid its subroSated TO
the rights of the creditors it has satished-and
stands creditor 10 the fund to the amount Oh
lis payments This sum added TO the balance
of the expense account leaves an aggregate oil
SllSS51 OBS 10 The Great Of the Treasury and The
deJn Of the Land Fund. Astounding as this
account is, still there are heavy items which
have been omitted Among many other items OF
charge not included, a least $50 ,000 might
be posted in the expense account As Inc costs ol
sundry Indian wars which have been prosecuted
for the protection and preservation OF the public
domain. Then there is the Revolutionary pen
sion annuilcs based upon the principle Of recon-
pense for Revolutionary services, and as properly
a charge upon the land fund, as the Revolutionary
debt itself Now for The last seven or eight years
these annui,ics have reached upwards OF 50 600
! 900; and would alone. and annually absorb every
dollar OF the :'Rcn r0cccdS OF the sales o the pub
| lie lands: and il is a charge upon the Treasury
which mus, he paid. and though The land i"nd
w2s specially and primarily liable, 4 Wing Con-
sre>s has spirited ii away Ia the States, in in;qni
tolls brides fer political capital.
Ihave shown, that the whole number OF acres
of the ccded lands amounted Ia 203 millions, OF
which there now remain for sale and entry but
| l05 millions or lule over one hall. The half
disposed of. yielded but IS millions though doubt
less embracing all the choicest and most valuable
lands in the market. OF the remaining hall, al
least so per cent. of it may be deducted, as Too
sterile for culture and too worthless for revenue
and hence il is scarcely conceivable, that the en-
tire balance of ceied lands, can ever yield 10 the
Treasury S5OOoo,OOo; and they stand debiled
with privilege debts, considerably upwards OF
slOO,6OOOOO 1t is past all controversy and ca
eonccssis, that Congress had no power 10 donate
the land fund.- while the Indebtedness lasted; and
il is equally manifest, now, that the Revolutionary
debt alone de>,inaIes the fund 10 irretrievahlc
bankruptcy ab>orbs annually and far 0w, al in-
turc dividends and leaves nothing for distribution
(as Senator Wright expresses i) hut ''p.fciES-
CT" c. f. D.
RANDOLPH OF ROANOKE