The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-08-29

'lsms have been successfully resisted
The present is period particularly un'
favorable for the satisfaction of claims
Of so large an amount, and, TO say lht
least of them, Of so doub fu a character
Their is no surplus 10 the Treasury A
public debt OF several millions has beenI
created within the last few years. Wei
are engaged ir foreign war, uncertain
ss 10 It's duration, aud involving heavy
expenditures; 10 prosecute which war
Congress has, al its present session, au
thoIIzed futlher loan: So that in ef
feet the government, should this bill De-
come law would have 10 borrow mon.
ey and increase the public debt 10 pay
these claims. L is tue, that by the
of The bill, p'yment IS dIrec-
ted 10 be made in l,ndscipt instead Of
money, but the Ell CT upon theTreusury
will be the same, The public lands con.
sIilule one OF the sources Of public OF
revenue, and if the claims be paid in
landscrip', il will, from the date Of The
issue, 10 great extent, cut of from the
Treasury the annual income from the
sale Of public landsjbecause the payments
for the lands sold by the government
may be expected to be made in script
until il is oil redee med. II those cl3ims
be jus; they ought 10 be paid in money
and nothing less valuable. The bill plo
vides that they shall be paid in land
script. whereby they are 10 effect to be
a mortgage upon the public lands in the
new States; a mortgage, TOO, held in
part, if not wholly by non residents Of
Inc Slaes in which the lands lie, who
may secure these lands TO The amount OF
several millions of acres, and lEpn de
mand for them exorbi,snl prices from the
citizens Of other S'ales who may desire
10 puI chase lhe m for setlemeni,o or they
may keep them oui OF the market, and
thus re'ard the prosperity and growth
Of the States in which they are situated
Why this unusual mode Of satisfying
claimants upon The Treasury has been
resorled 10, does not appear. 1t is moi
consist enl with sound public polcy'll
il be done n this case it may be done
in all others. 1t will form precedent
for The satisfaction Of al other stale and
questionable claims,and would undoubi.
|edly be resorled 10 by oil claimanls, who
alter successive trials, shall fall 10 have
Their claims recognised and paid in mon
ey by Congress.
The bill proposes 10 pay five millions
|o( dollars, 10 be raid in land script. and
provides shat no claim or memorial
hall be received by the commissioners
u,horized by The eel, unless sccompan.
ID by release or discharge Of the U
IS. from all other end further compcn
'ation tha, The claimant may be entitled
to receive nnder The provisions OF th,
act These claims are estimated TO a
mount 10 much larger sum than five
millions Of dollars, anu yet the caimSni
is required 10 release 10 the Government
all other compensation, and to accep,
his share Of fund known 10 be inade.
|quate.
If these claims be we'll founded, il
would be unj usl 10 The claimants TO re
pudiale any portion Of them, and the
remaining sum could hereafter LIE resis
ted. The bill proposes 20 pay these
claims no, in The currency known to the
Constitution, end not to their full g.
mount.
Passed, as this bill has been near lhr
close Of the session, and when many
measures Of impoItsntance necessarily
demand III: attention OF Congress, anc
possibly without that full and deIl5efan
consideration which the large sum ilsp.
proprales and Ibe existing stale OF ,h'
treasury and Of the couotry demand |
deem it my duty 10 withhold my appro
val, that it may hefesG er undergu Dh'
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