New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-03

| remains full Reduce the revenue million and
a quarter or even Eve millions, and you VIII md
the expenses of the Government accommouase
| them selves 10 the reduction. Raise the revenue
TO hundred millions, and you will ind the ex'
penses adjust themselves 10 that standard or,
| II you are ever 20 have retrenchment you must
begin with reducing taxation. And where can
you begin so well as with the taxation upon the
privilege Of cutivatipg the national estate Bat,
sir, We shall have no such deficiency OF revenue
to supply Alarms Of an exhausted treasury are
continually sounded here, while the revenues re-
ceived under sys stem Of imposts, which IN many
respects is most unwise, annually exceeds all es-
Inmates Of Administrations
LAST wear the Secretary Of the Treasury pre-
dicted deficiency Of sixteen millions OF dollars,
and ct no deficiency at all occurred. The reve-
nues for the present year are equally prosperous,
and they will never be- less prosperous while we
are at peace, as | hope we shall always be for
the wealth and industry Of the country are con-
stantly increasing and expanding know In
deed, that revenue is liable TO be affected by huc-
tuations Of trade, but such disturbances are only
occasional and temporary.
The Senator from Michigan exsggerates the
| prodigality of what he calls the giciHg drdy oil
the domain, by stating that 1t cost seventy live
| millions of dollars-equivalent to twenty-five
cents per acre, or thirty-two dollars and twenty
| cents for each farm OF one hundred and sixty
acres.
| And from such premises as these he argues
that it would cost thirty five millions Of dollars to
give away the public lands lying in Wisconsin
! Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Minnesota. Sir l
| do not understand exactly the basis of the SEN
ators estimate Of the cost Of the domain, but
can, nevertheless, safely pronounce his speculs-
tons entirely fallacious. If the cost OF the Revo
| lutonary War the cost Of the long controversy
with France, which ended in the purchase Of
Louisiana the cost of all the Indian wars, and
the cost of the late war with Mexico, all of which
were in some degree connected with the acqui
sition of the public domain should be included in
| the estimate, the entire cost OF the public lands
would be seven hundred millions, instead OF
seventy. five millions Of dollars. IT. on the other
hand the expense account be credited with all
| the national benefits, financial, commercial and
political which have been secured, the domain
| would be discharged from all indebtedness what
ever to the Treasury.
Sir the acquisition of the domain, whRtey srwas
its cost, is a transaction completed, ended, past
The value Of the domain is what it is worth now
not what it cost.
Mr.. President, of such disposition Of the pub
| lie lands as have suggested is entirely mlsap'
| pretended 1t is not whether we shall rellnqulsh
| a revenue Of one and quarter OF millions The
revenue has ceased, and the fountain from which
it flowed is dried up already.
We have by various acts, passed within the last
ten wears, given up seventy eight millions nine
hundred and thirty two thousand five hundred and
| thirteen acres which are now in market, and
coming into market, and which must be taken Oft
from the hands of States and individuals before
your own sales can be renewed. The Secretary
| of the Treasury assures us that the revenue from
the public domain is suspended by this legislation
| for period of sixteen years.
Sir a revenue that is suspended for sixteen
years, has practically ceased forever The Sena-
tor from Michigan, perplexed with this argument
reviews the Treasury estimates, and reduces the
period Of exhaustion to eight years.
| Sir | say. then to the Senator, that he has not
| changed the case. "
| A national revenue chat is suspended Tor eight
years has practically ceased forever But, Slr,
! neither the Senator from Michigan, nor even the
Secretary of the Treasury, has estimated the pc
Rod of exhaustion at its fall length. Congress Is
annually making new appropriations. The Sen.
ate has at this session passed an act dlsPosng OF
ten millions of acres.
We all hope that that act Will become law,
although its effect would be to add at least five
wears 10 the term for which the revenue from the
domain is suspended. Let as then apPrehend
the emergency as it IS, and act accordingly Inc
| domain longer yields, nor VIII never again
| Weld revenue. Since it's financial benefits have
ceased. let as no longer dispose Of it by impulse
and caprice, not to say by Partially and favor,
but let us so dispose of it as to secure political
and social benefits to the whole Union
1t is objected that the domain is pledged 20 pub
il S27 935, $50, de BIT which is rapidly diminishing
and, if we practice economy, will have disappear
| ed by the appliance OF revenues from customs
alone long before the public domain will yield a
dollar for even the payment of the interest on It,
But if it be necessary to hold public domain liza
bic for the debt we may properly set apart suifi-
cient lands for that purpose, and let the residue
be disposed of as other interests require.
The Senator from Michigan resisted the policy
proposed, on the ground that it would reduce the
value of real estate in the new State. IL has
been urged that that inconvenience would also
reach the old States. The inconvenience, MIR.
President if il should occur at all, would be mere
| " temporary. The retaining OF the domain
would go on more rapidly; and we all know that
| cultivated as well as vacant lands rise In value
lust as rapidly as new lands lying among or
adjacent to them are improved What would be
lost in the first instance, would be abundantly re-
gained afterward.
There is. however, Mr.. President one objection
| Of more serious nature than any have yet con.
| sidered | hear it said on all sides, that the do
main ought TO be disposed of for great and bene
Gcent objects objects beneficial TO the old as well
as to the new States. Sir, have always favored
such policy, and it is upon that ground, that
have cbeerfully voted hitherto, as shall continue
to vote hereafter for appropriations upon that
pripciple so long as Congress shall continue to
adhere even in form to the ancient system
II is upon this ground that shall support the
! hill NOW under consideration, which proposes to
bestow upon the State of Louisiana the public
| lands within her limits, to enable her TO Improve
| the navigation of the MIsslsslppl-a measure 20
which called the attention OF the Senate at the
lsst Session-a measure Of great urgency, and OF
conceded national Importance have mad, more
over. hope that this great resource might Do aP-
nlied 10 the establishment OF a system for the gra
Snel but certain removal of slavery, by scheme
of compensatiDg emancipation. 1 have thought
that the slaveholding States might wisely propose
snch system, and that the free States oughtto
accede 10 il.
Bot. sir, it is manifest that if the old States
could mot agree upon such system, or even upon
spv other system Of partition of the Public Do
main among the States, or of distribution OF its
nroceeds. while they held unquestioned the polt-
zeal power of Government, they cannot now hope
to sgree upon, and secure the adoption Oh sucn