Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-03-16

By the of1s36 Congress directed the proceeds of
the Public Lands to be deposited with the States in
four annual instruments Three install ments have been
deposited, distributed, while the fourth amounting to
nine millions ofdollars, has not.
A bill is being prepared and will soon be presented
by Mr. Stany which provides that certificates of United
States per cent stock to the amount of the fourth
stamen shall be issued to the several States as they
shall be respectively entitled upon the express condi-
ton that each State shall appropriate the interest there
Of amounting in the aggregate over four hundred
and fifty thousand dollars annually to the transporta
ton OF free negroes within the State Liberia the
education and improvement of the Liberian coonsts.-
The principal is to be touched without further
Congressional legislation, and the certificates are not
to be issued to State until the legislative authorities
thereof to receive the upon the conditions
above specified.
If there should be- in any State no free negroes for
transportation to Liberia then the interest money
be appropriated In schools and colleges and
in improving the moral social and religious condition
ofthe citizens of the Liberian Republic.
We have been prepared for some moveme mt
in Congress, having for its object, federal aid to
the African Colonization Society. But we did
not expect it would take this form. If Congress
shall conceive itself clothed with constitutional
authority facilitate the operations of that So
ciety, by appropriations of funds or any other
MEANS let the act be done openly and in the
usual way.
Many objections occur to our minds as exist
ing to Mr.. Stanly's proposition. In the first
place, in what consists the propriety of turning
the State governments into federal agen cies-
The trustees of Congressional bounty! We
positively object to having the dignity of the
State of Virginia compromised in this way
Our government here represents the majesty of
our people, and its functions are of too impor-
tanta nature to be coupled with the business of
doing out the charities of Congress.
If Congress wishes to embark in this Coloni-
cation business ata there is no sort of necessity
for adopting this circuitous mode of proceeding.
But we take it there is more covert significa-
ton at the bottom ofthis scheme. The source
from which the fund arises, we are disposed to
believe, had its influence on Mr.. Stanly's mind
1t IS the proceeds ofhhe sale of portion Of the
pubIictands, which the present Congress seems
inclined to treat as subject for public plumber,
that it is proposed to devote ITO this eleemosynary
purpose.
Until the conditions of the act of 1888 have
been fully complied with, it would be extreme
ly unjust to violate its unexecuted PROVISIONS
After an act of Congress making an appropria-
ton of money to be paid in a series of install
ments, and the measure carried in partinto erecu-
ton, the law then partakes of the nature of con-
tract, and in justice and sound policy Congress
has no right to repeal its unexecuted provisions
Congress has in its most solemn form declared
that the States are, according the terms of the
act above spoken of, entitled to the appropria-
tlon therein stated, and has acted upon its own
law, so as to place the States in the attitude of
parties to a partially executed agreement Now
for the federal legislature to retrace its steps,
nnsay what it has said and undo what it has
done, would be highly unjust, and introduce a
degree Of vacillation in legislation that would
rebound but little to its credit.
We have treated Mr.. Stanly's plan a. though
hproposed an absolute repeal of the act of 1886,
so lar as 1t has not been carried into execution
ms 1t does not in terms, profess to do, though
SUBSTANTIALLY 1t amounts to the same thing. The
iaw' as 1t stands, gives the appropriations to the
states Tor their oen use absolutely; but Mr..
Staniy proposes to modify the law so as to give
1t to the States to be held in trust for another.
Now If the State of Virginia is thus tn bs de-
prived Of what Congress, by its own law. admits
10 belong to her it passes the bounds of hmm
dence to call upon her to be the trustee of the
money for another. We will never consent
hat this State shall occupy this ancillary and