Weekly national intelligencer., 1852-06-19
MONDAY, JUNE IA, 1852.
CONG RES s.

to have very materially improved since our last refer
ence to it. The Senate actually does make pro-
gress in its proper Duties and the House of Repre-
sentayes tries to do but the latter though il gets
into Committee Of the Whole occasionally on bills Of
real consequence finds the Presidential Elecb still
stumbling-block in the way of its progress The
consequence of which is that the Deficiency Bill"
as it is called, introduced some four months ago,
has not get become law, nor can any one with
any certainty conjecture when it will be such.
After this week, however, the Debate in Congress
on the merits of candidates for the Presidency viii
dbate by the surcease of that subject; and in the
next week it may be hoped that the Deficiency
Bill will be passed, and the different Departments
of the Government be at length relieved from the
disgrace Of protested bills and payments refused for
want Of funds, which have been cases of everyday
occurrence for weeks and months past
The interest which, next to that of the Nomi-
nees for the Presidential Office, has most monopozed
the time of both Houses, is that Of The Public Do
main, for the general as well as particular appro-
pration Of which there has been for several months
past and in all probability is yet to be- perseverng
contest. Within the last week the House Of Rep
for sweeping gratuitous distribution of the Public
Lands, has taken stand against bills which had
already passed the Senate, making special appropri
ations for Internal Improvements This opposi-
tion may, we presume, be attributed to mixed mo-
tves part of the maorities these questions
that is to say in part to determination to force the
Senate to passage Of the bill protesting " to en-
courage agriculture, commerce, manufactures, and all
other branches Of industry" by granting the public
lands to all comers and in part to desire to re-
duce to system the appropriation of public lands
for public improvements, so as to equalize among
the several divisions Of the country appropriations
for such objects, &c. Meanwhile there has sprung
up in the House of Representatives new PROPOSE
ton to grant to the States certain quantities of the
Public Land to be applied by the States themselves
to Internal Improvements, Education, &c.-a propo-
sition perhaps more strictly in keeping with the
spirit of the Constitution than either special appro-
prations or the latitudinous donation proposed BY
the House bill now before the Senate.
The safest as well as most constitutional dis
position of the Public Lands, we believe, would be
to leave them they are, under the admirable sys
tenn which has hitherto worked so well, and to dis
tribute the revenue from sales of them, when the
Treasury dispense with it, among the several
States in proportion to their population, to be dis
bursed for objects of general importance within
their respective limits. Next to this, 50 far as we
have been able to consider it the idea Of distribu-
tion of certain quantity of the public lands, in due
proportion among the States to be used for similar
objects within their separate Jurisdictions, appears
to us to be less liable to exception than either Of
the other plans.
Bearing upon the general subject Of the National
Domain, or rather upon the questions which are
successfully springing up in regard to it, we have
just met among the newspaper articles on the sub
ject with one which comes nearer to our views Of
the matter than any thing which we have yet seen.
1t is from the pen of distinguished and venerable
inhabitant of the city of Philadelphia, and is deeply
imbued with the spirit Of genuine and enlightened
philanthropy. Our readers will thank US for placing
it before them, as follows:
IRON THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
No one can be more desrous than the writer Of these
lines any should be adopted which would
tend equaze throughout society the comforts uxuries
and pleasures Of life; but experience has shown that
nothing is less beneficial to human prosperity than nds-
crminate charity. To bestow charity those who
capable Of supporting themselves by labor to
deness OF legislation which has for its object
mitigate the suerngs of people who by age sickness
lamencss blindness, &c. unable to their living Is
always best performed by those municipal corporations
whose knowledge Of the objects Of public charity may be
minute and precise than that of State Legislature
and orori competent than National Legislature
like that Of the United States As the whole spirit and
nf
associated conveys the idea that Congress to perform
only those duties which the whole Union il must
be especially unconstitutional that duties belonging from
their nature to cities countless districts in the States
severay, should be superseded by national legislation
But proper that in lieu Of being occupied with
those sufficiently and ariuous cares which con-
cern the whole nation, Congress should take upon itself
the assistance Of poor-houses hospitals and other
charitable institutions, it certainly would be highly i'm
proper they should make able bodied any char
table donation Of any kind 1t would be absurd that in
stead Of assisting the widow, the orphan the old the
lame the sick, blind they should seek in tn,
vigor Of manhood to bestow charity
1t is only persons Of the last mentioned class that
derive benefit from the Homestead bill, before tn
United States Senate and among that class only mino
rity since to 20 upon lot Of land in Che wild country
and get it into cultivation, requires method skill,
energy Of character which by comparatve
few even among our native population.
independently Of the unconsttutonality Of the powe
which is thus proposed to be exercised, trustee
rronertv for the benefit of the whole Confederacy d