The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-03-05

justify the new States in demanding from us some
100000 $50 900 000 TO be paid in such avofs al
this bill proposes 10 grant, have deemed II my duty io
meet such pretenslon and 10 expose 1t could especa
y as II has been used with view to defeat my amend
ment
have endeavored to show that the foundation upon
which the senator Mr. SUMNERl builds IS nothing bul
sand 1t is taxation without representation. II IS tax
alton without protection. 1t is taxation where we
have and want no government. Waste and wild
lands want no government >1he owner OF them wants
no government but the federal government Tor their
protection. Taxation by the States under such circum-
stances 49, IN my Judgment altogether preposerous IL
may not be amiss 10 examine briefly the process-the
steps taken In the formation of these States out OF
The territories OF the United States The lands which the
United States have acquired in the manner mentioned are
settled by those who purchased them, and by those
who unable TO purchase. take possession, erect log
cabins, clear and cultivate. When the population
becomes sufficiently numerous upon 10000 or $4,000
square miles TO entle them TO representative IN Con-
gress according 10 the ratio fixed by law at The ume the
people usually apply 10 Congress and ask PERMISSION TO
form State constitution. Their action manssts de.
sire to have their moral religious, social, and political
rights placed under the protection OF State government,
controlled and oicered by themselves In word, they
ask Congress to concede TO them all the rights and priv
eges OF selfgovernment, and in these respects TO be
placed upon an equal footing with the people OF the old
States, by being admitted into the Union State To
this application, Congress replies: Very well II shall be
as yon deslre but as may exercise sound discretion
as to the time OF your admission into the Union as State
and as we shall retain important interests within the linz
It's assigned to you after you admitted deem pu
dent 10 prevent future difficulties, to prescribe
which you must assent. You must agree that you
will not interfere with rights of ultimate domn
ion or undertake as State 10 tax our lands They
say, We agree to it. They say, We have property
enough OF own TO be taxed to support the State gov
erDment which we wish 10 establish; otherwise, we
should not have asked to form State government Such
sir The steps taken, and the stpulaons, in substance,
on both sides, preceding the formation of State,
so far they affect the question of taxing the national
domain.
Now the gentleman from Massachusetts seems to re-
gard these steps and stpulaons concessions the
part OF the new State about to be formed He regards
the new State as yielding up of its rghts-paricu
arly that OF taxation-o this government. Not So AS
understand the matter, up to the time the terms pre-
scrbed by Congress agreed TO, the people OF the
contemplated new State possessed no right whatever to
tax the land of Congress. Having no such right, they
parted with nothing by the agreement not TO tax. Ii
right to would have resulted from their admission
State without the stipulation 10 the contrary Congress
IN lis discretion could have postponed the formation OF
the new State until all the lands were disposed Of In
view OF all these considerations, II agreed that the
State should not tax the public lands In the face of
such an agreement, how equity arise upon il d-
recty contrary to It's express sipulaoDs
prehend. The into which the gentleman has fallen
results from the opinion that the people
States are making concessions to the United States II is
not So The boot is on the other eg is altogether the
other way. We concede TO the people State govern
ment which they ask for; but in making the concession
we say to them il is be distinctly understood that no
change in original rights and condition, in respect to
the public lands shall result from the formation of State
government Wnen that is tne papaOle and pialn STATE
OF the which mi nd can fail to see the gen.
teman comes forward and deduces equity from what
he regards concessions the part OF the States to
the government of the United States II equities be
built up IN this way, the gentleman may perhaps make
out The claim for the S700000o0 which he has brought
forward against the United States But if his principles
are baseless the fabric of vsion--if there is
nothing on which they stand-hen his colossal claim
crumbles 10 nothing, and becomes mere fgment OF
the imaginaon-less than shadow, intangible as
moonshine
am requested 10 give way for motion TO adjourn
Will do so, having got through this branch OF the argu-
ment On TO. morrow | will show that, even il there is
anything IN The principles contended for by the senator
from Massachusetts, his figures and calculations are en-
irely erroneous In the progress OF events, my trendf
he will allow the appellaon-may make good President
but such cpherng will do for Secretary of The
Treasury will prove TO morrow that his calculations
can no more be relied on than his principes