Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-01-08
Mr.. Staples Resolutions.


Mr.. Staples Resolutions.
The resolutions offered in the House of Dele
gates by Mr. Staples of Patrick, in relation to
the public lands, will, We presume, soon be taken
up and acted on. These resolutions insssuct our
Senators in Congress to vote for MIR. Bennett's
land bill, and thus present an issue of INN ediate
practical Importance. MIR. Benefits bill passed
the lower House of Congress by large majority at
the last session, and is pending in the Senate
Its fate in that body is extremely doubtful, and
may be decided by the votes OF our two Senators.
Messrs. Mason and Hunter are understood to be
opposed to the measure, and unless otherwise in
struc,ed will certainly employ all their Influence
to defeatit Will the Virginia Legislature stand
with folded arms and permit tho only chance we
have ever had Of Obtaining any thing like Justice
at the hards of the General Government in this
matter Of the public lands, to be destroyed by the
votes Of their own representatives! When shall
we have another opportunity of successfully
claiming our share 10 the common property of
this nationl The new States are gathering
strength aud influence every day in the halls of
Congress, and the rapacious spirit which animates
them so far from being appe ased, has only been
infamed by the immense concessions that have
already been made to it. Nothing less than an
absolute monopoly of the public lands will satisfy
these States and if we cannot arrest them in their
career of public plunder now, we may we des.
pair of the future. II Mr.. Benefits present
scheme of distribution is defeated, the pros
pect of carrying out any similar measure
hereafter must be regarded utterly hopeless.
I'D thori rol. e.,
DAYS ago, that whenever the public lands should
become the object of Il general scramble
the Democracy of Virginia would be willing to
take the States share of the spoil. We can tell
our contemporary that now is the time to take
our share of the spoil, for even worse contingent
cy than that which he deprecates has already
arisen The public domain has already become
the object, not indeed of general scramble
but of a scramble among the new States exclu.
siyely, a scramble to which the old members OF
the confederation are not parties, and from which
they of course have derived, and can derive
no advantage. The Enquirer prefers to wait un
til the fate of the ''punder schemes now pend
ing in Congress- shall have been decided, ere it
consents to participate in distribution of the
public lands. 10 the meantime. it would
give laid and comfort" to the new States,
we presume, by uniting with them in their oppo
siton to Mr.. Benefits scheme. But SUPPOSE
these joint efforts successful, and suppose, more
over the .'pluuder schemes" which the ENQUIRER
go 6ercely denounces are afterwards carried out /:
1t will then be too late for that journal and its
party to retrace their footsteps. They will have
thrown away the golden opportunity of obtaining
for Virginia share of that to which she is Justly
entitled, and it will be idle then to talk of asser
ting her claim to participation in the SPOIL
The new States, we know, have not yet inaio.
rity in the national legislature, but their repre-
sentatiy constitute powerful minority. They
move in solid phaanx on this question, and exer-
else an influence on the legislation of Congress
immensely diaproportionate to their numerical
strength. Their votes are potential in Presiden-
tiaI elections and these are held up as glitter
ing brite to the aspiring politicians of the old
States, who thus tempted to forget their al
legiance to the rights and interests of their con-
stitueats. The plumber interest IS already fear
fallY strong in Congress, and it is to be feared
that it viii soon have unresisted sway. Let the
Enquirer and ats party in the Legislature then
catch while they may the Cynthia of the min
ute They have it completely in their power to
secure the passage of Mr.. Bennett's bill by in
structions to our Senators in Congress. Apart
from the two votes which would thus be gained
for the measure. there can be no doubt that the
moral effect Of such step would at the present
crisis be decisive OF the question in the Senate
This Commonwealth l. entitled under the proVi
sions Of the bill 10 about 900 600 of acres Of the
public lands, which even at the minimum Priee
of 81 p PEI acre. would be- worth something
like S4.OOG.0 900. Is this to be despised,
when bear ia mind that we have an actual
debt of sl4, 900 900 on our shoulders and that