Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-04-15
S4222 lS4
TOIhl.


In grand lrade agains, this gross enomity by which
the new States have into improper possession OF
900 Of acres the speaker gravey proposes 10 doaae
them without rhyme or reason, nearly hall as much more
lands! Such Whg craftsmanship. mighty fraud has been
committed The whole land should ring with denuncia-
ons OF it, We must correct the enormity. The new
States have fIched eighy millions of acres from their
rghful Public justice and public virtue demand
tina, we shall allow flch thirty y.one millions more!
Such is Whig policy
They are claiming the State, that leading. inu
entail Democrats 60 with them in this wholesale system Of
fraud and bribery.
We doubt the fact. Democracy must hang loosely upon the
shoulders Of its dscipes If they make il cloak pro-
positions and measures ,nonstrous as these.
In this grand game grab in which tho already g!ued
Western States are 10 large share-the ona
share OF new what a 10 fall to Virginia her po
lion Of the wages of corruption Let Mr.. Staples say
"By This bill Virginia having fifteen representatives. and
two senators in the 3ls Congress- would be entitled 10
ceive two millions five hundred and ity thousand
which, sold government price, would bring mo her
treasury the sum OF 80 ,OOO"
That's the Of poage TO be derived from The raudu
lent sale OF he, the golden egg be chod
from the slain gooseby Virginia the donaor Of imperial
domains TO the parties prorng her this wreced ptlance
;he of the Satcs that her present peters and q"
statesmen, including the delegate from Patrick
This unequal unfair and corrupt distribution is proposed
by New Yok-a State having hirtysi- congressional rep
State whose ehae Of the spoiIs would be
the largest received by any of ;he old Sates-lo Stale
which originally contributed the smallest quantity OF puec
lands TO The confederacyund State whose dividend would
be computed according her actual population numbered
by the head while the share Of Virginia would be COM
pu,ed in proportion 10 only Eileen representatives and
population not counted BY actual numbersi bu by
an arbitrary scale which imposed upon her by the
tIa ain ~
The Union; which Virginia yielded then land only them
solely for tho sake of the unoni and which is sought in
this Benefits bi be remposed and perpeluated upon
her bu bribery through all me respect TO The whole poll
co and 10 all the Of the Federal Government ke-
nublcan holding Virginia. will never consent TO any
measure, which will revive and perpetuale against her
through all time d!sparaglng and unjust Determinations lev
sed at her peculiar institution, even though il contain The
oribe proAcrcd her in Benefits land bill.
If this $50 900 falling Virginia, under Bann,
Land Bill ''sod government prices, hey would
bring into her treasury the sum OF S3ei 30 says
Mr. Staples That very clear proposition and they
we're sold dollars acre. is equally clear that they
wonId bring s25 OOO But what the facts Of this
subject The average price Of government land warrants
for the last five years has but eighty cents per acre.
which would make the price Of rirgnias suppancy 10 me
federal government s20400U0 The present price OF gov
ernment land warrants that the market has somewhat
recovered from the plethora occasoned by me immense
ood Of bounty and scrip which has been 80 long emPyng
itself upon it, is about dollar per acrei which would
make the brbe received by Virginia, under The New York
Bill 81 $4,000 But if the Bill became law and The whole
domain thus surrendered the States were lus brough III
lump into market il is haterlng view OF the suoec' :"
supposc that fifty cents per would be the maximum
price obtained by the States; especially those which are
remote from The booty nnskilled in the aud rath :
inlS DOttagp produce
70 hef treasury S275000 We fear that The criticism ol Tue
virginia people upon Benefits Land Bill and Mr. Staples
pc'" III his plain view Of The SUBJECT will be- that thefe
" ~ 'e" great cry and little wool The idea OF getting
w VI anos and getting rid debt extremely seducng TO
n no'e INDUSTRIOUS ysomanry; but the people OF Virginia
WI" require larger consideration for surrendering their
publican politics and their States RIGHTS doctrines than
Istzi9uUU-ess 'han dollar Fecs tc black aud white
The speaker also hints consuijona a,,nov for Rem
nes Land Bill lie declares the public lands 10 he trus,
fund in the hands of The government "a he sppo.
priated hrst TO pay revolutionary debts OF HI. old States
then "for the common benefit Of all The States Tia. il his
position and that the authority urged Tor appopfatjno be
sides eighty four millions already granted thirty one millions
of acres of these lands for the exclusive bene of bc
States
Another authority is relied by the speaker for such dis
position OF the fund.- namely that clause of the
s,itution declaring that "Congress shall have
dispose of the territory or other property OF The United
States" This clause is held carry in It authority
in Congress to dispose peaSure of trust funds The
Smithsonian fund is in the hands Of Congress as trustee
for certain noble purposes; and the logic OF this won
derful speech will equally and with the came pro-
prety allow that trust fund TO be diverted from s sacred
objects TO The purposes of wholesale bribery at the pleasure
of Congress- Such s the argument of the delegate from
Patrick! Lands held for The benefit OF oil the
States, TO be turned In small priucipales OF
600 900 The erclusipe benefit of eo States
und rust funds in the hands of government are 10 be dis
posed of the pleasure of that just as absolute
territory and other property" may be.