Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-06-29
1 BENEFITS LAND sBILL-.TIIE- DISTRIB
sfI0N QUESTION g FsNERAfs Fl, YssSS

y
Of 1ls conductors are called upon
10 discharge an Important dnty--it deyolves upon
them 10 defend the policy and the principles OF theit
party against the alacksnet Of their political OPP
ponents bnt of those who have obtained some prom.
nencY in the ranks of the Democracy. and who stiil
Felain occupy position in thai party, while they
faspre 10 its highest honors and rewards -lhey are
also panied TO know that the position OF MI. Leak
aud others, is brought bear against the aoieS an"
most faithful champions Of Democracy IN Inc otner
Districts. An intelligent and valued friend. wnting
to the Raleigh STANDARD from the Salisbury DIsTict
speaking of The contest there between Messrs Cralg,
Democrat, and Osborne, Wing. says: The Lahd
distribution is Mr.. Osbornes hobby. and its adVoca-
cy by Leading Democrats, one oil his most earnest
arguments. Wing principle sustained by 'emo-
cratic authority :" But, unpleasant as this may De-
and much as the Democratic papers Of the District
might wish to avoid any controversy win gentlemen
claiming belong to the party, their course can au
nit of neither doubt 10: hesitation; anu however
much it be the fashion with gentlemen WHO are
conscious OF occupying position TO de-
nounce in advance that exposure OF 'neIi et!o's
which they know that the press in the conscientious
discharge of its duty, will he called upon 10 MAKE
the duty of making it is the less imperative or
the less likely be complied with on that account
and, indeed, fear thai MIR. Leake or any lndiVd-
ual claiming to run as a Democratic candidate In
anv other District in The State, would find himself In
as direc, antagonism the press of his party there
as Mr.. Leake complains of finding himself In this.
!; We publish in to-day's paper, certified copy OF
the much talked of Benefits Land Bill, which, by
REPRESENTATIVES, and passed by majority OF ten on
a vote which lacked fifty of being a full one.
Some few Democrats voted among the ninety SIX In
the atrmative-among the rest. Mr.. Venabe: OF this
State, whose course has been harped upon as com.
hitting the party Of the State to the policy OF Land
Distribution. The result will show how far this can
bS done.
We have examined the vote by which this bill
passed out of the whole body of the Southern Dem
ocras, il received but six and of these, but
three hailed from the old Siates-one FROM Virginia
!-Beae-who has not been reelected; one from
n orth Carolina-Mr. Venable-who is yet to he
disposed of and one from Georgia, State which
actually received the full cash value for the lands
which she originally coded to the United States. The
other three from Tennessee, Loul slana and
Kentucky, all new States. and all acquired by the
cession of the old States, or by purchase at later
date. And il is upon this meagre sh wing that 1t is
sought commit the Democratic party of the South
this affair. The great body Of the Northern Dem
ocratic from the Tariff sections OF Penn
syvania, New York and Connecticut and indicates,
plainly thing can indicate another, the Ell
fec. W hch the gentlemen voting for such bill sup
posed il might tend to bring about. mely-either
increase of the tariff, at least that it would pre-
vent any reduction thereof. The truth is that no In
genuity torture the action of the last Congress
into approval of the distribution policy on the
part of The Democracy of the co"ntry, any than
the unauthorized action of individuals could compro
mise the party in this State IN opposition to the ex
press resolution ofts last State Convention, held last
summer, which affirms-
:" That the public lands are the common property
Of all the States, 10 be held by The General Govern
ment a common fund for the payment o! the pub
lie debt and other charges upon the public treasury
Ii will be from the above that the mnchialk-
ed of distinction between the lands and the proceeds
was not recognised by the Democracy Of North Car
,ina, in Convention assembled barely year since.
The resolution says distinctly, the public lands, and
merely the proceeds of the public lands ct with
this fact on the record, plain and undenable that
II neither be evaded explained away We find
some few members of that State Convention now
going in direct opposition TO the letter and to the spIr-
it Of the very resolution which they themselves as.
sisted in putting forth, while With strange pervcr-
sty Of Judgment strong reliance upon the guilt
billy OF the public they contend that 1t is those who
still hold to The doctrine Of the above quoted resolu-
tion and not they who have changed 1t Is odd but
amusing.
But even admitting that the Land Distribution
scheme was founded upon proper principle, as II
is the reverse, it need require explanation TO show
the manifest inequality and Injustice of its appIica
ton contemplated by Benefits Bill which gives
To the little State of Arkansas twice as much as 10
North Carolina, with three tines the population
which gives Georgia, which received three mill
ions tor the cesson Of her lands TO the United States,
as large proportion Virginia or North Carolina.
which States ceded them freely, and which, above
all, gives the lands as gra0s-as donations-ihe use
OF which, and the purposes TO which they are to be
applied by the sovereign States, dictated to said
sovereign States, by their creaure-he General Gov
eminent. No wonder then, that the States Rights
men Of South Carolina voted against ii in body.
The inequality and injustice of its provisions ad-
United by all. The erroneous principle upon which
it and similar measures founded kether with
the practical absurdity oi them ALL and the random
and unsupported statements and Gd capt I'idunI aP-
peals of their advocates, the real objects of ami
msdversion-,he real points upon which it is the du
~ Of the TO lay The exact Stale of the
fully and dispassionaIey before the people, many Of
whom have neither the time NOR the opportunity OF
examining for themselves. TO this object we shall
devote the remaining portions OF the present article
We are told every day by those vino urge upon US
the adoption OF the distribution policy, that the land
system Of the United States il now exists, has
direct tendency stimulate in an undue proportion
and At our expense the growth of the States OF
the West wherein the lands lie and proof Of this
they instance the States of Ohio, Illinois and Indi-
ana, in which most remarkable progress in popula
ton has certainly been made, arising, in great mea
sure, from the influx of European emigration, Of
which the Northwestern portion of our country re-
ceivcs the main ALPHABETICALLY Of the Germans
1t appears from the statement of the Land Office,
made up to June 30th, 1853, that the amount of all
lands sold in all the land States and territories up to
that date had been one hundred millions of acres.
Now would ask, If, with sales OF only hun
dred millions of in the course Of it's whole adj
mInstFatfon of the public lands and territories, the
effect of the present system has been, commended
the undue stimulation of the est at the expense of
tho old States, what would be the effect Of sys-
TEN which would throw as large amount the
whole Of the past sales into the market once and
in the hands of thirty States, anxious TealiZe
and offering all sorts of inducements TO purchasers?
The average amount of lands sold every year will
not now reach five millions Of acres. There only