New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-05-30
document, and which we believe is authentic;


New mexico. 1888 10
Utah.. .66Sl,707 %
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. .sI2221s4
Benefits bill proposes to donate to the new
States nearly half as much more land
In opposition to this distribution our aduer
sartes say, that the lands bought with tn
revenue raised by taxation, should be sold b,
the Federal Government, and their proceed
applied to the liquidation of the amount il
which they stand indebted to the revenue, ant
then to the diminution pro tanto of the customs
This is perversion of all historical facts connec
ted with the deeds of cession.
Prior to the revolution, each State had the
right to levy imposts, independently of the Gen
eral Government. They could break off wher-
ever they thought it expedient, and were, fol
most ofpurposes, separate sovereignties; but,
in order to advance the general interests of each
State, in October, 1890, Congress passed the
following
Resolved That the unappropriated land that NAV DO
cedsd or renqushed to the United States by any par
fcuar State, pursuant the recommendation Of Con
Of the 9Th Of September last shall be disposed o
the common benefit Of the United States
The foregoing resolution prompted the States
to make full cession of their lands
In 1850, NewYork made cession of her
lands. In 1888, Virginia also made cession Of
her lands, annexing the following condition:
THAT all the lands within the territory so coded and
not reserved shall be considered common fund for the
use and benefit of such of the United States as have be-
federal alliance of the said States Virginia incsue ac-
rordng to their usual respective proportions the
eral charge and expenditure and shal be faithfully and
bona de disposed for that purpose and for no other use
or purpose whatever
In 1884, Massachusetts, made deed of ces-
sion, with the same conditions and provisions.
In Connecticut similar cesson was made In
1877, South Carolina parted with her lands on
similar terms. In 1889, North Carolina trans
ferred her lands upon the following conditions
and stipulations
GAN the land intended to be ceded by virtue of this act
shall be considered fund for the use and ben
EFT OF the United States of America North Carolina in
rur according to their respective aud usual proportion
IN the general charge and expenditure and shall be faith
uy disposed OF Tor that purpose and for other
purpose whatever"
In 1902, Georgia ceded her lands in the same
way by which North Carolina made her cession.
1t must be observed that these cessons were
made during the existence of the old articles of
Confederation, before the States looked forward
to the adoption of the Constitution of the United
States, except the State of Georgia
1t must be obviously manifest that by this
argument, on the part of the States, and of the
United States, that the several States in dis
elimination from the old Confederation, were to
be the parties receiving the advantages, as the
lands were to be " a common fund.-" for the
use, or advantage, of the several States, not
the confederated Republic, but the States.
Now the Revolutionary debt has been salts
fled, the Government has executed its trust
powers Furthermore, as the General Govern
ment has in possession the lands the States
commended that the United States should assume
the liquidation of the debts of the States. The
assumption was made at the third session Of the
18th old Congress, page 40:
Section % And be IL further enacted That H. ,.l |
q he sales which shall be made Of lands in the western
territory now belonging that may hereafter oag 10 tho
United States shall be- and are hereby 70 ~,
Hsro SINKING or dchargng the debts for the payment
whereof the United States now are or by virtue IN tbis
ACT may be holden and shall be applied solely to that
use, Until The said debts shall beJftly satisfedr
Again, while the debts of the Federal Govern
ment were considerable, the war of 1872 was
declared by the Congress of the United States
against Great Britain. That war broupht
upon the Federal Government debt of Sl68.-
ooo,0o0. The proceeds of these lands were an.
Piled to the extinguishment of this debt In
1861 II was announced that public debt no
longer existed-we were a nation free from, tho
incubus Of a public debt With prosnerous
commerce, and our augmenting revenue Tho
question arises, what application should be made
Oh .ne proceeds of the public lands? What,
saia oeneral jackson, in 1929, in his first mes.
sage anticipating the melting away of the nub.
TIC oept' oy an economical administration Of tho
revenues of the Government
1t appears to me that the most safe ms. and ,,o,
sopd he H. Ds make Of the surplus revenue
cording to their ratio of representation avs Sc
In his Message of 1882, Gen Jackson DECLARE.
that the public lands shall cease, as soon 90
practicable, to be source ofrepenuen
Among the interests which merit the eorsiao,..,.
Congress after the payment of the pubct debt Of
most important in my view is that of the publ l,nJs
recommended by Congress that portion Of he va
land oced by the States should be ceded 10 the Uptd
States for the purpose If general hayasoy, as fund 10
meet The expenses Of The The Recommendation was
adopted and at different periods OF time the States Of
Massachusetts, New York Virginia North Carolina South
Carolina, and Georgia, granted their vacant soil for he
uses for tchieh they had been asked rs he lands man lo,g h.
considered released from his pledge e object for I t
@ eeaed aarls oee accomplished it is in the discretion OF
congress 10 dispose OF them in such best TO con-
sGee 70 the quiet harmony and general interest Of tho
kan ...an people 1t seems to me to |
e' Wv Pupnc lauus s1au cease as soon
as pfac''cabie' to be source Of revenue.n
In 1888, Mr.. King, of the Senate. as Chair
man OF Committee On Commerce, made an elab.
crate report In which he states that the pro-
ceeds of the public lands should no longer be
looked to as "sOurce Of reuenue," Here is a
full recognition of the principle of distribution
of the proceeds of epublic lands, or distribu-
tion of the lands among the several States, ac-
cording to representation.
Let us now ascertain the original cost of the