The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-11
AS TO THE PUBLIC LASno
WITHIN THE STATES. 80


When the proposition TO distribute The proceeds :, !.
public lands pending before Congress and the cou,,
in 1870, Mr.. Calhoun brought forward a counter-p0.
which provided that the public lands within the sever.
States should be coded the States respectively in MA
they situated upon condition that such States ,ho
pay into the federal treasury sxyfve per cent Of A.
proceeds Of the sales of the lands so ceded Mr. Clay Nh
the great champion Of the distribution policy obid
to Mr. Calhouns proposition tantamount to gift o. Il.
lands to the new States To this objection Mr. Calhoun =
Piled
.But is the cession giftY Does il propose sureOa
the land for nothng Is sixyve per cent Of the gross pr
ceeds TO be paid into the treasury nothingG noao
p end 20 the angry and agi,atng debates hieh Bi
session aer session. eoastaaty iRereasiag Vosce Nod
Jag The time and labor and expense Of Congrssf S
ing eaTaii oneJ oar Of The patronage the goUssasa All
that Of the dangerous eharaeerl Nothing to raise H.
States TO level with the old Nothing to remove hi,
great disturbing cause which inurousy influences our
legislation Is it nothing, finally, to substitute system
lieu Of the present. far the lands lying in the Satcs
concerned which, in addition to all these consideration
proposes the only practical method of preventing the o
the lands, and which, far from pecuniary loss will bring
more into the treasury than the present systemf"
We TO this sub ect for reasons first be-
cause regard the proposition of Mr. Calhoun the orr
gin of the policy of non-interenon by Congress in re
gard to the public lands in the States which is destined
soon TO become prominent question before the county
and, secondly because the extract publish contains the
most torcbe argument in favor Of that policy compressed
into single paragraph, that have met with That
portion Of the argument which strikes particularly
cogent contains enumeration Of the evils attendant upo
the present system Of administering the as to the
public lands These evils have greatly multiplied and in
creased within the last fourteen years AT this time they
exist to most embarrassing extent and call urgently FOR
effective remedy Next to the subject slavery the
public domain is unquestonably the agitang topic
that engages the attention of Congress- Questions of
most delicate and exciting character between tho old and
new States paraking Of all the angry and disturbing se
ments of sectional differences are constantly arising to
embarrass the legislation of the government The impress
sion prevails extensively that the stupendous schemes
for private speculation and enrichment are based upon CON-
binatons to influence the policy of Congress in regard to
the public lands If this impression be true (and there
too much fear that is rue the public lands
are regarded by many grand corruption fund to be
obtained and enjoyed by those who be successful
in devsng appliances influence the action of Congress
Combinations of most astounding character are freely
discussed in the newspapers and members Of Congress are
constantly liable to have their motives for their votes I'M
peached But need dwell upon the evils of sys-
overlook them If we would
The remedy proposed by Mr. Calhoun was that Of non
intervention by Congress- the result of cesson to the
States Of the lands situated within their respective limits
not cession by way of donation but oession upon
ditions virtual sale to the States Without deciding
upon the merits of the details of this proposition
much in its general features recommend il that we 70
oce to that il is to be made the subject of thorough
investigation and discussion in Congress In both houses
bills pending which intended withdraw the pub
lie lands situated in the States from congressional lega
on and thereby to off that source OF embarrassment
and agitation and transfer the subject TO the State lega
lures If not mistaken Mr. Hunter is the author Of
the bin in the Senate and Speaker Boyd and Mr. Pern
in the House The eminent abilities of these geneen
furnish reliable guarantee that the merits Of the
proposed win be earnestly and thoroughly canrassed and
exhibited The speech the subject already made by Mr.
Perkins cannot fail TO exert powerful influence the pub
lie mind With the details of these bills VIC are not su
GENTLY familiar TO speak with confidence We understand
them however TO transfer the lands the States upon
ditions which will the federal treasury their full
value and thus provide for the appropriation Of their pro-
ceeds a fund for the benefit Of all the Stas
We understand also that provision Is made TO enable the
States to carry out the policy Of encouraging railroad
tepHses by grants Of alternate sections but guarding %
tuay against the dimnuon Of the aggregate fund by
such grants Next Withdrawing the slavery subject
from Congress should regard the withdrawal Of The
land question: Ear it is concerned in the States the
most important legislative achievement Of the times
As the scheme Of distributing the public lands amongst
the States constitutes of the projects brought forward
remedy for existing evils and we regard that prop
oston Substantially the same with the ono 50 ably oP
posed by Mr. Calhoun in 1910 and ls4l deem il proper
to reproduce few paragraphs the constitutional quc
ton from the speech from which we have already
made on extract;
Now sr, in order to test the right IL Is my ntentonO
PROFOUND few questions the senator's to which hope
they will give explicit answers Suppose then In the pro
grcss Of time administration should come in Il make
alluson 70 the next which should think established
church indispensable to uphold the morals the religion and
the political institutions Of the country would il have the
right select Of the religious secsay the Meho
diet, Baptist Presbyterian, Episcopalian and
Il into splendid hierarchy BY cndowng Of this
ample fund
mr. Webster Thc constitution expressly prohibits IT,
u hear the with pleasure II assigns the true ea
Here then have limitation In the constitution, BY
the confession Of the senators and course there
stcton, at least tho unlimited right which he and BIZ
friend claimed Cor Congress this fund. Having made
good this stop proceed to take another.
Suppose then, that such administration should uRd,r
ok cooHiss Aco with the view Of Outstanding and
civliring IT, and, for a purpose tauid propot p ~
eat find, portion Of Il, ~ a. rgoni,ation Society
would Congress have the right Of doing so Or take
still stronger case suppose majority Of Congress should b
abo,oni would II have the right distribute this
vast among the various abolition societies enable