The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-05-23

cay 70 te new states, have right 20 take from ihe
common iund for colleges for schools for railroads for
swamp drainage and for other special purposes of your
and then your older sisters you shall have no
part ior any parpose Of yours The old States having
common interest n common fund, have said 10 their
younger sisters take from this na for colleges schools
railroads swamp drainage and for other purposes and
have taken accordingly Shall say them il is
unconstitutional r you 10 take for any purposeY Can
say so IN honesty nt in good faith Can we receive for
schools and deny 70 the old States for their asyhms
Aud we do viii II lock rs II the violation OF the con-
sttution consisted using The common fund i3r the
particular purpose designated in this bill bt rather ia its
application e the nse and benefit Of the Old States2 Who
doubts that y rs Jhst sC ional endow hnaaic
asylum 10 Mlsssspp as TO endow college university
in that STATE Who questions that II Congress may give
lands IN Illinois t ednrae children tnay give lands
IN the same state " psotce Insane chdrc2 And he
that Congress lasy apply common fund held for the
use aud oonehtof all the States ~ The and 1saet 81
States 70 exclusion OF se old States This must
be assumed tsa else il soows irreistiDy that the
lands being the COMMON fund.- and Is being constitu
TO give to Misissjpp and Illinois, il Il equally eonsn-
tonal 10 give ss~k E1h arosa AID rgina And then
again, unless il shall be shown that unconstitutional
10 endow unatc asylum per il will follow that you
can give 10 college IN Alabama from the fund
fund.
think il hardly necessary dwell upon the argu-
ment OF the President based the pledge of the gov
ernment to devote these lands the payment of the pub
le debt With overowing treasury and the govern
ment constantly seeking of expenditure it will
hardly strike the bondholders any else there
s violation OF faith in disposng Of these lands in the
mode proposed II any of the bondhoders feel uneasy
about the securities they have only present their bonds
at the treasury and receive their money
The same argument employed by the President
employed by Others when the bounty Land bill under
consideration, and with greater force than now for
that time the public debt than twice its present
size, and we had empty treasury II did not avail then
and know Of no reason why il should do so now q
The President respectfully submits that in constitu-
uonal point OF view, 1T is wholly immateria whether the
appropriation be IN money in land think drerenty
The Congress has power dispose the money hut
for purposes named in the Constitution 1t has the bower
tho land
in the constitution 1t follows that Congress holds its
thority over the money by tenure and its authority
over the land by another and apprehend il has al
ways been considered Jefferson, Madison, Monroe
Jackson, and Polk have all signed bills giving lands
to roads canals schools colleges and other objects that
were purely local in their character and does any sup
pose thai either of them would approved bills appro
priating money 10 these objects
The purposes named in the constitution for which money
may be used are 10 pay the debts and provide for the
common aeaee and general welfare The Presidents read
ing of the money clause is correct He reads Ii thus
The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect
taxes, duties impos and excuses in ordr 10 pay the
debts and in orr TO provide for the defence and
general welfare Congress does not provide for the
geaaf meare when it takes charge of local iatercs
whether ~ be road school, asylum Objects that
are ger and not local. may alone receive the patronage
OF the government under the money clause.
The trainers OF the constitution clearly intended that the
national exeheqner should besupplied by taxes duties
posts and excses and provision made for rails
ing money from the sale of lands and purpose aesgna
ted 10 which the money when raised from such sales should
be applied it may be well questioned whether il ever
contemplated that the lands should be sold know that
the dees Of cession from Virginia and other States point
objects Tor which the may be applied but speak
now Of the eonsaton and not Of the deeds of eession
When, however, the lands sold and the money il
paid into the treasury, il becomes part and parcel Of
treasury aud can only be used rs money raised
from taxes duties imposts and eyeises may be used
"a order 10 pay the debts and oer provide for
defence and general welfare Before il is sold
while il is yet land il may disposed of not alone to paw
the debts and not alone TO provide for the defence
and general wefrethere such words In the land
clause Of the constitution bat II may be disposed Of
any purpose not inhibited by the constitution II is one
thing dispose Of the money order pay the debts Of
the government and il is another thing simply dispose
Of the public lands respectfully submit therefore that
the President Is mistaken in .upposng that Congress has
the same power 10 appropriate osey that nas DAppo
pirate land.
Indeed the President admit in the very next paragraph
Of the message that there distinction between prop
ery in land and property in money Speaking Of the pub
Tic domain he says;
As property II Is distinguished from actual money chief
y in this respect that its profitable management sometimes
requires that portions of be appropriated local objects In
the wherein may happen o would be by any
prudent proprietor 10 enhance the sse-yaue az hi rvs
daman. All such grants Of land in fact disposal q
for value received
It here distinctly avowed that portion Of the land
may be applied 70 he value of The remain-
DER in other words that section of hand may he given
to railroad If the g enhances the value OF the adjoining
section Now, II there difference between appropra-
ting land aud appropratng money and you mag apply
thousand of land 70 railroad because you thereby
double the vale of another thousand acres respectfully
inquire why we Hy not 1ry $1,000 ~ money, III the e.
feet should be rradsr a5her Thousand or the same
thousand Of double value Rccoicct you have The power
according 70 the mesage e give the lands only because
the gift increases Vrnc ~ other lands aud the Presi-
dent sees no difference between giving lands and giving
money. II follows therefore, II giving money viii have
the ecctln increasing lie value Of money tat giving
land viii have Increasing The value Of land v0u may
give the The other as you please u thus becomes
simple question as to whether you win ayes land or
money.
With tie same power appropriate money as land tbs
President dare say would not approve bin appropri-
ating money construct railroad in State though fhaf
road might make al the lard within six miles Of II OF
double value and yet he would approve bill appropri-
afing half the land TO the road simply because
the road bng constructed the other half Is double in
value By giving money and building the road, you get
double price for a the land and have the road into the
bargain By giving land TO a company ron only get
double price for half The land and have no road The
power to give the being equal to the power give the
other II would seem best 70 give the money
appears Mr. President that we are likely to be
involved in labyrinth 0fdiaeuy perplexity for the
simple that have neglected observe properly
the distinction which the constitution itself makes in our
powers over the land and money The oua we may
dispose OF for purposes which named the other
may dispose Of for purposes which named to wit to
pay the debts and provide for the common defence and
general welfare.
The President after speaking approvngly Of the land
grants heretofore made 10 the States land for which
thank him very corda'iy adds all such grants are in
fact disposal Of il for value received This brings
the consideration OF material point in this argument
Grants have been made have said than once 10
roads canals colleges schools and other objects in te
States. All such grants told have been for
value received. Value received from whom? Not from
the grantees To them the grant a naked, unqnali-
fed gift they paid nothing did not promise to pay any
thing. and did Ella