Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-01-12
lHE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
RICHMOND WING.
CORRESPONDENTS.
Letters business must be addressed the "Eilors
The Public Lands.
THURSDAY MORNING. JANUARY IL, 1854.

The Public Lands.
The National lntelligencer has timely article on
This subject which we suboin.
The folly Of the Democracy in the Atlantic States
IN regard to this matter, has always seemed to us the
most transcendant of all the monstrosites Of that
party. IL is ruLous TO their own people, and has
barely shadow Of principle TO rest upon. In fact,
the practical results Of it subyersive Of the very
principles, viii CHI they profess to have at heart
While they refuse TO demand their share Of the lands
ON the ground that the proceeds belong only to
the Federal Treasury associates in the North-
west have year AFTER year appropriated millions to
their own use. The Convention Of Democrats,
which met in this city in 52, and which put forth
Democratic Platform, earnestly condemned the
policy and practice of the Northwestern Democrats
and declared their opposition to any candidate in
favor of that system. Gen. Pierce in his last mes~
sage, while lodging every other question, took
sion to declare himself distinctly in favor of the sys-
tenn strongly reprobated by the Virginia Convcn-
tion.
This is the way OUR Democrats make progress
They cheated and dubbed by their associates
and laughed ut for their folly
If Btnnett's bill had passed last year, Virginia
would have received nearly three millions of acres of
public lands 1t was defeated by the united otes of
the Virginia Representatives at Washington. IL
similar bill passes now, shall lose 300 900 acres
in consequence of having two members less than
we had then. IL postponed many years, portion
may he barely enough TO pay the expenses of a
senger to Washington to get it.
While We thus stupidity refuse what by the deed Of
cession isjustly ourswe infct a double injury upon
ourselves by retarding the completion of our own i'm
provcments, and advancing the rival of the
Northwest AID augmenting the wealth and popula-
fion of that Free-soil region-which population in
its representation in Congress and dminishes
We said last winter and say it STILL If We were
members of the Legislature, would not vote one
cent TO any improvement until Virginia's share
of this fund was demanded. We would leave to the
dominant party all the honor and odium Of sub
jectng the people Of the state TO unnecessary taxa
ton.
Within the last week, member Of that party has
introduced the subject TO the attention Of the Legsa
tureand though, late, we feaI il is soon for the
tardy intellects Of majority of the party. They will
not be able make effective move until Ohio II.
linois, Indiana and Michigan have made great many
Railroads and Canals, and perhaps exhausted
the most valuable portion of the public lands They
will then be in great hurry
From the National Icteligencer.
The Public Lands.
Mr.. Benefits Distribution bill. before the Land
Committee of the House of Representatives TO be
in conformity to the objects of the of the
public lands made both by New York and Virginia than
any measure heretofore proposed.
The deed of cession from the State Of New York was
made the LIST of March, rs L. and was accepted by
Congress the 2sth of October l7sa One of the cond
tons was that the lands coded the United States a
be and for the and benefit Of such Of United
States shall become members Of the federal alliance o,
the said States and for other benefit whatever
The Virginia deed of ceaaOn executed aud
on the lst day Of March, 1854. One Of the conditions os
this cession is follows:
"That all the lands within the territory so ceded to the
United States and reserved for appropriated any
of the before mentioned purposes disposed of bonn.
tics 10 the officers aud soldiers OF the American arm "
shall be considered common fund.- for the use and
benefit Of such of the United States have become or
fhal become members Of the United States Virginia In.
elusive according their usual respective proport
in the general charge and expenditure and shall be faith.
fully and bona de disposed OF for that purpose for
no other use or purpose whatsoever"
Massachusetts, Connecticut North Carolina South Car
onc, aud Georgia afterwards ceded their public lands OH
terms almost precisely similar
There is disposition the part of many politicians to
frequently to what called the Jackson doctrines
pom this aud other subjects. In his celebrated Land
Bill Veto Message President Jackson quotes these and
other authorities TO show that the public lands only
be disposed Of for the common benefit of all the States
How this distinguished man would the subject at
this day living and in authority it is for say
but the positions above quoted would certainly put him
m opposition TO any partial distribution Of either the lands
or their proceeds
Ia his objections the Land Bill Of 1892 President
Jackson Took the ground that the distribution
quail because twelve and half per cenum of the pro.
ceedl to be flsi given to the States before Al
thing given TO Virginia aud other Sites which had
coded the lands and therefore that the bill proposed
violation ofthe compacts which he declared be Gin
valuable monuments Of age Of virtue, patriotism, and
disnterestedness."
The difference between the Land Bill of 1882 and that
now pending s that the first proposed dispose of all the
proceeds in the unequal objected by the then
President whilst the latter proposes equal distr
button of portion Of the lands.
President jackson seemed 10 have high opinion Of tue
Western people ia reference TO this matter of distribution
he said:
sufficient reason to reject this system that l. IN violation
OF the fundamental laws Of the Republic and liz Consttu
tion."
IL this position be impregnabe, what be said Of
system which IS daily gaining strength, Of making dona
lions Of land FOR objects Of local character within the
Sates?" The Western people do not conceive il TO be nj
all in conflict with their IDEAS Of Justice On the contrary
they jay asking for grants for local purposes" and
they wanted any precedent as to the best method Of
making any work national they would the Jack.
sonian era for notable examples.
~ The defeat of Mr.. Cutting = resolution is hail
ed with rapture by tie Organists No Administration
ever achieved such triumph. These notes Of OK
nAton induced ns to look at the matler-and we
confess our inability to perceive the grounds for this
loud boaating. The resolution merely proposed in.
qury into the action of the Government on paricu-
lar subject The House refused TO grant the in quiry
and as the Administration forces all voted against the
proposition, II might well be argued into a confess
sion OF guilt and fear to face investigation as into q
triumph The only sort Of triumph achieved was ar
escape from detection
The organists lay the aattering JUNCTION to their
souls, that none but those who voted for the propo
sition are dsahected this idea may be the secret
Of theirjoy. They are Soft indeed who take this
shallow view Of the subject None but those lizards
who had snned past forgiveness yenturcd to record
their votes. The rest would have mered the stigma
OF SET themselves il they had exposed their hands a