The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-04-08
From the National Ia,elligeneer.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.

tlons within the new States have awakened
tAe attention Of the people Of the old States
10 the Inbject, and Of Virginia especially,
where the burden Of taxation for Internal
npr.oyements has been greatly increased.
II strikes us. therefore, that brief recur-
renee to the history and conditions OF the
tenure Of the public domain may be Of
general interest at this time.
At the commencement Of the Revolution
ary war there belonged to some Of the States
large tracts Of wild and unappropriated
lands, whilst in others none such existed.
The States possessing no such lands claimed
that as the war was waged with united means
and equal sacrifices, the waste lands which
might be conquered from the enemy should
become common property, and, under the
recommendations Of Congress, 10th October,
1880, I" that the appropriated lands which
might be coded to the United States BY any
particular State. pursuant to the recommen-
aation Of Congress Of the 9th Of September
last, shall be disposed OF for the common
BENEFIT of the United States
Virginia promptly made cession Of her
vast domain north Of the river Ohio, out OF
which six States have since been formed.
The condition of her cession adopted sub
stantially By other States) was, that all the
lands conveyed "shall be considered as a
common fund for the use and benefit of such
of the United States as have become or shall
become members of the contederacy or tede
raj alliance of the said States, Virginia in
elusive, according to their usual respective
proportions in the general charge and expen-
diture, and shall be faithfully and bona fde
disposed of for that purpose, and for no other
use or purpose tciaicuer." Thus we're the
lands coded. accepted, and held Il, trust.
How they have since been disposed of, in
total disregard Of the conditions of the trust,
the history of the country tells in the annals
of Congressional legislation.
In disregard Of the plain obligations Of the
trust, President Jackson, in the early days
Of his administration, proposed to cede the
lands thus acquired, and all subsequently
purchased, To the States in which they lie,
gratnitously or for a nominal price.
To counterfeit this movement, which at
that time met with no favor in Congress, but
which has since been substantially adopted
in the system Of partial grants, Mr.. CLAY
introduced his well-known distribution bill,
which was passed BY Congress on the I'd day
OF March, 1855, BY a vote Of ~ to 90 in the
Senate, and &c TO 40 in the House Of Rep
resentatiyes. This bill President Jackson
refused to approve, and il did not become a
law, the popular will. as indicated By the
vote Of the House, TO the contrary notwith-
standing. Some of the Western members
did not hesitate 10 ayow the purpose of
eventually appropriating to the States in
which thew lac all the public lands, and one
of the most eminent of them declared that
after the census Of 1850 the power 10 do So
would be irresistible. The fulflment OF this
menace is almost complete, anil after the
census of 1860 the old States will be utterly
powerless unless thew unite cordially for
their common protection.
The whole amount Of money which would
have gone into the Treasury OF Virginia,
under the provisions Of NJ. Ciay's land bill,
from 1882 10 1889, a period Of seven wears,
would have been four million three hundred
and sixty-nine thousand one hundred and
sixty-nine dollars, or for each wear seven
hundred and overweight thousand one
hundred and nin.ty-fonr dollars.
On September 1. ls4i. an act was passed
20 appropriate the proceeds Of the sales oi
The pubic lands amongst the several States.
The first section provided that from and
after the 5lst December, 84l, there should
"be allowed aud paid to each or the States
of0aiO, Indiana, nois, Alabama, Missouri.
Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mich
igan, over and above what each Of the said
States is entitled to BY the terms of the
compacts entered into between them aud the
United States, upon their admission into the
Union, the sum Of ten per centum upon the
nett proceeds Of the sales Of the public
lands, which, Subsequent 20 the day aforesaid,
shall be made within the limits Of each OF
said States respectively"
After deducting the said per centum, the
residue Of the nett proceeds was TO be di-
vided amongst the then twenty-six States Of
Of the Union and the District Of Columbia,
and the Trritories Of Wisconsin, Iowa and
Florida. according 10 their respective federal
representative population, as ascertained by
the last census, Ei5iJ, 70 be applied by the
Legislatures Of the said States 10 such pur-
poses a. the said Legislatures might direct,
provided that the distrlbutiye share 10 which
the District Of Columbia shall be entitled
should be applied to free schools or educa.
ton IN some other form, a. Congress might
direct. In the sixth section of the act there
NdaA plVsl-p HidN ~ ~ dNN TIME NitFe .NtltH
be an imposition OF duties consistent with
the act Of March 2, 1855. beyond the rate 81
duty, twenty per cenium.j fixed by that
act. the distribution should be suspended
until this cause SHALL be removed.
The proceeds we're thus divided for one
year, aud accepfed by all the States. we BE-.
lieYe, except Virginia. The Legislature 81
that State refused 10 receive the forty th0a.
sand dollars for that wear, "a much smaller
sun than the average voIld have been had
the law been continued. on the ground tina,
], was an attempt on the part 81 Congress
70 eorrup, the people Of the State By gifts
from the Federal Treasury.
By the operation of the act Or August a.
1912, TO provide revease from imports, &C..
he distribution Of the nett proceeds Of the
pa5lic lands among the States was suspended.
Il. -. a Il