The Washington union., 1857-04-30

not TO be- ask of you to republish that letter. that
may thus dispose of the question of distribution before
submit the suggestions to which refer.
DUFF GREEN.
LETTER Xxx
rATE cREDr-TmE PUBLIC LAMBS
The last adyices from the United States are that the
dividends falling due by Pennsylvania Maryland, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Arkansas, and Mississippi will not be
paid Ii requires little fortitue, In the face Of this
fact appear before the British public the advocate
American credit Yet do not hesitate to say that be-
eve that each and all of the American States will pay
the utermos farhing all that they owe principal and
interest that it is question of time and manner and
not of payment No people have given higher proofs OF
personal national integrity and apart from this CON
deration, the bearing Of which must be admitted the
great body of the American people too well
the value of credit and much interested in protecting
II that they cannot afford to be dishonest 1t is their
interest to pay what they owe, and they will do So
The State debts were contracted under belief that
sufficient could be borrowed to complete the public
works on which the money expended and that when
completed, the derived therefrom would pay
principal and interest Their credit has been suddenly
arrested their public works in some cases are unii-
shed and therefore unproductye and the question
is how are the means of payment to be provided Sew
e modes have been suggested and the difficulty has
been in agreeing upon the manner Of payment. One
party urged immediate taxation as being the most equal
honest and efficient In OF the States this has been
done in Others it has been delayed because there
been great arrangement of the local currency to
render the collection Of taxes in available funds almost
impossible Hence some the States with no less anx
icy maintain their credit have been induced to prefer
expedients the failure and the Of which il is i'm
portant to explain.
The struggle for place and patronage is common to all
governments Its influence is felt in England France,
and Russia well in the United States. In the lat
ter the people the of power aspants adopt
their in reference to what they believe the bear
ing of particular interests current questions be
public opinion.
1t is not surprising that in the peculiar condition Of the
States, powerful party should have arisen, who at the
time that they affect to be the especial guardians of
the public credit have proposed schemes to relieve the
people of the indebted States from taxation One these
the assumption of the State debts by the federal gov
crnment; another the distribution of the proceeds OF
the public land Both had the merit of preventing the
necessity Of direct taxation and both promised early
plishment of the purpose intended Is it surprising
that the people hcstated to tax themselves when they
were induced to believe that ample provision would be
made to protect their credit before they could themselves
accomplish it by taxationi
The proposition to assume the State debts was soon
disposed of Those with whom it originated had much
better knowledge of the Stock Exchange than Of the que
tons and interests which control the legislation of Con
gress The distribution of the proceeds of the public
lands has become so much connected with political dis
cussons, and has direct bearing State credit that
propose TO examine it in detail
The assumption of the State debts by the federal gov
ernnent is opposed upon the ground that that govern
ment was constituted for limited and defined purpose
and has authority to them. This is generally
conceded and the question may be considered settled
The distribution of the proceeds of the public lands is
advocated the ground that they the property Cf
the States held in trust for their and benefit 1t is
opposed the ground that those which within the
limits of the original States the property of the
States in which they that the right OF such States
guaranteed by the articles of confederation that they
were afterwards conveyed the United States for the
purpose of creating fund to pay the debts, and
protect the credit of the United States and that hepo
posed distribution would defeat the end Of that convey
ance by converting fund common to all The States
and intended to be applied to use, into separ
ate funds to be applied by the several States to separate
uses o
The ninth article of the confederation prescrbes the
powers of the Congress of the Confederation and pro-
vdcs-
THAT no State shall be deprived of territory for the
benefit of the United States.
These articles were submitted TO the States for their
consideration Rhode Island proposed the following
amendment
In the ninth article at the end of the second para
graph after the words for the benefit Of the United
States, add Provided, nevertheless, That all lands with
in these States the property of which, before the present
war; vested in the Crown of Great Britain, out of
which for quitents arise payable to the said
Crown shall be deemed taken, and considered the
property of these United States and be disposed of and
appropriated by Congress for the benefit of the whole
whose limits such Crown lands may be, the entire and
complete jurisdiction thereof 7"
This amendment was considered in Congress on the
23d of june l77s and rejected--aye, oae nays, nine
New Jersey submitted the following, among other
amendments
1.-THE ninth article provides that State shall be de-
prvcd of territory for the benefit of the United States
Whether to understand that by territory is in
tended any land the property Of which heretofore
vested in the Crown of Great Britain that mention
of such land is made in the confederation
strained to observe that the present war, always
interest of the confedeating colonies the United
States. IL the confident expectation of this
State that the benefits derived from successful contest
TO be general and propotonate and that the prop
erty of the common enemy, falling in consequence of
prosperous issue of the would belong to the United
States and be appropriated to their use We are there
fore greatly disappointed in finding no provision made in
the confederation for empowering the Congress 10 dispose
of such property but especially the vacant and mpa
cnted lands commonly called the Crown lands, for de-
fayng the expenses of the war; and for such other pub
lie and general purposes. The jurisdiction ought, in
every instance to belong the respective States to set
the charter determined limits of which such lands may
be seated but and Justice decide that the
property which existed in the Crown of Great Britain
previous to the present revolution ought to belong
TO the Congress, ua for the and b,iea of The United
Ses They have fought and bled for it, in proportion
TO their respective Abilities and therefore the reward
ought not TO I've predilectionally distributed Shall such
States shut out by situation from ayamg them
selves from the least advantage from this quarter bc left
to sink under debt, whilst others
bed in short period TO replace all their expenditures
from the hard earnings OF the whole confederacy ~