Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-05-12
From lhe tMartinsbnrg Republican.

and Distribution.
These fWo terms should not be- con.
founded II Incur political vocabulary.
there is aIwiA and paipable distinc-
ton between 4hem, both in principle
and practice Virginia in 1887 re-
.ceived the two millions assigned to
her as a'sReposiiteI; Wlilstin 1912 she
rejected fAtlIe forty Thousand dollars
rendered ito her as her portion of the
dl;strsbn9fpfs fund. Tie first, she
believed she might accept III strict ac-
cordanceHwitf the Constitution; the
latter, she thought could not be .ae-
cepted witHont becoming a party toa
gross violation Of that instrument.
Distribnttoal ID term, by which we
characterize the grantiofpublic money
from the National Treasury without
Hequivalent3or consideration grant
fol no object specified in the Consti-I
tuition, and With no stipulation to re-
turn it, Hreauired by the further ne
cessities bfthe National Treasury. u
I'll other words il. j. a pure gift Of the.
public ni0ley which the Constitution
confers HID Authority upon Congress
To make A deposite BY the Federal
Government with tlie.Statessi lis where,
there having arisen an unexpected
surplus III she Treasury, it is placed
in the custody jofthe States under a
distinct agreement to refund it, ifever
thereafter the necessities of, the5Na7
tional Treasury should require il.
q have already shown you that Mr..
Clay and Mfr. Webster, both CONCUR
red WITH The whole mass ef Demo
cratic Statesmen in declaring a dis
tif5ntfQst amongst the States of d
surplus Heyenue arising from taxation,
ito be inSyy violation of the Constitution
and a lagrant act Of usurpation.
They However did concur with Demo
cratic sfatesnien in regarding q deao-
site ofthe same surplus amongst the
States, as erninently wise and proper
when made in 1886, and as being In
strict accordance with the Constitu-t
ton. s,II II. .= .# s.
"a yerY brief reference to the facts
eonnectSa with the Opposite act Of
1886, NilI doubtless be acceptable 10
the people and throw some light on
this subject. b. III.
As buFpIuB of $50, 00o, 600 had &C
.culnulated i'll our National Treasury
III theyear 1886. "A proposition to
deposgta chat surplus with the States
was naaaelby Mr.. Calhoun, and .sus-
tanned III debate by Webster, Bu-
'chanan, | Clay, Rives, Leigh, KING, of.
Alabama, Crittenden, &c, 1t passed
fhe Semitic BY a vote Of 80 to s, the
House NJ Representatives by vote
of 159 III PSI and was approved by
5ASpRAy D JACKSON, The President Of
the Ugitea States.
I ThS annals of Congress might be in
vain searched for such aconeurrence
d. sentiment amongst the political
leaders jofthat day, upon an nnpor-
tant question ofPublic Policy. They
ali' agreed In the wisdom and c6nski-
tutionality Of a OPPOSITE of2ths surA
plus amongst the States, and Yet not
one. Oh theI distinguished men aboye
referred Fto would have for one mo
meut, sanctioned a Distribution Of
the same money amongst the States
4 The, precise provisions ofthe bill.
with the grounds gifts support mayI
be gathered from the accompanying
brief extracts from the remarks Of
some ofthe leading speakers.
Mr., Buchanan said !:
zs. What then, is the true nature Of
the measure now before the Senate |
It is adePosite with tile States LII
form, and q deposite ill effect. Its
no distribution no gift Of the puI-
Lie money. The bill requires the. !
States receiving the money to deliver
10 the SECRETARY OF. the Treasury GER.
ificates of deposit for such amounts, i
and III suchtornl as lie may prescribe
- payable TO tile. United States or
heirslssigns, and without any direc.
ton from Congress, he is authorized
d sellana assign these certificates.
III proportion TO the sums /
received, and thus convert them into
money Whenever It shall become ne
eessary Ifog the payment ofanytappro-z
priatidlls made BY Congress. How
my Goastitutional objection can arise
5othisllsposition Of thepublie money,
lam utterly lat asloss to conceive. III
order hi maintain such an objection,
gentlemen must establish the POSITION
hat gohgress do not possess the
oower Idf aepositing Tie public money
where they think proper. This
Sould,Sindeed, be a Hercnlean task.
Thissbill provides merely for ade 4
'osite pf tfs public money with the
States not for a donation OIL it toll
hems III its terms and in its spirit,
+ prpPpsesE nothing more than to}i
make tlIe State treasures the deposi-
Dries Hi a portion of the public ii
money. instead Of the deposite banks.
f the States should derive incidental n
dvantages from the use ofthis money, u
rithont interest, the deposite banks Il
ave heretofore used it. and, under