Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-02-27

eontempl.tes some little sedac.ionin the public
penditures. had coEclGdsd, from my brief sxpSs
rience here, that diseussion on such subject wia
rather obsolete. From whist had seen n the Sen.
ate and the Congress, of the United States had
supposed that discussions retrenchment and
economy had become rather obsolete. am gratiti.
ed to find that the Senator from Tennessee has in
troduced that question here and ask him ma
turey to consider the two propositions before the
Senate in an economical point of vew so far as ex'
penditure is concerned. Until heard the remarks
Of the Senator from Georgia, it was my intention to
move to recommit this bill to the Committee on Mil
tary Affairs with view of obtaining from them the
lights of their experience and their military know
ledge as to these various propositions Now un-
derstand the Senator from Georgia TO say that the
Committee on Military Affairs prefer to adopt the
proposition of the Senator from Virginia
am glad that we are to have some assistance
from the Senator from Tennessee, who has just come
into the Senate, in restoring the reign of economy
in this Government. l entirely adopt one maxlon
which he has laid down for his guidance, that 1.-THE
revenue of the State is the State" wish to make
that impressive, far as l can, upon the Senator
from Tennessee himself, for future reference and
future action; because, if ! understand the Sena:
tors position, he proposes to violate that cardinal
maxim in an important point in which my constitu-
ents are deeply interested refer to it now, that
we may stick pin there for future action in the
Senate of the United States "The revenue of the
State is the State in effect )" and hope that will be
remembered when the celebrated measure which has
been pressed so earnestly in Congress heretofore.
and which at the present time is in the special
charge of the Senator from Tennessee, and which
proposes to take away very large branch of the
public for the purpose of distributing it to
individuals throughout the country, shall come up for
consideration.
Mr.. JOHNSON, Of Tennessee Iregret, Mr.. Presi-
dent, to find myself situated as am, to be compel
led to make reply to the Senator from Georgia, in
consequence, as l think, of some unkind illusions
that have been made to my State But before ap-
proach that portion of the sutherland shall look
at some one or two, or perhaps more, of the posi-
tons assumed by the Senator from Georgia-it
ours to me, that perhaps had better answer a sin
gle point to which the Senator from North Carolina
has called my attention. He, in the conclusion of
his remarks, stated that l had, in the debut had
made in the Senate yesterday, laid down as text,
or called the attention of the country to the great
fact enunciated by Edmund Burke, one of England's
greatest statesmen that 1.-THE revenue of the State
is the State" I now promise and assure that Sena-
tor that intend to act on that principle; and when
the measure comes up, to which he has alluded, l
pledge myself now, in advance, if there is truth in
figures or 80 rs.srnent. that l will demonstrate
that the MEASURE to which he aIludes Instead of DO
;np a v 4ste of the public revenue, is revenue
meas,,~e, and it will increase the revenues of the
country instead of diminishing them. l will de-
modstrate to him, also, that it is my intention
e.atutousy to give away the public lands. do
Sot believe that the Government has the power to
make gratuties in the genera, acceptation of the
term but will snow. when the time comes, that
the man who takes one hundred and sixty acres
of land under the homestead bill, and goes to a
frontier country to cultivate it. pays tile highest con-
sideraton in retaining the land and reducing it to
cultivation.
will demonstrate still further, that if we grant
one hundred and sixty acres of land to man on
condition that he occupies and cultvates it for
period of years. in the process of time it will yield
twenty times the revenue to the Federal Govern.
ment that it will while you permit man to enter
it and let it lie without cultivation for series of
years, or while you permit it to remain uncultvated
without being entered at all. 1 will redeem every
intimation of principle position that is given out
in what stated yesterday in reference the
of a State being the State. But will let that
pass.