Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-01
TIE PUBLIC LANLS.
To he Eli!ers II Tie EM1uirtr:.

4" 't Lit"Fs cf ne i-HI"i'F'
JAxrAGY oath 1850.
Gcn,lemen-Thc trrc ground apprchcni,
OF the SUBJECT OF the pubic iantc. .>--t!Iat pc
General Government j. clothed with the prF.e.
10 dispose of them" and in exercising that
power. may sell them; or may ot!.crw i>c DIS
/ pose OF them for the equal benei, Of al tie
States. lnierentially that government cannot
dispose Of them in kind or of the proceeds o.
their sales, in any way that will no, bc for the
cqua! benefit of all the States If that gov
crninent may make unequal disposition among
the co-Statcs. of those lands or those proceeds.
in any one way, il can. in that case, !,c only 4
question Of discretion whether it NAV rot dis.
pose Of The whole or anv part in any other TN.
equal mode. II is safest then. and alone con-.
patiblc with State Rights in this behalf that tic
General Government shall not indulge in auy
unequal disposition of the public lands, or any
unequal disposition If the net proceeds Of tie
sales OF them among the co-StatcS. Rcpuiiatins,
in fair conformity TO the Federal Constitution
and in just observance OF the equal rights Of
the co-States, all manners Of unequal dlSpoSi-
ton and distribution, pray to know how else
than by distributing the proceeds equally
among the States, or by making equal allot
ments OF the lands in kind. can inequality Of
disposition OF them bc avoided? The general
impression. know. is. that the selling of the
lands and putting the proceeds in the Federal
Treasury. is equal among the States. With
all proper Difference. | apprchcnd that this
general opinion mas been embraced and pre-.
walls without due reflection and investigation.
4 single illustration shall suffice and the same
light would be shed on the topic in hand by
illustrations innumerablc. drawn from an expo.
sition Of the use Of Federal treasure in any OF
the countless ways Of lis disbursement by the
General Government. We will say that Pa.
citic rail road is TO bc constructed by the Gov.
ernmen,. Of the money in the Federal 'lrcaSu-
ry. SO 00O, 900 have been derived from sales
OF the public lands An appropriation Of fifty
millions is 10 bc made. and is actually paid out
in the construction or equipment of that
road. Would the benefit from so much Of tie
sales OF the public lands be equal TO the States
the road did not touch, and those it did pass
through? II not. it seems 10 me that my
premises that the Constitution CHARGES the
General Government with tlic duty ol "d:>lo-
sing Of the public land, for the equal benefit %:
all the United States. docs not admit the con-
clusion that inc proceeds of the sold and ra,.
for LANDS can properly and cons;itut;oaaIly lie
pu; in The Federal Treasury, 10 be paid oct
Otherwise than Id the States proporuCnatciY
10 their population counted in federal numbers.
Iapprchcnd iha; the proceeds Of the sal'S II
the public lands coIld not he set apart 10 b"iil
up cur gallant little Navy with equal benefit
to all the States The points within the States
at which the ship,bnllding would be carried
on, would receive more benefit than such poll
cv. however sacrcdly observed, could confer on
the States in which no ships would be built.
submit tina; my premises cs--conccdcd 10 he
Sound--do not admit any other than my cl':-
ciiison. which is denied, that distribution %
no, oaly Just, fair and federal, bat is, in
truth, tie o.ly constitutional disposition Of the
pvo.t.is oi the public lands. PrHL!rs.