The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-27
PRESIDENr's VETO MESSAGE

act donating public ats 10 the several states ana let
tories which may provide colleges FOR the benefit of ag
culture and the mechanic arts presented TO ME on the
18th inst.
This bill makes a donation 20 the several States OF
twenty thousand acres OF the public lands for each
tor and represen la the present Congress and also
additional donation OF twenty thousand for each
additional representative TO which any State may DO snt
tied under the census of 1859
According 10 report fton the Interior Department
BASED upon the present number of senator's and repre-
setavos the lands given 10 the States amount 10 six
Millions and s&ty thousand acres, and their value, at
the Minimum government price OF one dollar and twenty
Eve cents per acre. million 1--WE hundred and
seventy FIVE thousand dollars
The object of this gift, stated by the BILL Is the
endowment, support, and maintenance of at least one
college lin each sate where the leading object shall be-
without excluding other scientific classical studies, to
teach such branches of learning related 10 acu
ture and the mechanic arts, the legislatures of the
States may respectively prescribe, In order to promote the
liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in
the several pursuits and professions in iite.'
AS there does appear from the bill to be any bene
fciares in existence to which this endowment can be
applied each State required to provide within rve
wears at least less than one college, or the grant to
said State shall CEASE III that event the said State
shall be bound to pay the Unit, States the amount re-
cevcd of any lands previously Sold and that the title 10
purchasers under the State shall be valid. "
The grant in land itself is confined to such States az
have public lands within their limits worth dollar
and twenty cents per in the opinion of the gov
ernor For the Remaining States the Secretary of the
Interior is directed to issue land scrip to the amount
of their distfbutivc shares in under the provisions
Of this act said scrip to be sold by said States, and the
proceeds thereof applied the and purposes pre-
scrbcd in this act and for other purpose what
socver The lands granted and the scrip is to be
issued n sections subdivisions Of sections not less
than one quarter of section.
According to an estimate from the Interior Depart
ent the number Of which will probably be accepted
by States having public lands within their limits
will not exceed five hundred aud eighty thousand acres,
and il may be much less leaving balance Of five mil
lion four hundred and eighty thousand to be pro
vided for by scrip.
These grants of land and land scrip to each OF the
thirty three States made upon certain conditions,
the principal of which H. that ii the fund shall be lost OF
diminished on account of unfortunate Investments
otherwise the deficiency shall be replaced and made good
by the respective States.
shall now proceed to state my objections to this bill
deem it to be both inexpedent and unconstitutional
| This bill has been passed at period when can
with great difficulty raise sufficient revenue to sustain the
expenses OF the government. Should it become law,
the treasury will be deprived Of the WHOLE nearly the
whole of our income from the sale Of public lands,
which for the next fiscal year. has been estimated at five
millions Of dollars
bare statement of the case will make this evident
The minimum price at which dispose of lands is
one dollar and twenty five cents per acre. AT the pres
ent moment, however, the price has been reduced TO
those who purchase the bounty Land warrants of the old
soldiers to eghty-tvc cents per acre and Of these
siil mi cd
pears by areport Q2th February 1862 from the Gen
cral Land Office, the amount of eleven millions nine
hundred and ninety thousand three hundred and ninety
one acres This has already greatly reduced the current
sales by the government, and diminished the
from this source. IT. In addition, thirty-three States
shall enter the market with their land scrip the price
must be greatly reduced below eghtyvc cents per
acre as much TO the prejudice of the old soldiers who
have not already parted with their land warrants to
1t is easy to perceive that with this glut
of the market sell little or no lands at
one dollar and twenty cents acre. when the pri,
of bounty land warrants and scrip shall be reduced 10
half this sum- This source of will be almost
entirely died up Under the bill, the States may sell
their land scrip at any price it may bring There is
limitation whatever this respect Indeed they must
sell for what the scrip will Bring for without this fund
they cannot proceed TO establish their colleges within the
FIVE wears TO which they limited. 1t IL manifest,
therefore, that the extent to which this bill will pre-
vent the sale of the public lands at dollar and TWEEN
ty-ivc cents per to that amount 1t will have pre-
ciscy thesame effect upon the treasury If should
impose tax or create loan to endow these State col
lcgcs
Surely the present is the most unpropitious moment
which could have been selected for the passage Of this
bill
O. Waving for the present the question of consttu
q, T., l.,, f1,,r al,
tions established between the federal and State govern
mcnts The constitution is grant to Congress OF few
enumerated but most important powers relating chiefly
to war; peac foreign and domestic commerce., negotia
ton AMI tcr subjects which be best alone
cised benecally by the common government. All other
powers are reserved the States aud to the people Fo
tho efficient and harmonious working of both it is nece
say that their several spheres of action should be kept
distinct from each other. This alone prevent con
fct and mutual injury. Should the time ever arrive
when The State governments shall look TO the federal
treasury for the of supporting themselves and
maintaining their systems of education and internal pol
ICY the character Of both governments will I've greatly
etcriorated The representatives of the States and
the people feeling immediate Interest in obtain
ing money tighten the burdens Of their constituents
than for the promotion of the distant objects In
trusted to the federal government will naturally incline
TO obtain means from the federal government for State
purposes II question sholl arise between appropn
alton of land money to carry into effect the objects
the federal government and those of the States, thci
feelings will be enlisted in favor Of the latter This h
human nature and hence the necessity of keeping thu