Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-03-09
1he Standard.
PRESIDENTS VETO MESSAGE
10 the House Of Representatives

OF the United States:
return, with my objections, to the House Of
Representatives in which it originated, the bill en-
titled IAN act donating public lands to the several
States and Territories which may provide colleges
for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts
presented to me on the 18th inst
This bill makes donation to the several States of
twenty thousand acres of the public lands for each
senator and representative in the present congress-
and also an additional donation of twenty thousand
acres for each additional representative to which
any State may be entitled under the of 1860
According to report from the Interior Depart
ment, based upon the present number of senators
and representatives, the lands given to the States
amount to six millions and sixty thousand acres
and their value, at the minimum government price
of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. to
seven million five hundred and seventy five thous-
and dollars.
The object of this gift as stated by the bill, is
"the endowment support, and maintenance of at
least one college lin each STATED where the leading
object shall be, without excluding other scientific or
classical studies to teach such branches of learning
as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts
as the legislatures Of the States may respectively
prescribe in order to promote the liberal and prac-
teal education of the industrial classes in the sever
al pursuits and professions in life"
As there does not appear from the bill to be any
benefciaries in existence to which this endowment
can be applied, each State is required "to provide,
within five years at least not less than one college,
or the grant to said State shall cease" In that
event the "said State shall be bound to pay the
United States the amount received of any lands
previously Sold and that the title to purchasers un
der the State shall be valid"
The grant in land itself is confined to such States
as have public lands within their limits worth one
dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, in the opinion
of the governor For the remaining States, the
Secretary of the Interior is directed to issue "and
scrip to the amount of their distributve shares in
acres under the provisions of this act said script to
be sold by said States and the proceeds thereof ap
piled to the uses and purposes prescribed in this
act and for no other use or purpose whatsoever"
The lands granted and the scrip is to be issued
in sections subdivisions of sections not less than
one quarter of section"
According to an estimate from the Interior De-
partment the number of acres which will probably
be accepted by States having public lands within
their own limits will not exceed five hundred and
eighty thousand acres, and it may be much less
leaving balance of five million four hundred and
eighty thousand acres to be provided 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 is that if the fund shall be
lost or diminished on account of unfortunate invest
ments or otherwise the deficiency shall be replaced
shall now proceed to state my objections to this
bill. | deem it to be both incXpedient and uncon-
stitutional.
l. This bill has been passed at a period when we
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, or 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.
A L. e Al Al
dent The minimum price at which We dispose Of
our lands is one dollar and twenty-five cents per
acre. At the present moment, however, the price
has been reduced to those who purchase the boun-
ty-and warrants of the old soldiers to eighty five
cents per acre. and of these warrants there still
outstanding and INDICATED as appears by a report
Q2th February, 1859 from the General Land Office,
the amount of eleven millions nine hundred and
ninety thousand three hundred and nnetyone acres.
This has already greatly reduced the current sales
by the government, and diminished the revenue
from this source. If in addition, thirty three States
shall enter the market with their land scrip, the
price must be greatly reduced below even eighty
five cents per acre. as much to the prejudice of the
old soldiers who have not already parted with their
land warrants as to government. 1t is easy to per-
ceive that with this gut of the market government
sell little lands at one dollar and twenty
five cents per acre. when the price of bounty land
warrants and scrip shall be reduced to half this
This source Of revenue will be almost entire
ly dried up. Under the bill the States may sell
their land scrip at any price it may bring. There
is no limitation whatever in 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 years to which thew
are limited. 1t is manifest therefore, that to the
extent to which this bill will prevent the sale of the
public lands at one dollar and twenty-five cents per
acre to that amount it will have precisely the same
effect upon the treasury as if we should impose a
tax or create loan to endow these State colleges
Surely the present is the most unpropitious mo-
ment which could have been selected for the passage
of this BILL
2. Waving for the present the question of con-
stitutonal power what effect will this bill have on
the relations established between the federal and
State governments The constitution is grant to
Congress of few enumerated but most important
powers relating chiefly to war, peace, foreign and
domestic commerce, negotiation and other Subjects
which can be best or alone exercised benefciay by
the common government. All other powers are re-
served to the States and to the people For the eff
icient and harmonious working of both it is neces
sary that their several spheres of action should be
kept distinct from each other. This alone can pre-
vent conflict and mutual injury. Should the time
ever arrive when the State governments shall look
to the federal treasury for the means of supporting
themselves and maintaining their systems of educa
ton and internal policy, the character of both gov
ernments will be greatly detcriorated The repre-
sentativcs of the States and of the people, feeling
more immediate interest in obtaining money to light
en- the burdens Of their constituents than for the
promotion of the more distant objects intrusted tc
the federal government will naturally incline to 90
tain means from the federal government for Stat,
purposes If question shall arise between an ap
preparation of land money to carry into effect thu
objects Of the federal government and those of tn,
States their feelings will b. enlisted in favor of tn
latter This is human nature; and hence the ne
cessty of keeping the two governments entirely
distinct The preponderance Of this home feeling
has been manifested by the passage of the presen
bill The establishment Of these colleges has pre-
vailed over the pressing wants of the common treas
ury. No nation ever had such an inheritance as W
possess IN the public lands These ought to b
managed with the utmost care, but at the sam
time with liberal spirit towards actual settlers:
In the first year Of a war with powerful nava
nation the revenue from customs must in grea
A <o1o A.