Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Mr. RODNEY deemed it necessary to make but few observations after the
able arguments of his friend from Virginia, (Mr. RANDOLPH,) and the
luminous observations of the gentleman from Connecticut, (Mr. GRISWOLD,)
against the resolutions. The question to be determined, was, whether
the five per cent. was to be given exclusive of the three? It had
been said that they ought not to consider the intention of those who
framed the law, but he conceived it to be proper, in order to give a
right construction. When they reverted to the propositions themselves,
they would find one of them was, that provided the State of Ohio would
not for a limited time tax the lands of the United States, that then
one-twentieth part of the net proceeds arising from the sale of lands
in that State should be laid out in making roads to the State of Ohio,
the same to be laid out under the direction of Congress. When this
proposition came before the Convention of Ohio, they said that three
per cent. ought to be laid out exclusively in their own State and under
the direction of their Legislature. This could only be intended as a
modification of the law. He did not think there was any difficulty in
determining the construction of the law, and should vote against the
resolution.
Mr. VARNUM conceived that the construction given to the law by the
gentlemen from Virginia, Connecticut, and Delaware, was perfectly
correct. He did not know whether it would be necessary to make an
appropriation of the remaining two per cent. during this session, but in
order to try the principle, he moved to strike out of the resolution the
words one-twentieth and insert one-fiftieth.
Mr. SANFORD had not intended to have troubled the committee on this
occasion, but being a representative from the West, it might be expected
that he might be in favor of the resolution. But he did not conceive
that more than five per cent. was ever intended to be given, and this
was not a question of expediency. He did not believe that the Convention
of Ohio intended that the three per cent. should be given in addition
to the five, nor had they any reason to expect it. This ought not to
be an Eastern and a Western question. If the five per cent. was now
given, Mr. S. asked whether it would not operate for the benefit of
the rest of the States as well as the State of Ohio? But, as they must
determine, not what Congress ought to give, but what they meant to give,
and he conceived that three per cent. was a part of the five, he should
therefore vote against the resolution.
Mr. LYON spoke in favor of the resolution at some length.
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