The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-08-06

while they are IN force, regard It de RICH, Of eve
ry c'S'-. ~ th- commonwealth, to beneiis IL he can
by ,hsni. az thofe who nl, and AZ otherwi.e, no,
Only r:1tc-isy afee the neret OF the Gate bu; ar
urili. '2wcra' tc.rie.vcs The theoye,ic mora
who regulates hrs oon,ue. BY .i,c caprice OF feeling,
ard the dsates f.ancisd coyfcience smuch M.
70 be Dreaded chan the rigid coaicrmer To lava The
iormar ullIceionably may be OF greater icrvice T.,
the ieef aociate o. rhe circle n winch ne reiles
but TO the cpnlmu,iity large every deed of has lie
is deed of defraud and Of cr;:e. If morality or vr-
tue he meaiused by any other[d) fiandard than by
adherece to the laws o! that iociety Of which we
are ine,n5ers, we iouid have many moral yenls
and moral codes, there individual a,sre!ss, and
acknowledgements. % I'll
The land laws OF Virginia, have been framed for
the benefit OF the citizens ghont the fate, and
not tor the executive advantage OF the citizens of
Richmond Every inch OF unpatented ground, WHICH
IS nttere'ito REMAIN within the boundaries os Rich
mond, i'in reality ROBBERY committed upon the
property o! each citizen in the commonwealth: and
the indifferent spectator who knowingly fnSsicns it.
deerves TO BE- caiied among tie ie,ouus receivers OF
isoien goods (S The advocates Chalmers of the ;ra
located IN my name, neither urge the RICH, of
grant, ietlement purclafe for in either of thefe
Gales the location could poiliby affect them ~
a location FOR unapproprs,cd land by an act pail. d
the 2ftA ct January 1898 can only affect the pre-
tended claims of land which has never been patented
and iettled upon. If there any uch tracts with
IN the pace, which located certainly had an eusaI
claim on them with any other Citizen ro- although the
Prejudice OF party may draw line of preference he
tween the native Virgnan and foreigner the eaui-
table laws OF the Rate acknowledge no fuch invidous
diitinction Ii no unpatented unfettled tra9s ex
iited my location could nave no other effect than to
add a few dollars TO the fate treaCury. Upon thele
principles, and theie alone, ] entered location be-
tween the boundary line o. paten, granted by fir
William Berkely, to William Bird the 5th of March,
1886 and the meanders of James river, from the
mouth of Shoee creek, about four miles up the river
Much has been laid OF the manner in which the entry
was worded. 1t is however TO be known, that the
county iurveyor (perhaps property thought hnielf
outlined III reiuing he entry, until he tcck he advice
ut council aud that in place of leaving HIM copy
nf the entry, left with him only memorandum, of the
line OF the cour-s which he to run, obfervng 10
HIM IN the preience of Mr. Davis, make the entry
latter receiving the opinion of conieN f.y acres
OF the land lying between the given coures and the
meanders oil the river James, fuppoing he had ge-
neral form OF entry many furveyors have. With
reipe& to location on the eaf iide of the creek
which has been erroneouy reported entered by me
no iich ever took place will evidently appear frog,
the inipec,ion OF Byrd.s patent which was granted
ioiey Tor land on the Weft de of the creek and the
tract alluded TO which was located by NIr Lpfcoa,be
and myieif, lay between the boundary line in BIRDS
Patent which ran between S. aud s. w. 1913 poles
and the different meanders of Shocko- Creek for this
line could not have crofsed the Creek AS there " as
teparate patent for the land the east side of the
creek, which patent expressed the boundaries in
conries but by the 0iesea,s of Sbte4e C,etE,
and the aLterrTt z7eaaRsr5 IF fa1ves RiVer.
ihali only obierve at pretent iii being my inen
ton, to explain and lu!trate this iubieta in the iul
lett manner at future period that il any crmna--
ty is to be attached 70 the location it ought to be
placed to me alone Had conceived it either unjut
or immoral, ! certainly might have derived equal
afl. .r,rar t,,a -, i
who was TO derive one half Of the nterea and eulou-
mens, or in the mamie of foe third perion 70 as to
avoid every ceniure. But regarding it as fill do,
not only uifable but patriotic act, entered it
m my own name Finding it gave general diff lea
lure. withdrew the entry in order to atisfy the re-
quet OF feveral of my friends but owing to no other
cauie, for while the prelen law the lubeet of To-
cations exits, ihall never change my opinion to
the right legality and equity of locating any unpa-
tented land fettlcd for thirty years whenever Il
can be found
JOHN WOOD.