Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-09-16

state should be deprived Of territory" Tor
the benefit OF the United States.
The articles Of confederation were not
de6nitjyely ratified, until the hrst day Of
March 1871 and Congress. therefore, dc.
rived no authority from them, unti' tnat
period. They could not be amended, but
by the consent Of majority of that BODY,
which voted by states-nor without the
concurrence, also, of the Legislature Of eve
ry state in the Union.
If. however, before, as well as after the
ratification Of these articles, and without a.
ny amendment Of them, the power OF &C
curing and holding lands was deemed es'
sential to any federal government whatever
If the confederation continued to possess
lands until the new constitution superse-
ded il, without an express dereilctIon or
surrender of this power, and without any
attempt on the part OF those who conferred
il, to do more, by amendment, than enlarge
il, this formidable obstacle must cease, e.
ven in the opinion Of our adversarles, to
arrest our progress: ,.,
The first acquisition Of any part OF the
soil Of state, by the federal government.
was made the day after the declaration oil
American Independence, and embraced
one hundred and sixty acres OF land IN
New jersey. Tho largest which was ever
made, was sought to be obtained before
, the ratifratio of the articles OF conicde-
ration, | mean the whole western territory
of the atlantic states. Thi. effort was be-
, gun in the form Of an amendment OF those
articles, but failing, as have already sta
ted, afterwards assumed the more humble
shape Of a recommendation to the several
states, holding any part Of that territory,
to cede it TO the United States for the com
mon benefit. Virginia, the first to accede
to the recommendation, had not only con.
ouered by hcr own army, but possessed
and governed her territory, west OF the r.
yer Ohio, under the denomination OF the
county of Illinois. The inhabitants pro-
fessed themselves to be citizens Of Virginia,
and an act of congress Of 1894, accepting
the cession of the territory on which they
lived, so recognized them--as did the SUBJ
seauent ordinance of 1887, passed by the
same body, for the government OF part
of the coded territory. By a compact. or
purchase which was instituted before, and
completed after the ratification OF the arti-
cles of confederation. the federal govern.
ment thus acquired, it must be perceived,
not merely the soil, but the exclusive Jur's-
diction also, over an immense empire,
from the bosom Of which have subsequent
" sprung, and are daily springing, some Of
the most Furnishing states Of this union -
In all of them let il be remarked, the j1-
risdiction has been in part receded TO their
respective local governments, while the
right of soil in the INDICATED lands is re-
tanned, and daily offered for sale Gy the fe-
deral government.
Lest the extent and grandeur OF this ac.
QUESTION should be deemed TO impair the
force Of the authority which proposed to
draw from il, let me call the attention OF
the committee TO two other acts of The con-
federation. As far back as 1888, congress
began these efforts, which they prosecuted
in the succeeding year, 10 obtain two seats
for the federal government, and as one OF
them, the very soil on which we are now de-
lberating, about their right to make any
such acquisition.
The commissioners appointed TO execute
their last resolution, were empowered to
procure tract Of country on the banks OF
the Delaware, not less than two, nor ex-
ceeding three miles square, and to purchase
"all, or such part Of the soil," as they
might deem necessary. BY the resolutions
Of the preceding year, it was provided,
, that " The right Of SOIL" in the proposed
district, and an exclusive, or such other
jurisdiction as Congress might direct, should
be rested in the United States"
To this will add but Une other autho-
rity. In December, 1881, congress unani-
imously passed an ordinance to incorpo-
rate the subscribers to the bank Of North
Notwithstanding on them the power to
purchase and hold lands, not exceeding in
yaluete ten million OF dollars. They assign
ed in the preamble Of the act, as the rea-
son for its adoption, its tendency TO uphold
the finances ofthe United States, and refer
red forts origin, by name, 10 the report Of
Robert Morris, patriot of the revolution,
one OF those illustrious men, who, with SO
many more of his associates, while they
made us rich, have, themselves, long since,
descended to the grave, in poverty and al
Fiction.
At the name OF man, Mr.. Chairman, to
whom, next 10 our beloved Washington,
! America is indebted for the establishment
of her independence, may be allowed 10
pause one moment, in order 10 remind my
honorable friend from Ohio Gen. Harri.
son J OF an intention which he early an
nounced, after our arrival here, 10 prevail
| on this house, TO recognize, in the person
of his surviving widow, who lives in po-
verify, have heard, the debt Of gratitude
which this nation owes to her deceased hus-
band
If the confederation could confer on a
money corporation the power to hold lands,
| il must be regarded as having possessed
that power in its own right. And IL, Mr..
Chairman, the feeble confederation pos
sessed lands at the adoption Of the present
constitution without acquiring right to do
so from any express authority, whence this
modern, this new discovery, which denies