Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-02-27

hood of all the states united M n common
,nori. Justice, therefore. demanded that.
coosid led 10 the Light OF property. The vacant
lasds should lie sold TO defrSy the exprners,
incurred in The contest. by which they were
obtained and the future harmony of The
states required, that The extent AID ultimate
population of the several states, should uot
Ice 50 disproportionste, as they wonA he ii
their seminal inns shcnlf be retained.
In the yeats III and lT7S, the General
Assembly, by resolves, and instructions 10
then delegates in Congress, expressed tliuir
sentiments In support OF their claim TO par
tcipation IN these lands, in sill stronger Ian.
guage aud declined acceding To the confede.
ration. on account of the refusal OF The states
claiming them ercinsirety to eede them 10 the
United States They cO.tinu, d 10 decline, Qu
the same grounds. until 1881, when TO prevent
the injurious impressions, that disscniion e.
listed among the states occasioned by the
refusal OF Maty,a-d 70 j,in tie coniedct ton
they authorised their delegates in Congress
To subscribe the articles protesting. howes-
cr, al the same time, against the inference,
winch inighi otherwise have been drawn)
that Mar yiand had rel'nqaislied its clam 10 "a
participation ia the wpsieru lands.
Most OF the other states conteuded, on
similar grounds with those taken hy Mary
land ior participation in those lands.
By tue treaty Of peace in 1883, Great
Britain ielinqnishrd " to the Uuited States
All ciari 10 lie government property, and
territorial rights of The same, aud every part
thereof.
e The justice and sound policy of cedinC the
unsettled Lands, urged wiin great carnesIness
AUD i"tce by the states, which had united 40
corqueiins them from Great Britain, strength
eued by the surrender. the part Of Great
Britain, of her rights Of properly ard ,u,iS,lic.
non 10 the United State. cOUecireiv aud aided
moreover by the elevated aud patriotic spirii
OF dlsinterestedness and conciiaiion, which
thep ahiniated The whole confederation AT
length made the requisite inpre.sIsu u,ou
the states, which had srciusireiy claimed these
lands and each OF them with the execution
OF Georgia, made cessions of their respective
cIaItns within "A few years after the neacr
those states were Massachusetis Connecti-
cnt New York, Virginia, North Carolina. aud
South carolina, his charters of which wi,I,
Tie exception OF New York extehded west
Waiuiy TO the South Sea OF Pacific Ocean
j ms circumstance gave TO Massachusetts and
Connecticut joint claim with Virginia 10
such pats OF what Was then called the North
western Territory, came within the
D'eauti oil their respective charters Tie
r. ST OF that territory lay within the limits of
the charter of Virginia New York indeed
had an Indefinite claim IL a part OF il
LESSONS. however from all these STATES at
cngth completed the title of the United
Status. aud placed il beyond all controversy
lie sat of No,ih Carolina ceded its
claim 10 the territory which HOW constitutes
the state of Tennessee.
Georgia, (wIsse charter also extended
wesiward!y 10 the Pacific OCEAN, at leusih,
-
siiiutes the state OF Mississippi aud Alabama
except small part the south side o, them
which was acquired under the treaty cediny
Louisiana The conditions of that cess,on
we're that the United States should nav oue
million t,ro hundred thousand dollars To Georgia,
aud exiiHgu>h tue Indian title WITHIN The
limits which she reserved
The United States have, in This manner,
acquired an indispniahIe tile 10 all The pub.
lie lands east OF the Mississippi.
All the TERRITORY Of lie Nj sal sin Il ~
gctEet with the souihern extremity OF The
state of Mississippi and Alabama. was pnr-
chased oil France for fifteen millions Of dollars
This sum, as we'll as The SIMS reunirpd for
the purchase of the Indian title 10 The pub-
nc lands, was paid out OF the treasury of The
United StaIcS.
so tar therefore as acquisition of pub
NC iands has bee" made by purchase, il has
beeh AZ The common expense $50 Tar as il u "a,
been made by war, Il has been by the comm ON
iorcf-and so lar as II has been made by
cesslons from individual states il has been up-
on the sronnd. expressly stipulated in most OF
the acts or deeds Of ceSsion, that the lands
should be - con sidered," TO use Ib. words of
the act passed tor that purpose By the state
which made The largest cess,on, as n common
jund for The use and benelt of such of The states
as hare become or shall become members Of The
contederafioa or federal alliance Of said states.
according to their usual respective proportions in
ne general charge and expenditure, and stuH
JMfJmty and bona Jide be disposed of for that
purpose, dhd Jor no other use or purpose paatso.
erer."
9 In Whatever point of view therefore the
pnblic lunds ale considered whether as acouir
ell bN purchase, conquest or cession. they are
a,,npl'iicaily The common property Of tie onion.
They ought to ennre, therefore. 10 ihe com
mou nse and benefit OF all the states in iust
proportions aud cannot be appropriated 10 the
use AID benefit of any particular state or
states, TO The exclusion of the others, without
an infringement OF the principles, upon
IL fro,
made, aud violation o. lie spirit of omrn,-
tioDaI compact, as well as Tie pri1cinlcs of
justice aud sound policy
SO far as these lands have bcean sold and
the proceeds been received iGio the national
tresHIy. all the states have derived a inS,Iy
propotiiobate benefit from them: SO far as
they have been appropriated for purposes of
defence There isno ground Tor compiaintfur In
defence OF every part of the countsyIs a com
mon concern SO far, in word, =. tie n,o-
ceeds have been applied 10 NATIONAL. and not
STATE purposes, although The expenditure NAV
have heeu iocal, Tie course of the general roy
efDmenf has peen consoDani Ia the principles
aud spirit OF the Federal Contributions But
so lar as appropriations have been made in
favour OF any state or states. to the exclusion
OF the rest, where the approximations wou.d
have been beneficial, and mig III have bern ex
tended 10 AL alike, your committee con. Give
mere has been departure from that line OF
policy, which impartial Justice, 50 es -emtial 10
the peace harmony, and stability oil Tie union
impetiousy preScribes.
Yonr committee then proceed 10 ingaife
whether The acts of Concress, in relation TO
appropriation of public lands, have been con
formabie 10 the dictates OF impartial Justice
by the laws relating to the survey aud
sale of The public lands. one tlirty~six III part
OF them has been reserved aud appropriated
IN perpetnity for the support of common
schools The pnbiic lands are laid off into
f'wDships. six miles square, BY lines rnnninc
with The cardinal prints these townships are
mile square and coui lining GfD acres. whicl,
are Designated rs Numbers. Section No IS
which Is always repiral section has invaria-
bly, been appropriated (aud provision has been
made by law for The Ike nnnrnnIialinns In