Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-05

College townships, there contracted for all the
grants Ia Ohio, for scmina.cs of higher ade than
common schools and their amount compol but III
with the arithmetic OF the equa!izing design. In or
binary transactions, measure, analogous to this
pursued by Congress, could not be mistaken; II is
every days practice, without being thought 10 lay
the purchaser under obligation. The rc;,son-
ing will apply TO the tlree per cent. fund, for the
making OF roads
drawn in this respect between those seulers in the
military tracts and Connecticut, Reserve, and our
other inhabitants vet the of the former
s,itutcs but part of the system induce settlement,
and receives besides counicrbalance from the
actual sale in the purchases aforesaid. E,en graz
tuity To the revolutionary soldier surely form no
item oi bounty TO the state, in prejudice to other
members ot the concderncy nor can the question
o " eciuSrc benefit he affected by the Gil cunistancc
! that tho grants secured To W. by compact.
But beg leave 10 observe, that, besides the cons-
dcraon thus paid by our citizens, the state, "a boz
dy polite, has abundanlly remuneracd the old mem
berS of the Union, FOR the school lands and all o,her
grants made 10 her, on her admission
The act of cesson by Virginia conforming with the
ordnance of 1877, required that states should be
formed in the coded territory, and " admitted the
Union, equal footing wi hie Original states,
ALL RESPECTS WHATEVER" Ii will be recollected,
iliit, IN constituting this provision, there not
wanting politicians who niain,ined that il this
! " admitted a member OF the Union, having the
rights oi freedom, sovereignty and independence,
the other states, the United States would be placed
~ the situation OF other proprieors here, respects
the liability of their lands To- be taxed No such claim
was insisted on, at the time OF our admissions and the
compact exempted their property, to- the presumed
amount of li500, 900 acres from t;,xation, for FIVE
years after ii should be sold The exemption
Tor The exclusive benefit of individual proprieIors its
effect upon the price Of public, and of other land is
ohvious-it added to the domestic taxes, ;qld retard-
ed public Improvement. This immunity, AT the mc-
dium rate OF taxation, imposed by acts of the
legislature, amounts i'll five years, more than
$4,000
in return for winch the state of Ohio has received
list The school lands ( admittedly which should he
rejected from this account, otherwise paid Tor.
Their amount for the whole state, including the col
'ege townships, is estimated about 100000
acres.
1t is pnlpably incorrect estimate these lands 10
us iY the average oil receipts for many years. during
which, our population had received prodig ious in
crease and the country becoWc considerably cult
waited. The Inhabitants should not he charged with
the increased value derived from their labor. Con-
grcss, after twenty years experience have reduced
The price fixed in 1900 1t should not he forgotten
that the price of the public land sold before the open
ing OF me land Offices, was payable in evidences of
the public debt and the value of those securities ai
the tne OF the contracts, should be calculated
Choice too offered of large region of country
me Snodness of No. 10 depending upon chance and
the enjoyment of it remote. The true method would
have been TO have estimated the value OF the litcr7-
ry appropriations OF Ohio, in 1902 ; and they would
nave been rated hsh at thirty cents per
"a 'rce per cent. on the nett proceeds from the
sale OF lands in the state for roads The amount re-
ceived, and estimate Of that expected when the land
slu' he sold. amounting 10 100000.
% var as the application O tins fund should
to enhance The value of land the benefit the United
States might have cafcslted derive from it * sup
oSed 10 have been Oo that of the siate) as II y To
l-2. II we admit It's immediate convenience to the
people, To balance the advantages accrning TO both
parties From the expenditure of The fund, it might OBJ
vi1te objections 10 charging the U. States with one
half.
Sd The SO sections, including Gel tain salt springs
un'lienable, the grant cloggel with conditions thai
prevent their being made available, and if placed in
me market at the time o their highest and overraed
IN mot IL, 1.
land under the late system Allowing the whole of
these items, we left CT editors to a large a.
mount
But the correct statement of :his account will
probably be as follows:
Five years taxes, S9O6, $50
School Lands, 100000
One half three per cent fund 100000
Salt spring sections, neverpr
unctIve TO the state, and never
likely To he under existing re-
SulbtIons, 100000
IN order 10 meet various views on the
subject, we may make copious allow
ance from this difference, coo, $50
and still exhibit balance of half million OF
dollars, devoted nafiO1ia. ame not TO sate pur-
poses.
think il is, therefore, plain, that in every point OF
view which the trainers of the report have thought
proper TO place The subject their claim cannot be s,ls-
tanned, without disturbing the principles of harmony
on winch the ceSsIons to the Union were adjusted
without a breach OF equity towards the adopted mem
The reports, without violation of the spirit of
national compact as well the principles Of justice
and sound policy"
These facts not atduced by way Of complaint
That Ohio has yielded, for poor equivalent, rights
and privileges necessary TO place her, cmphaticay
on az e7"ai footing We have asked no favors from
the United States the score of hard bargain
we are even less queruous than of our eastern
brothers, who, IN order raise money and the value
OIL iIielr land, offered premium their citizens 10
S'tre m The west, and now officially complain they
lai., ,..,
IS against scheme that our school lands rs u
gratu',ous bounty, emitting the claimants to dona-
ton without our OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES this agrarian
PROJECT, which might with The same propricy, en-
brace TIN ee per cent. road fund, graduated on the
scale.
| have endeavored TO show that the grants to the
new states not iIyOrs, and the case the report
supPoscs, Of grant made to New York, and refused
TO Virginia, viii not apply TO situation. In the
spposition OF an appropriation of the revenue arising
from commerce. to education, in a favored state err
cLaSircf, the analogy equally fails. more parallel
hypothesis would have been, in surprising state To
nave renqulshed large amount of her internal tax
es, a"d her citizens 10 have paid large sums in
sideiai;on O grant for their benefit.
1t land in Ohio should be specifically granted Ia
the original states, and they should retain it. TO tc
revenue from the cultivation, (Which however, may
not he Intcndeh) you familiar with the con
sequences Of expanding, in the Atlantic states, the
public money raised here not TO he sensible of the
impoverlshng effect to be caused by an additional
drHn OF lie annual rents, from a large district OF
country.
Though the appropriations now claimed should be |
reiaseb, cannot rn be inferred that this state will
remain indebted for her future rank in the scale OF H.
lrdtuff, or her children for the rudnc Of cduCa-
lon 30 the generosity Of the old sites by reason of
ti" h5crlty Of the grants heretofore made 10 her
STAGE At should he remembered, tbat in 1902 tie few
lnhdants OF our still Young, though proud state OF
ono just brcatrng, from the hardships Of their new,
-eiticmen under !hG numerous disadvantages slcs-
crbed, without public treasure or domain concluded
'1n arrangement with Congress ,viercl,V they made
flfp =
so great as have attempted TO explain.
Accept my wishes for your harmony and ndivdu-