Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-07-04
POLITICAL.
From the Washington Globe
THE PUBLIC LANDS-MR CLAWS BILL

=. THE PUBLIC Ian ps%MR. cIAY's BILL.
The cess'ons Of the several States aud the purposes for
rhieh they tcere made.-No. H.
On the 10Th October, $780, to encourage the saveral
mS naa Grains 10 me western territory by
nouncing The purposes to- whichit designed to be APP
piled coded 10 the United States Congress passed
solution declaring as follows, viz:
"Ihat the unapproprated lands which may be coded
or relinquished to the United States by any particular
State pursuant to the recommendation Of Congress OF the
9th day of September last shall be disposed of far he
common benefit Of the United States, and be settled and
formed into distinct republican Sates which shall be-
come members oil the Federal Union and have the same
rights oil sovereignty freedom and Independence az the
other Staes,' &c.
On the LIST day of March, 1871, the delegates Of tho
stale oil New fork IN the Congress of the United States
executed deed OF cession the United States Of ali
claim to all the western territory lying than 20 miles
west Of me most westerly bent or inclination OF Niagara
river, TO 6e an ehre for the and benefit of such
The United States, as shall become members of the
federal alliance of the said States, and for other use
or purpose tUhatsOccer.'
On the day. the delegates Of MARYLAND signed and
rahhed the Articles OF Confederation, at the same time
declaring, that "by accedng the said hi.
state doth not renquish, intend TO relinquish any
right or interest she hath with the other United or Con-
federated States TO the back country; claims the same
as full as done by the legislature this State in
their declaration which stands on tho journals OF
Congress; this State, relying justice OF the several
States hereafter, as to the claim made by this STATE
lie confederation was now complete, and on the I'd
March, Congress was organized under the Articles.
ATT subsequent day, the Legislature of Virginia passed
an act authorizing transfer OF portion OF her western
territory 10 the United States but eered with conditions
which Congress deemed inadmssibe On the nt NJ arch
1854, however, cesson all her territory north n
the river Ohio upon certain conditions was made by her
authorized delegates and accepted by Congress One Of
me conditions oil this ce,son is as follows, viz:
"Ihat all the lands within the territory ceded 10 tho
ohled States, and not reserved for appropriated
any oil the ntioned purposes disposed Of in
bounies TO the officers and soldiers OF the American Ar.
my, shdh De considered as common fund for the use
and benefit Of such Of the United States haze become
or shall become members of tbs Confederation or FEEDER
al Alliance Of said States, VTgina inci,.siue according
10 their usual respective proportions in the general
charge and expenditure and shall be faithfully and 6o
no de disposed Of for that purpose and for no other
use or purpose whatsoever"
In November, 1854, the Legislature of Massachusetts,
passed an act authorizing ceson the United States Of
an iahus Claimed by that State between the Hudson and
Mississippi rivers, for the purposes the eso
luton OF Congress adopted on the 10Th October, $780,
VIZ; f0 DC disposed Jor the common benefit of the "
April, 1885. 80
BY virtue of like authority the delegates of Conpec
CUT In September, 1885, ceded the United States all
the claim of that State lands living west of a line 100
miles west oil The western line of Pennsy or the
common use and benefit Of said States Connecticut in.
eius'ce The territory lying between the line of Penn
syvania and The parallel line l2O miles further west wa.
OF course reserved to the State Of and has
since been known by the appelIaion Of "The Western
reserve Ia May, 1900 the jurisdiction of the Western
reserve was also coded to the United States.
In August 1857 by virtue of like authority, the dele
seat Congress ceded to the United
states all the claim of that Stale western territory "for
the common benefit of the Union"
BY virtue OF like authority, the Senators of North "a,
rona IN Congress, in February, $780, ceded the United
states all The claim OF that State its western te rrory
which was accepted by the United States by an act ~
Congress approved April I'd of that year. The third CON
di'on OF this cesson is as follows, viz:
Iha all the lands Intended to be ceded by virtue OF
ms act TO the United States OF America, and not appro
Paed as beiee noned, shall be considered as COM
mon Jd for the use and benefit of The United STATE,
HmeTicd, North Carolina ncusve according TO their
yeessoe ana "Uot proportion IN the general charge
ana expenditure, and shall be fafuIy Disposed of r
mar purpose and forno other purpose ,0hoteuer
In April 1902 the State of Georgia coded TO the United
States, upon certain conditions all her western territory
embracing the State of Alabama and the large,
portion OF Mississippi One of the conditions Of t,i. crs.
sion contains the following provision, viz
That all the land coded by this agreement to the Unit
Ell states shall after satisfying the above pay
meht OF one million two>hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars tho State Of Georgia. and the grants recognized bv
the preceding conditions, be considered common fund
Jor me use and benefit Of The United States Georgia in.
cuded, and shall be fahiy disposed of for maj n,.r
pose dndJor no other ,1se or purpose phafeper," Sc
In these cessions OF the States we have tho
origin Of such OF the Public Lands OF the United States
as are situated within their original limits. The motive
which led to the adoption of this policy perfect and
IS expressly stipulated, that the lands ceded were 10 DO
disposed OF TOR the common benefit of the United sater
ana some o. them expressly as all Of them do implicitly
prescribe the ratio IF benefit to the several States The
virginia cesson declares That ii shall be according 10
MeH usual respective proportions in the general charge
Sa sapenae and TO preclude all other application ov
asnieuion OF The proceeds adds, that they :" shall b.
tditfuHy and BONA disposed of for that purpose
ana FOR NO OTHER USE OR PURPOSE wHArsoEvER"
ms language copied almost verbatim into the essions Of
North Carolina, aud Georgia.
The grants to the United States themselves therefore
not only provide that the lands coded shall be disposed OF
Tor The common benefit, but prescribe The rate of that
common benefit to the several States.
The Public Lands lying West Of the Mississippi and in
orda were acquired by puchsse Of the territories in
when they are situated from foreign powers Although
lhe disposition Of these lands by Congress is not feered
oy any conventional restrictions, yet will not be main,
famed mat they are not much the common property OF
the States those which have been coded by the Sc
vera states and that it the duty OF Congress dspo,.
oil them for The benefit
III pursuance OF the object States
rendering their land TO the United States and in exee
on oil the conditions Of the several grants Congress in an
act approved August 4h $780, enacted as follows viz
the proceeds Of the sales which shall be made Of
lands III The western teTtory belonging or which
may hereafter belong the United States shall be and are
hereby, appropriated towards sinking dscharging the
debts Tor the payment Of which the United States nor are
or by virtue OF this act may be- holden and shall be sp~
piled solely TO that until the said debts shall be fully
sas6edN -
This pledge was afterwards repeated with all the soIenn-
niy which acts OF Congress could give to il.
Ia our next we shall proceed 10 show that Mr. Clay's
OIL Is IA direct violation Of the conditions upon which al
INC States, and particularly Virginia, North Carolina and
Georgia, cnded their