Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-01-10

twenty five cents per aero aud that fact (he con
sequence OF tho thulless aud waselnl policy which
has been pursued) Is now earnestly aud perpetual,
urged reason why the price should bc still fur
thet diminished-Ihh ,ho public land should cease
To be regarded rs source of revenue and should IN
effect. be surrendered 10 the States in which the
lands le by system 81 settlement tights emp
ton laws, and graduation bills, So lar from this.
results such rs these ought 10 induce an enquiry
whether the system does not need reformation. Ii
they are 10 be traced To tho private combinations and
| associations OF seulcfs OF spectators, which put
down competition, these combinations, aud associs-
tons ought 10 be prohibited and punished II the
quantity OF land surveyed aud btough t into mark OF
Is too large, let no more he offered until there IL
a uearer equality between tho supply aud demand
II II be that the pre- cmption system furnishes the
choice lands Al the minimum price, such legislation
ought 10 cease, aud the laws prohibiting intrusion,
and requiring The noval of ntruders, ought 10 be
rgidly enioreedaud II the evil ,nyctera,e for
correction by any of these reforms. let the minimum
price OF the land be raised
This subject Is one IN which those States, and cs.
pecially Virginia, by whose ccsslons To the United
States, much the largest portion OF tho public lands
were obalocd, except what were acquired under the
Louisiana treaty aud tho purchase OF Florida, ought
To feel deep aud lively interest, aud have, IN some
Sort peculiar right 10 interfere. At tho close OF
the Revolutionary War, the whole OF the domain,
nov composing the States of Alabama. Missssipp,.
Tennessee, kentucky. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Mich
w
the chartered limits OF aud claimed by New York.
Virginia, North Carolina aud Georgia. 10 that vast
region. the North western Territory, Virginia had n
double claim OF chartered title aud right OF conquest;
for she acquired the actual possession OF much OF
it as had been uod b, the foot the white man, by
conquest with her troops receiving assistance
IN that quarter iom the other States during tho Rev
outionary War. And i, may not be ont OF place 10
remark, that many of the gallant officers and soldiers
who achieved this arduous conquest have not yet re
ccved the Bounty Lands which were promised them
by Virginia for This sefyicc-cysn nj this moment.
while projects on foot for the surrender 10 the
States III which they lie, OF the very lands acquired
by their hardy yalor aud out OF winch these engage
mcnts were to be satisfied.
The States which mentioned as claiming these
lands, yielding the natural apprchensons and Jeal
ousics OF OF the other States OF the conicdera-
cy and prcterrng harmony, union aud liberty, TO
power. agreed to settle then own conflicting CLAIMS,
and TO quiet all fears aud complaints, by ceding To
the United States all these lands But while ma
king this concession TO harmony aud union, they
compauied the surrender with conditions aud icscr-
yations confined in the Acts of Session, which
were accepted by Congress, and to the observance
Of which tho United States Government Is bound
by the highest Obligations at public ialth ana Tor
lac performance OF which, so In. as fgin'a ~ con
cerned. the Congress Of the Conicderasy, whoss
obligations, in this respect have devolsed upon tho
Government Of the Union, expressly eogagcd by the
Ordinance of 1887, which has ever since been re
gardcd ~ a solemn national compact
After dovotpg the public lands to the payment OF
the National Debt created by the revolutionary war,
and to the reimbursement Of the expenses OF Virgin.
ia defending tho territory coded. the acts ofcesson
by Virginia, aud those OF tho other states, subslap
ally provided That the lands ecded should be con
sdercd a common fund for the benefit of such oil the
United States have become, or shall be-
come members of the Coriedcracy or Fedc-
raj alliance of the said States, Virginia inclusive ac-
I,nu fhpir NV inns in 10
general charge and expenditure. and shall be faith
fully and bona Gdc disposed Of for that purpose aud
for no other use or ,r....rpse Whatsoever
Here is explicit stipulation incorporated in the
very grantto the United States, accepted aud rati-
fed by tho Ordinance referred 10, by which these
public lands to be held common fund for the
benefit ofall tue States, and u not )aidjuliy and DO
ma fdc dispoScdofI0r that purpose, and for no ote,
purpose uhdiSOetcr, the solemn engagements OF the
Unlted States will be violatcd--he condition on
which alone Virginia and the other States agreed To
renauish their title, wouldb be broken, aud mani
fest breach of the coniidod to the Congress of
the Union, committed. more fragrant case OF sue h
violation could moi be imagined
So FIR from acquicscng in such disposition OF the
public lands, think, tina, proper compliance with
both the letter and spirit otthe grants by which tue
disposal of them was entrusted ,othc United States,
requires. that such appropriations OF them or OF the
of their sales, should be made to the Other
States, as would place them upon an equal footing
with the States IN whose favor donations have been
already made.
1t is matter of history thai Congress has from time
10 time appropriated to the States and territories
in which the public lands are situated, very large
proportions believed to be thirty part OF the
whole. for the purpose Of education Besides this,
very large quantities have been bestowed for objects
of internal improvement within these States The
aggregate amount OF these appropriations cannot fa
short of ten millions Of acres aud probably FAR ex
ceeds il. Why ought not appropriation OF equa
quantity or its proceeds, be made to the other States
in proportions graduated upon some equitable rao
of distribution, aud TO be used by them At their owl
discretion for the purpose Of education, internal I'm
provcnent or in whatever way they might deem pro
per IL may confidently be asked, how can the go
vernment of The United States, as a faithful trustee
acquil itself of The duty OF making an cqan impair
tial and faithful administration Of this common fnnd
until the application Of II to the benht OF all the
States. according to their usual respective proper
lions in the general charge aud expenditures IS re
allied This can never be done by sacrificing thu
rich inheritance for an inadequate price,-lt canno
be done by partial and exclusive privileges conleuot
on particular States OF their cltzens,-lt canto b'
done by making distribution OF the proceeds OF tn
public lands, upon any terms no matter how equal
until compensation has been provided for the uneqna
and partial distribution already mdde-and especial
ly. it cannot be lone, by1naknga systematic dsir
button, upon terms wholly unequal, which would per
petuae aud increase the IN usticc and inequality al
ready perpe'rated
Having thus freely and candidly expressed IN,
views this SUBJECT, obviously one of great an'
grow ing importance and argeucy, shall leave II Il
be disposed of the legislature, IN their wisdom
think best. know no matter in regard to whici
this Commonwealth las, and ought to feel deepo
| interest There is no State which can have bette
thnf m n