Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1840-03-05
NUMBER 2.

the before. mentioned purposes, or dispo-
sod ofin b~ountles to the ~ofiicers and sol.
dlers Of the American Army, shall be con.
s,dered as a common fund for the usn and
benefit of such Of the United States as
have become or shall become members Of
The Confederation or Federal alliance OF
the said States, Virginia inclusive, accor.
ding 70 thelr asaai respective proportions
~ ne general charge and expenditure,
ana shall be faithfully aud bona fidc dia-
posed OF for that purpose, aud far no 9th.
cr use or purpose 'rhafsoeecy."
The domain thus ceded IS a part OF thar
which so much of as remains unsold) il i.
proposed, in violation Of this most solemn
compact to give away. Upon such d
proposition il would be an insult TO your
understandings 10 doubt Cor q moment
your opinion. You will stand by your
rights, wo have no doubt oft. All that
we desire Is, that you should
them.
HlSRY Cay, by birth a virginian,
understood this compact, as you must oil
understand II and, when the public debt
OF the United States was paid off, ~loresee.
lng with mtultive sagaciiy the rapacious
projects to which the extinction OF the
public debt would give rise, introduced !,
and carried through Congress a bill TO
distribute the proceeds Of the saIes oil the
Public Lands among the several States,
in proportion to their right of property
therein. This, il will be seen at once.
was a proposition in the spirit Of the COM
pact by which these lands were acquired,
and, had II passed, would have been a
faithful performance OF the obligations 10
which the Congress OF the United States
bound itself IN accepting the Ccssion.
But this bill, though il passed both fiou-
SEES Of Congress BY large majorities, did
not become a law, because General JACK.
son, then President Of the United States,
IN utter contempt nl tho authority Of tho
two Houses OF Congress, would neither
approve nor disapprove il, but kept ii
back until Congress adjourned, by which
operation no literally killed the measure.
This subject being now again ugilated,
and it being the obvious purpose OF the
great leadcrs Of the Administration party.
directly or indirectly, Immediately OF gra-
dually, to strip you Of YOUR share Of this
property. we have thought j, our duty 10
put you on your guard against a design
so nefarious.
10 impress upon your minds more plain
ly the consequences If the high-handed
and most d~espotic conduct Of the late Pre-
sidcnt, in trampling under foot the will of
Congress, IN the case Of Mr.. CLAY's Land
Bill, we have prepared the suIioined Ia.
Bile, from one OF The Treasury Reports, to
show what would hnva been the effect Of
Mr.. cLay's Land Bill, Ind II pissed, in
the six years from 1882 70 1888, Ito which
date the report comes up,) upon each coun-
~ in your State from which you can
readily ca ,uIale what would have been
It's effect since 1888, and what might have
been It's effect in ali time to come.
The whole sum which would have gone
into your State Treasury under the pro-
vision Of Mr.. CLAY's, Land Bill, up to LIST
October, 1888, would have been four mil.
lion three hundred and sixty-nine thousand
one hundred and sixiy-nine dollars, or,
for each year, seven hundred and twenty.
Eight thousand one hundred aud ninety
four dollars.
This sun would have paid an lnteres,
IN a public debt at five per cent. to the
amount Of fourteen and a half millions Of
dollars. Or, il would have given 10 all
citizens Of Virginia Of 81 years OF age las
per census of ls30) upwards Of twenty.
nine dollars each. Or, il divided among
the several counties Of The State, it would
have yielded 10 each, upon a computation
according TO the census Of 1880, the n
mounts respectively annexed TO their
names in the following table
Table showiag The amount uhich each conn.
Win the State Of Virginia wonld have
rectived from 1882, from uhach period
Mr.. CIay's Land Bill ,cas to hare ia
ken effect, up 10 l63S-sir years.