Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1848-12-07

the constitutional for the settlement Of a
| questions which may arise under the eonsl
tuition, treaties, and laws OF The United States
Congress is earnestly invoked, for the SAX
| Of the Union, its harmony, and our continue
prosperity as nation, to adjust al its preseH
! session this, the only dangerous question
/ which hes IN our path---if not ia some one O
the modes suggested, IN some other whicl
may be satisfactory.
In anticipation of the establishment OF REL
ular governments over the acquired territories
JOINT commission ofofsicers OF the army an(
navy has been ordered to proceed 10 the coas
of California and Oregon, for the purpose d
making rsconnosssanees and a report as to the
proper sites for the erection OF Notifications Oh
other defensive works on land. and Of suita.
bic situations tor naval stations. The infor.
nation which may be expected from scien-
tIfic and skillful examination Of the whole
face of the coast will be eIninently useful to
Congress, when they come TO consider the
Propriety OF making appropriations for these
great national objects. Proper defenoes on
land Will be necessary for the security and
protection OF our possessions; and the estab-
lishment of navy-yards, and dock for the
repair and construction of vessels, will be i'm
portant alike to our navy and commercial ma
nne Without such establishments, every
vessel, whether of the navy or of the mer-
chant service, requiring repair, must, at great
expense, come round Cape Horn to one of
our Atlantic yards for that purpose. With
such establishments, vessels, it Is believed,
may be built or repaired as chesply in Cali
fornia as upon the Atlantic coast They
would give employment TO many Of our en-
terprlsing ship-builders and mechanics, aud
greatly facilitate and enlarge our commerce in
the Pacific.
As II is ascertained that mines of gold, sill
yer, copper, and quicksilver exist in New
Mexico and California, and that nearly all the
lands where they are found belong 10 the
United States; 1t is deemed important to the
puollc interests that provision be made for
geological and neurological examination of
these regions. Measures should be adopted
TO preserve the mineral lands, especially such
as contain the precious metals, for the use of
the United States; or if bought into market,
TO separate them from the farming lands, and
dispose of them in such manner as to secure
a large return of money to the treasury, and
at the same time lead to the development Of
their wealth by individual p.oprietors and pur-
chasers. To do this, it will be necessary TO
provide for AN immediate survey and location
of the lots. If Congress should deem il prop
er to dispose of the mineral lands, they should
~
price.
recommend that yorgenerals' offices
be authorized TO be established in New Mexi-
co and California, and provision made for
surveying and bringing the public lands into
market at the earliest practicable period In
disposing of these lands. | recommend that
the right of pre-emption be secured. and
liberal grants made TO the early emigrants
who have settled or may settle r,non then,
1t will be important TO extend our revenue
laws over these Territories. and especially
over California, at am early period. There is
already a considerable commerce with Cali
fornia; and until ports OF entry shall be estab-
lished and collectors appointed no revenue can
be received
If these and other necessary and proper
measures be adopted for the development of
the wealth and resources of New Mexico and
California, and regular Territorial govern
ments be established over them. such will
be the rapid enlargement of o,,r
commerce and navigation. and such the addi-
ton to the national wealth. that the present
NAV live 10 witness the controlling
commercial and monetary nower Of The world
transferred from London and other European
emporiums IN the CIV of Nsu, York
The apprehensions which were enter
tanned by some of our statesmen, in the ear
lIer periods of the government. that onr svs.
TEN was incapable of operatine with sufficient
energy and success over largely extended ter
ritoriaI limits, and that if this were ATTEMPTED
it would fall to pieces bv it's own weak
ness, have been dssipated by our experience.
By the division Of power between the States
and federal government, the latter is found to
operate with as much energy in the extremes
as in the centre. Ii is as efficient in the re.
hottest of the thirty States which now COM
pose the Union, as il was In the thirteen
States which composed our constitution. In
deed, it may well be doubted, whether, 4 our
present population had been confined within
the limits of the original thirteen States. the
tendencies to Capitalization and consolidation
would not have been such as to have en-
croached upon the essential reserved rights Of
the States, and thus TO have made the federal
n widely different one. nrac,iraI
", from what is m the theory. and was in
tended to be by its trainers. SO far from en-
apprehensions of the safety of our
system by the extension of our territory. the 4
belief is confidently entertained that each new
State gives strength and an additional guar
anty for the preservation Of the Union II,
self.
In pursuance of the provisions OF the thir-
teenth article of the treaty of peace, friend
ship, limits, and settlement, with the repub-
lie of Mexico, and of the act of july the
twenty ninth, lS4S, claims of our citizens
which had been "already liquidated and de-
clded against the Mexican republic, )" amount.
ing, with the interest thereon to two million
thousand eight hundred and
thirty-two dollars and fifty.one cents, have
Iiquidated and paid. There remain to be
paid of these claims, seventy. four thousand
one hundred and ninety two dollars and twen-
ty-six cents. ss
Congress at its last session having made no
provisions for executing the fifteenth article
Of the treaty ,.by which the United States as.
sumes to make satisfaction for the "unl,oui-
dated claims" of our citizens against Mexico.
"a .s,n a,,,o,,n, ~, as...J;ns 49, 80
onay,sr millions or dolInrs - snh;ss, -
ass;n rscannandsd ~ ,,nn, W. h,s Jon.;J
"S1"i 'sSo"Sue" " yooi ioNoiooie So"siu