The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-12
IN CONGRESS- OF THE O. STATES.
rh,rsy-Eirst Congrsas--First session.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1850.
[Is coNTIsUATIos
SENATE.
BOUNTY LANDS.

Nmip
S, granting bounty lands 10 individuals who have been
IN t6e military service OF tue United States.
Wnvn last under considerations, Nc WALKER moved
N amend the bill by inserting IN line 7, after the word
.whatsoeyer," the following:
N,r shah auy ceftidcate for land is.usd un-
der provisions ot TINS act be assisnabe in any
whRsyar."
Mr. BENTON moved to amend the amendment BY
aiding thereto the following:
.And the h'irs-at-aw any ;hem or The widow
may any recover possession OF said premises with
the and nesne prohts by merely proving he trial
tue OF heirshp or widownood" @
The question stated upon the proposed amendment
10 the amendment
Mr. WALKER accepted the amendment as a modifca
non oil the proposition submitted by him and the ques-
on being taken upon the amendment thus modified
was rejected without division.
Mr. w. otier amendment the first
branch OF The amendment just rejected, and on that
Nh SHIELDS. Ihope that the senator will not delay
the BILL There is no objection TO the amendment. 1t il
aisIuW Mr WALKER lis because ii is not in the bin ,ba,
oHerit If there is no objection to il. will not ask ior
rhe question being taken upon the amendment piva
voce, and appearing to be decided in the negative,
Mr. WALKER demanded the yeas aud nays which
ordered and, being taken, resutedyeas is. nays
sl-as follows:
YEAs-Mesas Benton, Bright, Cass, Chase. Davis Of
Mississippi, Dodge Of Wisconsin, Dodge Of Iowa, Douglas,
selch yenes' Shields smith, Walker, Whncomb, and
NAYs-Messrs. Atchison, Badger. Baldwin, BArnwel,
son. Dayton, Dickinson, Downs, Ewing, Greene, Hamin,
King, Msngum, Mason. Norton, N5sss. Pratt. Rask'
Wales, and Wlnthrop-3l
So the amendment rejected.
MIR. MASON | wish to otter amendment to the
bill in the shape of an additional section ask that il
may read and then will detan the Senate for few
moments TO explain the purpose OF the amendment and
my re asons tor Offering it.
The amendment was read as follows:
"At the end OF the bill add thu following section:
SEC Had be t further enacted, That all unsatislied
outstanding land warrants which have boen heretofore is
sued, aud the residue o all such warrants have been
partly satisfied under the provisions of The second section
an act appropriang for the civil and diplomatic
Of the government passed third March, eighteeu
hundred and tryfye asd have bsen by ha State
vlna, under the laws thereof for services performed
n the war Of the revolution may be surrendered the
Secretary OF tue lneror, within years from the
passage Of this and sh Il, be duty said
W 10 lssue thereupon, 70 the owners of such warrants,
cnp at the Of dollar and twenty five per
or each calsd cr by said warrant which scrip
Ial be receivable IN payment for any lands subject
s private entry IN tns States OF Ohio, Indiana Illinois,
chigaa and Wisconsin, and shalt, moreover. be assign
se by sadofsement attested by witnesses la ssu
IN said srp the said Secretary Is authorized where there
arc more persons than one lneresed IN the same warrant
tae to issue To each scrip for his or her portions and
Shete inianu or iemmes coyerts may be entitled to
enp under this act, the guardian oil the inan and the
same"
Mr. NJ. The purpose Of that amendment is 10
authorize the holders OF Virginia land warrants OF the
mItary laad office, far they have been issued,
may hereafter De issued to locate them within that north
west territory now comprised within the hye States
10 entry II is confined to the Virginia military land
ants Tor revolutionary land bounues The provision
topped from laws which have been passed from time to
by the United States for the location of unsatsed
military land warrants. am aware that the locations OF
unsaisied Virginia military land warrants for revolu.
uohay bountes have attely met with some disiavor IN
The Congress Of the United States; and it becomes me
therefore, in very few words, 10 state the foundation
upon which, the part oil the State OF Virginia ask
he adoption OF this amendment
Sir, during the revolution, all gentlemen know xir
Eha owned large body OF public lands as her own
separate property. Other States-some few OF themof
others OF the colonies, should properly say, also
held public lands, but not in such quantities; aud the
revolutionary Congress OF the colonies, by than one
resolution, order to obtaa troops 10 carry the
ntonary contest, urgently impressed on those States
hocng public lands the duty OF inviting enllstmenis and
hng their ranks by Offering land bountes for those
who engaged for military services during the reyou.
honsTy war Virginia. amongst the earliest, responded
TO that appeal and in i77s while The revolutionary war
was pending she order 10 insure good lands 10 her
troops apart and reserved from private entry, for her
sn bounes to her troops, the country then belonging
Virginia, and lying between Green river, Cumberland
Nes the Carolina line, and Tennessee and Ohio This
vas the hst act on the part OF the State OF Virginia to in
sure good land TO her troops set apart that country In
the place. by the act OF May, 1792. Virginia provided
The mode in which the evidence reqsse TO locating land
variants should be ascertaned. IL was declared that the
clam Of an officer TO be allowed upon the cerh-
caie Of general officer, and in the Of non-com.
oned object or private soldier, upon The cencate oi
commissioned officer.
All this prior to the formation OF present gov
dAHeht By later act passed in 1915, alter the lapse
quarter OF a century, when such specific evidence, by
reason oi deaths and removals. could longer be had
me legislature OF Virginia passed act by which the
executive authorized 10 allow these military land
Dounies, when satsiactory evidence was produced to
snow that the soldier entitled TO them, and 30 the law
virginia now is In l7s5 act OF Congress passed on
me 18th OF April, directing the Secretary OF War TO allow
and bountesto all those who entitled 10 them upon
ne evidence OF the army return IRON his ofhce or upon
uch other evidence as the nature of the demanded
And 80 stands now the act OF the Congress- OF the United
States. -
The obligation thus entered into by the State OF vir.
Th AZ the Instance OF the federated colonies she has
so held as one OF her most important duties Her sense
he character OF that obligation evinced by the act
he intent to good lands to her officers and SOL
oers-seung apart the best territory that she then pos
sessed IA the southwest part OF her territory as il then
existed. In 1857 Virginia again responded 10 cali of
he States OF this Union then conederaed under the
present constitution and ceded 10 Congress- without other
eevanons than that which might be necessary 10 sat-
Ely her military land bouDtes, all that territory now
eonpnsed within the five States named in the amend
menl BY that act OF cession she made no
Wnaever except that she should be reimbursed the ex
incurred by her in defending the territory and re-
.lsig II iron the Indians, and that she should be
no,;o 70 locate her military land bounties within the
bbaon hat was set apart northwest OF the Ohio ryer
~ nat ueed oil cession, have said Virginia deyolyed
me government of the United States the duty OF re-
,ohsng ner expenses in subduing and defending her
haniay against the Indians, and that 100000 acres
% saouu De granted to Carke's regiment the favorte
ghen' OF the State OF Virginia; and that in case
.boa eeing deficiency Of good land on the south,
be made up out OF lands between the Scioto and
h Lule Miami rivers, in Ohio. Thus il appears that
h s only reservation made for the purpose OF dis
halgng an obligation due 10 these revolutionary troops