Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-12-16

mend that the laudabe object he has at heart
be fostered by the Legislature.
feel constrained to call your attention TO Rev
dictionary claims. An obligation more sacred
never rested upon any people than that resting
upon the United States TO pay those debts. If
Congress persists in refusing to discharge them,
Virginia ought 10 assume the obligation. The
grounds urged against the claims are mere pre-
texts 1t is pretended that more land claims
have been allowed than there were soldiers in
our service but the records of our Offices show
that the number of men iii service was double
those that have been allowed land bounty. 1t is
said that great asity has characterized the ac-
ton Of the ad Indication upon these claims. This
is untrue, as will be seen by reference to the
cases decided for it will appear that much
larger number of claims have been rejected than
allowed. Virginia gave up to the United States
an empire, charged only with the payment Of
her soldiers who had won it, # Congress- in
its zeal to provide homes for the descendants Of
those who fought our troops at BTandyWine ana
Trenton, shall persist in parcelling oat TO them
the public domain which was gwen to tie L.
States in trust by Virginia, and refuse to pay The
land we promised, Virginia owes It to herself to
discharge the debt in money.
The resolutions of the last Legislature reGucs
ting the President the United States through
the American Minister at the court OF st. James,
to procure the return Of certain docuneni. car
ried off by the enemy in the Revolutionary war.
were sent as directed. The object Of The Leeis-
Iature has not been accomplished, but their
wishes have been met by kind proposal On
the part OF the American minister, to have do
cnnents copied by a Vermont gentleman, Pc
cnliarly qualified for this business and who the
minister assures US, is ready to perform the ser
vice. The object. however, being the recovery
of original records belonging 10 the Common
wealth, declined entering upon any negotia-
ton IN the business. | recommend the appoint
ment OF competent agent, who shall repair to
England for the purpose OF thoroughly examin-
ing the archives of Great Britain for such re-
cords and historical "reminiscences as properly
pertain to the calculation of our history. t
herewith transmit the papers received ffora the
State Department upon the subject
The necessity for correct map Of Virginia
has been aeriously felt for a long time. When the
MAPS OF Virginia were made by II. Doye, he had
to depend upon the county maps then made
under law to that effect, but, in general, very
incorrectly 80 much so. that The Boundaries Of
adjoining counties rarely ever fitted, and ffe-
quently overelaped widely, as can easily be veri-
ned. The roads, streams and mountains, were
almost invariably laid down BY guess It was
with such materials that Boye had to prepare
the maps. He made good many corrections
by astronomical observations and surveys of his
own and produced a tolerable map for the time.
But, at present no one scarcely can point out the
correct parts of the maps. Soye is dead, and
no record left of his labors, by which projections
and imperfections are to be distinguished. Since
his time new counties have been created, the
angles Of which rest upon old counties, which
are consequently almost imaginary. The new
counties cannot be accurately located upon a
map under such circumstances, even :fcorreetly
surveyed. But to perfect the MAP, evidently the
same labor has to be gone over (and it would
be the same thing for every new rnap,) if meas
ures are not adopted 10 record what ID known to
be correct otherwise, in arranging and Citing
together, by mutual concessions, the various
plans, the engineer would be as likely to aban-
don what was correct, as that hich v as not So
To obviate this difficulty, would recommend
constructing plan, correctly and nicely draw q,
of everything " hich is undoubtedly right, and
from this plan copperpate; both to be- care
fully preserved Upon these would be added
from time to time, all new surveys, locations and
observations-and whenever new maps should
be struck off, another copperplate copied CT in
proved from the standard, and filled up as cor
rectly as the materials would permit might be
used. In the course of time the principal plate
would be completed without losing any part Of
preceding labors.
The person employed to prepare and correct
the maps should be good drauahtsman survey
or and mathematician, capable of taking astron-
omoal observations, to rec!ity the errors Of sur
veys, and, withal, an intelligent man, for this
business presents considerable difficulties. He
must discover the errors of surveys furnished
him. Even when correctly made, those sur
veys require considerable notifications Take
for example a long line of improvements run
ming East and West. On the plan, the meri-
dams are ell parallel OIL the map they are not.
On the plan no account is taken of the different
variations of the compass along the line, which
should be done on the map so that when pro-
perly reduced, the line between the extreme
points is no longer a straight line, but probably
a very irregular one, which will displaee the in
tersections of mountains, streams, roads and the
locations OF towns from what appears on the
plan of improvement. Astronomical ohserva
lions at important points furnish the only mode
of proper rectfcation. Boye has given us a
number of them, but it is all we know of the cor
rect points or parts of this. The Typographical
features of them are even more important than
the form of the counties, because they will never
change. The ranges of mountains, courses OF
streams, lines of improvement, and towns should
be particularly attended TO, so as 10 form a
complete topograp hcal and geographical repre-
sentation of the State. 1t will, of course, take
years 10 lltlleH It, Ddt upon pau l'No't'-
mend the progress Will be steady, and ultimate
success certain.
Besides the astronomical observations already
obtained, we can avail ourselves of the coast
survey. to form the basis and courses of this o.
peration. presume that there will be no diff
Guilty in obtaining copy OF that survey.
Under the provisions of the Code | have
caused a map of the State TO be commenced up
on the principles have just indicated.
The central authority of the United States for
the Industrial exhibition, to be had in London i'll
May, 1851, issued to the Governors OF the diiie-
rent States and Territories formal request that
they would 'appoint local committees for their
respective States, in order that the citizens there
of might possess every facility for the represen-
tation of their various products at this exhibition
of the industry, genius and skill of all nations,"
received this request on the 3lst OF October,
and a few days thereafter, appointed commit
tee for the purpose indicated. This committee
has been most actively engaged upon the sub