Richmond semi-weekly times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 184?-1853, 1851-01-31

NAV effectually remove the only obstacle 10 mo-
icaon of the articles of confederation anu iia' 'io
Iagislaure of MARYLAND be earnestly requested 10 au-
horize their delegates in Congress 10 W 'e
| said articles" II - ,s
Io,b Ocober 1850 TO pass aresolutlon pledglng the
United States the several states as 10 te ',G i
in which any lands that might be ceded by them shonla
he d;sposed or the material parts OF which are as io
" Resolped, That the unappropriated lands which
NAV he ceded reinquished 10 the unleu states, by
| any particular State pursuant to the recommendation
~ Cnngress of the 9th day OF September last shall be
DISPOSED of for the common benefit OF the United States
and be settled and formed into distct republican, States
| which shall become members OF the Federal Union,
and have the same rights OF sovereignty freedom, and
| independence the other States, &c. " That the
said lands shall be granted settled at such times and
under such regulations shall hereafter be agreed on
by the United States i'll Congress assembled, or nine
or more OF them
In February $751; the Legislature of Maryland pas
sed act authorizing their delegates IN NongssS 10
extracts from the preamble and body ofthe act VIZ
| Whereas il has been said that the common enemy
encouraged by this State not accedns 10 inc con-
| federation TO hope that the union OF the sister States
may be dissolved and therefore prosecutes the war IN
expecstou OF an dsgracetul TO America; aud
our friend and lustrious ally are impressed with an
idea that the common cause would be pro oteu oy our
| formally acceding to the confederation, dc.
The act of which this is the preamble, authorizes the
delegates of that State TO sign the articles, and pro-
ceeds declare, that by accedng to the SAID cone-
Iteration, this State doth not elnquls nor intend TO
renquish any right interest she hath, with the other
united or coniederaed States TO the back country"
| &C. &c
On the first of March, 1881, the delegates OF Mary
land signed the articles of confederation, aud the led
| eral Union under that compact was complete. The
conflicting claims 10 the western lands however were
not disposed of and continued TO give trouble to Con-
| gress. Repeated and urgent calls were made by Con.
gress upon the States claiming them to make liberal
cessons the United States, and twas not until long
after the present constitution was formed that the grants
were completed.
! The deed of cession from New York was executed
the LIST OF March, ISL the day the articles OF con-
federation were ratified and it accepted by Con-
| gress the 9th October, 1882 One OF the conditions
of this cesson thus rendered and accepted was that the
lands ceded the United States shaA be and ennre
for the and benefit OF such OF the United States
shall become members Of the federal alliance OF the
said States, and for other use on purpose achl
| scorer.
cepted on the lst day of March 1884. One OF the
| dtions Of this cession is as follows, viz
"That all the lands within the territory so ceded to
the United States and reserved Tor appropriated to
any Of the before mentioned purposes, or disposed of
bounties to the officers and soldiers ofbe American
army, shall be considered common fund for the
use and benefit of such of the U. States as hare be-
come or shall become members Of the confederation or
federal alliance OF the sad States Virginia Inclusive
according to their usual respective prop0taons in the
general charge and expenditure, and shall be taith
fuiy and bona tide disposed of for that purpose, and
for no other use or purpose rhatsoerer
Within the years 1885, 1856, and 1887, Massachu
SettS Connecticut, ana SCUM CarOllta ceueQ tneH
claims upon similar conditions. The federal govern
men went into operation under the existing cocstitu
ton the 9TH Of March, 1889. The following is the
only provision of that constitution which has direct
bearing the subject OF the public lands, VIII
"The Congress shall have power to dispose OF and
make all needfu rules and regulations respecting the
territory other property belonging to the u States,
and nothing in this constitution shall be construed
prejudice any claims OF the Uuited States or Of any
particular State.
Thus the constitution left all the compacs before made
trlf fbap oil porfial mad
same under the new government as they were under the
confederation
The deed of cession of North Carolina was executed
in December 1882 and accepted by act OF Congress
approved April 3D. 1880. The third condition OF the
cessIon was in the following words, viz:
That all the lands intended to be coded by virtue
OF this act to the United States OF America, and not
appropriated as before mentioned, shall be considered
common fund for the and benefit ofthe United
States Of America, North Carolina inclusive, according
to their respective and usual proportions OF the general
charge and expenditure, and shall be faithfully disposed
Of tor that purpose, and TOR nc other use or purpose
g whatever"
June, 1902 and in its leading condition is precisely like
that OF Virginia and North Carolina. This grant COM
pleed the title of the United States to all those lands
generally called public lands, lying within the original
limits OF the conederacy. Those which have been
CURED by the purchase of Louisiana and Florida hav
ing been paid for out OF the common treasure OF the
United States, much the property of the general
government, to be disposed OF for the common benefit,
, as those coded by the several States.
BY the facts here collected from the early history OF
our republic it appears that the subject of the public
lands entered into the elements OF its institutions. 1t
only upon the condition that those lands should
be considered common property, TO be disposed OF
for the benefit Of the United States. that of the
States agreed to come into perpetual union" The
States claiming these lands. acceded to those views, and
transferred their claims to the United Sta es upon GER
tain specific conditions, and on those conditions the
grants were accepted. These solemn compacte invited
by Congress in resolution declaring the purposes 10
which the proceeds these lands should be applied, orr
gnating before the constitution and forming the basis
on which it was made, bound the United States to
particular course OF policy in relation to them, by ties
strong be invented to the faith of
tions
AS early as May, 1885, Congress- in execution of
these compacs, passed ordinance providing tor the
sales OF lands in the Western territory, and directing
the proceeds to be paid into the Treasury of the United
States. With the same object other ordinances were
adopted prior to the organization OF the present govern
ment.
In further execution of these compacts the Congress
OF the United States, under the present constitution
early the 4th OF August, 1890 in San making pro-
vision for the debt OF the United States" enacted
| follows, viz:
"That the proceeds of sales which shall be made of
lands in the Western territory now belonging or that
may hereafter belong to The United States, shall be- and
the same is hereby appropriated toward sinking dis
char gng the debts Tor the payment whereof the United
States now are or by virtue OF this act may be holden,
and shall be applied solely to that use until the said
debt shall be fully satisfied"
To secure the government of the United States for
ever, the power to execute those compacts in good
faith the Congress of the confederation early as July
18th, 1887, ordinance for the government OF the
territory OF the United States northwest OF the river
Ohio, prescribed to the people inhabng the Western
territory certain conditions which declared to be
"artices OF compact between the original States and
the people and States 10 the said territory" which
should forever remain unaterabe, unless by common
consent" In of these articles it is declared that
"The Legislatures O. those districts or new States
shal never Interfere with the primary disposal OF the
soil by the United States n Congress assembled, nor
with any regulation Congress may find necessary for
securing the title in such soil to the bona fde purcha
sers"
This condition has been exacted from the people ola
the territories and put its obligation beyond dis
pute, each new State carved OF the public domain
has been required explicitly to recognize it ofthe
conditions OF admission into the Union. Some of them
have declared through their conventions in separate