Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-09-30
THE PUBLIC LANDS.

Without advertng' for the pieSent 10 the need in
which Virginia stands of her proportion of the
land fund heretofore distributed and which has
been locked up i'll the Federal Treasury since 1871
because Of the siucamishncss of her narrow polit-
clans III her Senate (ior we believe the peoples
branch of the Legislature have more than once yo-
ted to accept IT. without now pausing TO show how
Virginia might GdvautlstouSiy expend millions in
the cause OF Education and Internal improvement,
and without now demonstrating how the increasing
taxes OF OH citizens would be most materially les
sened and then burdens allevaied; we propose 10
give short history Of the process by which the old
states coded away their lands, TO determine for
whose benefit these lands were coded and whose
they now axe We shall then examine into the
other public lands and find TO whom they belong
and what are the respective interests of the states
IN and TO them. After these questions disposed
OF, We propose 10 call the attention of our readers
TO the exigencss OF Virginia, her taxation and the
llnClellSe heid iOT advancement presented by the
educated state of too many OF her sons and the vast
margin for Improvement afforded by her pent up
and dndcreloped resources. ... ..7
H lI l. reader Will take the trouble TO examine
i1r himself, he will find that in 1850 the then Com
gees OF the Confederation passed an act recon-
lnsnalng 10 the States having claims 10 lands north
west Of the river OHIO, 20 cede those lands for the
common beneft. The declaration made BY the
State of Maryland on the 18th day of December,
l1is, may properly be regarded the basis and
SuuSiratun Of the NShoie proceedings on the sub
Iecl. both Congressional and by the separate States
that that State declares that she will accede to the
Confederation, -pcvidel articles be added thereto
giving full power to the United States to ascertain
and fix the western limits of the States, claiming
10 extend to the Mississippi, on South Sea, and
reSSly rcssrcips securing 10 the United States i
right IN III and to all the lands lying 10 the
westward OF the iE0nIerS Aforesaid, not granted
70, surveyed for, or purchased by individuals nj the
commencement Of The prer.nt war, in such man
ler That the SAID lands be sold out otherwise
ana that the money arising from the sale Of those
lands, or the quit rents reserved thereon, may be
deemed and taken rs part of the monies belonging
20 the United states and, such, be appropriated
by Congress towards defraying the expenses Of the
to1r and the payment of'intcreSt on monies bor-
rowed or to be borrowed on the credtof the United
States from France, or any other European power,
or for any other joint benefit of the United StateS'
Here then we have the moving cause in the whole
legislation this subject. We had Just taken
our position as an independent nation, we were in
the nlds; OF an expensive and heavy war without
Resources and almost without credit. A con!eder-
alton was attempted, which was likely TO prove
aborivc because OF the jcalouSes of the small
States, who were afraid Of the power of the large
ones: money was wanting and in order TO raise
revolutionary funds and allay the rising icaousies
OF the different SectofIs the magnaniinoiS spirit
of our revolutionary fathers resolved upon this
magnificent donatiou OF untold millions for the
commendable purpose Of defraying the expenses
of our revolutionary struggle. We shall STE in
the sequel whatwas the action of Virginia, what
the trust she repoSed in the Union and how faith
lesSly that trust has been kept We shall see that
so far from Its being regarded common fund for
the common beneht Of the States 10 be applied to
the purposes contemplated by the acts of session,
It's original design has been wantony violated and
that these lands daily lavishcd upon exclusive
while the greater portion, OF the THE
owners, are left stripped Of their rights and utterly
deprived Of their proporonatc share Of tie noble
legacy of their fathers. 20 t..s1s'- . 15l.rt l''