New-York daily tribune., 1856-04-26

ftDbEJ ~ hDlh1 0N'-'tiy ioAAy oHN 'N~'y
sisted that this vast and fertile western domain
ing been wrested from British sovereignty and
control through the common efforts and sacrihces
Of the People OF all the States should be the com
mon property Of all and that whatever benefit
might accrue from it should be equally shared
among them.
This obviously just demand was gradually, and
With some reservations, acceded to. The old
States owning or claiming these Western Terrific
ries, ceded them, for the most part, to the Cont
peuta or Federal authority. Connecticut, in
making this cession reserved TO herself the north
east corner Of Ohio, since known as The Con-
pecticut Reserve" which has been settled in good
part from the parent State, end the sum realized
from the sale Of its lands forms the basis of her
bounteous School Fund. Virginia reserved what
As now Kentucky; North Carolina kept back what
at first declared its independence as " Franklsnd
but is now Tennessee Georgia likewise made some
reservations and imposed some onerous conditions
on The Federal grantee. Virginia, beside the re-
servation Of Kentucky, stipulated that tract west
of the Ohio should be set apart for the satisfaction
of such claims to bounty as she should adjudge due
to her Revolutionary officers and soldiers Accord
ngly, the fertile and spaciOusdstrc. lying between
the SciOto and the Miami rivers was so set apart
ard bss been mainly claimed and settled under Vir-
pinia Bounty Warrants-such lands Of course being
surveyed registered and patented to the warrantees
at the cost Of the Federal Government, which re-
ceived nothing therefor.
For many years, it had been notorious that these
Virginia Warrants were being granted most reck-
lessly and in many cases to persons who had no
shadow of right to them report setting forth
and demonstrating this truth was made to the
House by the Hon. Hilsnd Hall of VT some ten or
twelve years ago. That report exposed system OF
gigantic and startling fraud and called upon Con-
press to arrest it. What was done we do not dis
tinctly remember; but we believe it was what Is
utually done by Congress in cases of detected
| frauds on the oyernment--nothng. Virginia went
on issuing warrants, on the oosest sort OF pa
role testimony, for alleged military services rem
| dered eighty years ago; and the generous district
originally set apart TO satisfy these warrants, and
which was undoubtingy presumed to be ample,
proved entirely inadequate; 30 Congress was from
time to time importuned to enlarge it. Congress
acted accordingly in the premises but the war
rants multiplied faster than the means of salts
! fyiDg them were provided. At length, in August,
1862, an act was passed providing
That all unsstifed outstanding military land warrants or
parts OF wansnts ISSUE or allowed pIlor to March so@ by
military services Pened ~ the oibeTs and soldiers.
sIuy ana law OF the Revolution may be surrendered 10 the
Secretary the Interior who upon being ltd BY reri.on
sun eneeed ai,iy and jpsy ved pur'uaneeo Of the
ldw. Q did Commonwealth for military services 80 rendered
brli in
This would seem to be all that could be asked,
but it did not meet the exgences of the case. Viz
gina began to send in her warrants, aud the Sec
retary of the Interior began to look into them
as the act required, when he found that they were
all bogus, manufactured, trumped up, for the ben
eft Of persons who had no sort of claim Funded
on such services as were pretended. Of course,
he refused to pass the warrants, and of course this
| raised commOtiOn in the "Old Dominion" and
| of course her dignitaries are down upon Congress
for a revision of the act of 1852, which shall open
the foOdgates to all manner of Virginia Bounty
Land claims Gov. Wise has transmitted to his
Legislature a Special Message on the subject,
| which has been communicated to and printed by
order of Congress, wherein he frankly admits that
the Secretary has done no more than the act of
Congress required, but insists that said act should
| be modified Hear him
Tbe act and not the executive officer commits the wrong
Of questioning the nsity Of the adudieaon' OF the Virgins
| tribunals.
state and decisions upon them in such con-
troll tie Supreme Court Of the United States caunot
why Congress should thus have assaed the dignity
integrity OF NgDias forum conscience in
where gratitude and combined 70 with bet
and better uoes too The General Government NJ
could hardly deliberate this act without remembering gift
value and donor of unbounded generosity without
udc red" virginia.
thai virginia the b9or who sdudcated against her
self: that if pay debts for b may well look 10
that debts Haquidafd not eosed are due not but
he dispute Bs acknowledgement Judgmen0 9IHsf b.
and conrsson by her avs and he tribunal.
OF last Fraud alo mistake IN material degree,
ought to be allowed to question sueh confession,
and af IL case Of even stet ht Blu, here Is
sovereign State dealing III Revolutionary bounnes in debts
Of gratitude services above and beyond all Pecunary price
Here faith a. individuals and aboNe all faith between states
ard Governments involved To assume 70 pay Vrsin debts
to her Revolutionary patriots in consideration Of Vilsinas
uaute 20 the General GovenH eni and then 10
Virgins You have and adudged debs 10 be due
your citizens which you did not owe is TO to Virginia
You ask what would not have paid had the
| remtined on You"
We will not further pursue this exposure, since
the essential truth must be papable to all who have
eyes. We have brought this case prominently
before the public only to as text for fresh
exhOrtation TO Congress not to adjourn without.
making some provision whereby some patch of the
Public Domain shall be secured in perpetuity to
every actual settler Make it eighty acres-yes,
forty-if YOU will not say one hundred and sixty;
but recognize and legalize the principle that he
who hews out a civilized home from wastes
hitherto unpeopled except by the savage is entitled
thereby to exist in such home indeieasibly, and