Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-01-25
LEGIsLATCRE or VIRGINIA.
Tuesday, JANUARY ~, lSj6.
ENATE


Prayer by the Rev. JoHS f.. EDWARDS, OF the
Methodist Church.
The President, Lieut.. Gov. McCnMas.l laid be-
fore the Senate n communication from tho Executive,
which wiz read, as follows:
EXECUTIVE DEp,RTMENT,l
JANUARY ~, lSjG.
To tie Scaa'. ard Ho~sc of' D,h'rntcs Of 'hc General
ASSemHg IF he S'0tc 0f Virginia:
Gcntlrrn.r:- = ain requested to lay before you sun
dry memorials Of persons, heirs of certain officers and
soldiers, spamen aud marines ~ the Virginia state
and continental lines in the army or navy IN the re-
volution; claiming that they hold "unsatisil'd ont
standing military land warrants, or parts OF warrants
issucd or allowed urinr to the IL day ri March, 1857.
nv the proucr authorities of The Commonwealth "l
VIRGINIA. for military services performed by their an
ccs,rrs. and complaining that their uiisatisfled war
rait& are rcEuSer! scrip by the Secretary "t inc me
rinr, under The net ri C"ngTrss of August 3lst, lS1",
though tnev were ";airly and Justly issued III pursti-
arrc Of the laws of Virginia, mud though they were
finally ah;udicnted by her tribunals of the last resort,
in The instance Of granting them. :,
II il needless to recapitulHte 10 you The liberal
PROMISES which Virginia u!.ds TO her officers, sol-
d;rr.. seamci and marines in the revolutionary war.
She: was then sovereign OF Ri eminent DOMAIN, ainpI"
enough, 10 pay officers and men Ia fiSh. the ar
mis- nf Kings. 70 cement the Union OF the
S,,t.s. 10 harmonjZe and strengthen their con.
G.dcrnrv, she afterwards coded, with more than
generous devotion, The whole Of her horth-West ter.
ri;ury 10 the General Government, resrr ling only
.yIui was called the Virginia Military Land District,
M WctU llt w iiilll hit ''l'S' WI ~ Wv ''''S W
Ohio. That reservation was embarrassing 10 the
new State, aud ii was not large enough to satisfy her
revolutionary Pledges IL her arm% and navy. SHE
wa. arbitrary mistress ut the contracts with tho 9TH
c.rs and men Of her defence, made thnIn independent
" of all other States nr powers, ard settled for her
selt the amounts and rates nj pay and tho mode and
| mannrr nF uiiudi .atiGg claims upon her bounty. Her
resources vi lands were large enough Tor her 10 De-
generous NJ well as Just. t0 ada grdtuithns ~ debts
,Iue ;o her heroes. il she c!lvsc 20 do ~ in her sovereign
| good will and pleasure. No crowned and jewcllcd
mistress al knights was eyer Nor" Gonntiiul To her
defenders; she hai Il right ~ b" 20, for no knights
rrrr. ever more worthy "f n Er"eiI ihGn the SONS of
Virginia were worthy of their mother Siuie i'll the
Wsr of the Revolution. Her fire; son, the first at nil
munkind, was given Ia the C"ntiil"it and 70 the Lib
eT,y of the World, 0G6 n"rrr t1oH arg pay. 1hH'
srrr,cc a. FrCcd0m. IRE" ot charge, should compensate
for every bounty that may be 0vrrpaid To every
other hero, brother Eirgiuian of Washington. Aud
she hal other sous, only little less than him. who
were never paid. The man who gave a guinea 10
n gunner ut York Town, first Ia put II bal through his
own hous., then CUrnwa;l!-' head Guartcrs-the
man who furnished the cavalry with l:ursrs. and the
army of siege with supplics-wnu was banker of
Yjrginia's bonds ir freedom, when the State WAS
! f,ntinr the bill for all colnn'es-thr immortal Nelson,
wes s,loYcG "a die bankrupt of patriotism These
facts rise 10 the gravity of argument, above trclains-
| ,ii,D, us r, cards relcrlnlng ! IrglDih : promises by the
| Gcnerul Government, without technical objection and
without question. No State had Il letter ground trr
nr,In;.p, nome a better right 10 pay, or more ample
! ~ Z, n1ilt tuhf ~ 'N'''f -. ''N -
allow them for fighting; and, the last power on earth
To- question the substance or form OF her pledges is
the General Government, 10 which she has oeeu so
generous. She ask. now no g-a'Ci'y, but demands
only that tie honor OF her xord of promise stall not
oulv be unbrpkeu, but not seem TO BE- to,ched.
Up TO August. 1851, shc had been granting military
lnuG warrants. in bpuntir. To her Army and Navy
These grants were made in the form of her own law,
by tribunals which Were final IL their ludTnieu'S.-
WAat these tribunals Gually a~ajudsed she owed, sht
promised 10 pay. Her lands were cedcd away, her
reservations were ins uiii ticn; and announcement 100 10
another SISTER State. but II remnant Of her warrants
were lcf, uu.at.sded, and she sEonitted TO her grantee
of cessiul, The Congress Of the United States, 10 pay
of the mere balance OF claims against her. and IL
take the settlement OF these up 20 March. 1852, rs va
, fH aud faui ADJUSTMENT and she would "relinQuish
all claim to the lands iu the Virginia military land
district in the State Of Ohio
This was 30 just, the least which could be asked or
done, that Congress passed the act OF August 3is,t'
1852. l, provides: That all nnsa;isfed on; stand
ing military land warrants or parts OF warrants ;ssasd
or allowed prior TO tine lst OF March, 1852, by the
proper authorities Of the Commonwealth OF Virginia,