The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-07-21

them. In order TO compromise anu aeCoW-
plish so desirable an object, the several Lee
gislatures passed resolutions, and the general
Congress made appeals flor they had not
power to do more, to the magnanimity and
patriotism of the States; and under the ge-
NAL influence of the love of liberty and Of
union, the appeal was not made in vain.
New York led the way in the generous
compromise. In 1880, her Legislature pass
ed an act, entitled " An Act to facilitate the
articles Of confederation and perpetual union
among the U. $. of America" BY thisact it
was declared that the territory which she
coded :" should be and endure forever for
the use and benefit of such of the United
States as should become members OF the
Federal alliance Of the said States--aad for
no other purpose tchaisoever.'
The deeds of cession by Virginia follow
after; and although Of precisely the same ten
or as all others, yet, as being rather more
full and explicit than some Of them, and as
those deeds of conveyance from the then ow-
ners to the present legatees, quote in full.
This instrument bears date LIST Of March,
1884, and BY it she authorizes certain Com
missioners :" TO convey, transfer, and make
over to the United States. in Congress as
sembled, for the benefit of said States, Tir-
GINA iaclusive, all right, title, and dominion,
as well OF soil as Of jurisdiction, which the
said Commonwealth hath to the territory or
tract of country within the limits of the Vir-
ginia charter--situated, lying and being to
the Northwest of the Ohio river, to and for
the uses and purposes of the above mention
ed act" Then follows the act" That all
the lands within the territories SO coded to
the L. s., and not reserved for, or appr0pri-
ated to any Of the before mentioned purposes,
or disposed of in bounties to the officers and
soldiers of the American army, shall be con-
benefit of such Of The u s. as have been, or
shall become, members Of the Confederation
or Federal alliance of the said States, Dir-
ginia inclusive, according to their usual re-
spectiUe portions of the general charge and er-
penditare-and shall be faithfully and bona
fde disposed Of for that purpose, and for no
other use or purpose whatsoever"
The deeds from the other States, contain
ing unappropriated lands within their char
tered limits, were Of similar character i;
and, with the exception Of the purchases
from the Indians, included the whole of the
public land which is embraced within the
boundary Of the original thirteen.
But, besides this large domain, constitut-
ing at this time more than half the original
number of States, we have still more ex-
tensiye territory acquired BY purchases or by
conquest.
In 1903, the purchase Of Louisiana was
made of France BY Mr.. Jefferson and BY il
was secured all the tract of country living
west of the Mississippi, with the exception
OF Texas, New Mexico and the territory west
OF the Rocky Mountains.) 1t is now parcel
led off into several of our most valuable
States and MISUNDERSTANDING large
item in the pecuniary estimate Of the Public
Domain.
In 1920, the purchase of Florida was made
from Spain, under the administration Of MIR.
Monroe. The value and extent Of this rich
inheritance is not understood by many 81 our
people. Thew have been so long misled BY
the Misrepresentation Of designing politi-
clans, as to become incredulous as to any true
statement on the subject. must refer then
to some official source Of information as Ia
the quality, and number Of acres, and to the
actual sales, for the value per acre.
+" Public Domain.-Lands sold from open
ing Of land Office to S0th June, 1882, 1885, lis,
SCI acres granted for schools, &C., 4G,5sS,
97s; deaf and dumb asylums. 44,97l: for
internal improvements, 10, co. ,G11; military
service, ls,-02,2l9; reserved for Indians,
3.41O.-25; swamp lands granted to States,
%, 1860; lands. unsold, 1887, J5I,00l
acres. Census Gonpend. p. 1871.
But again, BY the operation Of the act Of
August, 1912, 10 provide revenue from i'm
ports, &c. TIE distribution Of the net proceeds
Of the public lands among the States was sus-
pended. The proceeds Of these landsup TO,
aud including lst January, 1899, amounted
TO the sum Of So ,227 $40. Since that time,
the following sums have been received,
viz:
In 1880, s7.076,441; 1870, s., 300, 6s5
1871, sos ,6s7; 1912. 1879; lsi5, S97,
Sis; 1874, 2.O5e, $50; 1915, 2,O7- .Oa2; 1886
1904, 1872; 1s47, 2,Igs, 3jj; lsis, $685. 4S
1s49. 1,6ss,959; 1850, 1859, s94; 1851. 2
s52, j05: 1852. 2,OI5, $50; 1883, ,617 ,0s4
1854, s,4.0,.gs; 1855, II 49, ,Oi9; 1856
S,gi7,6l4. 10 July, 1856. total, sl22,5Il
"a.
By this just and patriotic act, the State ol
North Carolina received more than 81 $50
0O0--which were appropriated to the pay
ment IL 100000 Of public debt--the like
amount added to the Literary Fund--sG00,
900 to the stock Of the Wilmington and Wei
don Railroad, and the balance 20 the drain.
are 81 the swamp lands. Aud while passing
along, take leave to state, that, without thi,
most opportune aid to the efforts Of indi,i
duaIs, the railroad could not have been built
aud We should have been up to this time
in I'll probability without a railroad.
I Had that most Just and muniiicent sy.ten
Il distribution lar, although IL was called b,
another 1ame, il was nothing else, been con
tinued up to the present time, IL j. clearly
demonstrated by the figures shown, that thu
State would have received many millions o
dollars. and been able, without contracting
,tai.t e., have cam utaf.d LNr yy,st. ,T infer