Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-02
v1RoINIA TREASURY LAND WARRANTS.

VIRGINIA TREASURY LAND WARRANTS.
We take sincere pleasure in commencing to the
prompt and earnest attention Of the General Asem.
bly, the following powerful views OF venerable Viz
GINA who was for twenty yesrs an iphuen
,ia member Of tho Legislature. end who Is justly re
cs!d.d az one of tie great pioneers OF interras i
proV-mf Mt in our State His able arguments and no
BILE sentiments cannot fail 20 receive the urquhhhro
appreciation Of every citizen of The Commonwealth
who feels the right interest in her welfare, ana &c
quanted with the law that authorizes the hmi'ie's
su.iof Treasury Land Warrend at the the contempt
h.eotioe Of 2lIcents per acre. Who Wouso kno".oss
immigra,e to a State where Issued WITHOUT in'''
Treasury Warrants calling for land not IN e1''e"ee'
At tbs ptiful rate of y cents per aere' moro ~'
in former days any justifabe reason tor euco Oh '
sue Of these p cents per acre warrants tpe'e
tainly none at this late day, when LANDS III ''o n"'
di,,snt West, Northwest and Southwest sell reao'y
\, the United States Land Office at 81 % per acre.
and the distant Ststs Of Texas has, within 10" days
enacted Law not to sell any of her lands LOT ieS
81 per acre, and from that to 81 per acre.
The Old Dominion has ever denounced 'fe puo,a
ron ON the part OF herself and the other STATES OF Inc
Confsderacy, and yet she has gone on and hsued
rr.a.ury Land Warrants that have called ier
va.,ly more acres Of land than can be found.
These warrants are no sooner presented oy for
sicn or outside purchasers, than they are re-
undated and the holder is informed that he has
been dupsd. These dlscrsditsbs proceedings occur
every day to unfortunate sufferers by the fraudulent
9; cen,s.per acre warrants which have been sod to
them at U. s. Lsnd-ofics prices Of u - per acre.
and often at a large advance upon that sum.
This disaraoetul state of things should De al once
reformed altogether, and We are glad 10 near That
there is now, in the possession OF each member OF
the Legislature proper BILL suoh IS is skstohed by
our correspondent, aud which, ne hear nas met toe
sanction Of the Governor the Secretary OF Inc Com'
monvesth the Register OF the Land Ohhoe, and the
most influential u,embers OF both Houses. Such q
hill will remove the cause OF crying sin, and We
rms, that will at once be passed The question in
yovs, the very credit and standing Of the State, and
,boud no longer be delayed nor neglected. By the
passage Of such law aud the consequent correction
Of the abuses In the landlsws TO which We have re-
ferred thousands Of acres OF tmbered Virginia
mountain land might be made to realize $5 per acre
in potash which would pay for the clearing, and the
land then command IS or SlO per acre for farming
purposes.
The voice of wisdom and experience powerfully ad.
dr.sses Itself to the ear, Of our legislator in the fol-
lowing appeals ,,..o,,
To IA. Editors of the Public Journal, Of the CITY 81
VIRoIx1A, March 18th, 1858
he x,,a Ia
through your patriotic kindness 10 permitting the use
of vonr nolumns 10 bring the attention OF the Ten
ersl A,semb bly, now in session. under the prociama
ton Of Governor Wise, the heavy ana oppressive
grievance to honest land holdere resulting rom the
Law rsouirine the Register Of the General Land or
Scs "To CELL" "Treasury Land Warrants" Of
cou,,s TO all who will buy them. to an unlimited
amount and at the pitul price Of 50 per 100 acres
This perplexing irritating and oppressive GRIEVANCE
has been long known to ex'sf' and remedy tor II
should have been long sipce provded grievance
the remedy for which common sense and common
honesy not less than the honor of the State have
lone since united to demand Now, the fact lie noto
rous that the State has long since disposed of-and
that che does not now probably own 90 acre OF
land upon which such warrants can be located or i
aha does she knows no more. than tho man in the
| moon. where It lies. But does she own the land
in fact II she does, every body knows thai
every sore of 1t Is worth In cash. from one te
Ave dollars-not per hundred acres-but from one
n ave dollars per acre. And if this be true
a, the writer verify believes II s-who 10 benefited
| All there lies the rub! Why land jobbers-land
specustors-land pirates-have, for yesra haoitualS
those warranfs-tor the purpose OF locating
tbem On other people lands-'snds which they kpeu
| were not racant-but the possession Of which, aided
by a kuayish adroifness and little patience, would
eventually, give them legal title to, by operation o.
the statute. And in doing that, such has been the
practical effect Of the laws prescribing the manner
Of ACQUIRING title on the hand, and Of preserving
Il on the other-that hundreds, indeed, thousands
have successfully acquired title, by suoh Frauds II
IL impossible to enumerste the ststutes-or the innu
merable details of them. which, under CERTAIN or
oumstanoes, permit the Junior Patent, TO mpersed.
IN, Sesior Patent. "P,racv." by land should b.
punished, not ess than PIRACY" by Sea! Blu
when the great State Of Virginia makes herse!f
porticeps crinia,s, from whence 10 punishment tt
| be expected II che did not sell me Wdrrans' tht
cr;ma could no, be committed Besides, the fact
a.. Lii s-.-.-.s.s ,@---. ~ Epnrchased
and habituslly carried and sold by spectators, il
the markets of distant Sta'es and cities 10 emigrant
and other strangers really DESTROYS to cat their lot II
with our people-who, hen they came for tie purpos.
found them worhrss-unless they would es thou
sands had dons before then proceed 10 !o'ate them
| on lands known to hsve been previously sold and
patented. The continued SALE of those "TREAscRY
LAND WARRAHTs'-at two and half cents pei
acre-s, theD the foundation, the trutfu source oil
fraud, Injustice, and nquity, such a. has. perhaps
never been perpetrated before, with aosolrte impuni
~, In any civilized country under the SUM- Lay
tl0O 10 Tue rOOL OF cVI1. r6peH
the law authorizing the sale of those u.rrantsi and
with like promptitude, REVOKE. call IN. cancel. and
destroy every one of them which bas not been To-
GATED. The known effect Of thu existing system, /,
equivalent TO the offer, by the State, OF premium
for the preparation of fraud and kDaveryon the one
haud, while it entails endless litigation and but too
often, utter rum on thousands Of honest men. A
concise bill, repeating the law authorizing the con
tinued ssle of the "rREAeURT LAND WARRAETsi'
requiring the county surveyors TO ASCERTAIN, and plat
ult fha md all if.1
ed lands within their counties respectively and make
report thereof to the register Of the land cce more
over for the public and BONA rIDE SALE OF M the lands,
OF every description belonging the State to be made
BY bin, under such instructions ss should be given
him for the purpose by the Governor of the Common
weslth.-such bill. would be at once generally mn
dsrstood by the members Of the House, and Of the
Senae-and as its passage is ipPeratvsy called for
by the dictates of equity and good conscience and by
the honor OF the State might be by general consent,
carried through all the forms of Legislation, aud In
fsw hours, become law Of the land II is not new
subject, just sprung uponthe attention the General
Assembly That body is we'll aware thGt large nun.
Der of the most upright citizens of this State vital
~ interested n the enactment of such law They car
not have forgotten that during their last ssson they
were repeatedly addressed, through the newspapers
Of the city Of Richmond, by different writer's on the
subject, aud that at the commencement of their last
session, their attention specifically called IT, in
the message NO. B. Of the Governor OF the Common
wealth, whose facts, and whose arguments on the
subject will abide the striotest test of human scrutiny
Of talents, and Of time. CITIZEN.
Mr.. CHARLES MATHEWS.
The engagement Of this refined actor, and his beau
tfu wife, concludes tomorrow evening. During
their appearance here our audiences have had op
Of enjoying styls of acting, exceedingly
rare. MIR. Mathews ia the perfection Of high Come
exception, the most polished Comedian
now upon the etage. Every thing be does bespeaks
the man Of genius, the copsummate artist, united to
the scholarly gentleman. His style ia too quiet, too
quaint, too thoroughly enveoped in the atmosphere
OF the drawing room to impress the unoultivated
mssses; yet upon them his infinite humor Is NOT