The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-02-15
REPORT OF THE SURVEYOR GENER-
AL.

tnan usual interest 1t SHOWS that the
receipts for lands during that portion Of
Mr.. Barr's official term which had ex-
pired when the report was drawn up (on-
ly two years and seven months), exceeded
~ thirteen thousand seven hundred aud
ninety four dollars and ninety eight cents
the receipts from the same source during
the proceeding nine years, or three full
terms. The total sum put into the Treas
ury by the Land Department in these
two years and seven months, was little
under one hundred and Fifty thousand
dollars
The report contains the act Of Assemb-
ly of May 20, 1864, directing the entry
of lines in the several counties for the
principal and interest due to the Com
monwealth on account of unpatented
lands. 1t also contains the act Of March
l9, 1858, defining the terms on which
patents shall be issued to the owners Of
such lands. The distribution of these
acts in this form among the people will
enable land debtors to understand their
duty under the law, at the same time that
/ it will admonish them of the risk they
incur by postponing the patenting Of
! their lands.
The Surveyor General says -
present indications point to a decline
in the ordinary business of the Land Of
fee. Should this be the case, and the
Surveyor General be enabled to employ
the greater part of his clerical force in
making out the lists required by the act
already quoted, these might be completed
in the course Of a few years. The entry
Of these lines in the several counties
would bring defauiting land owners to a
realizing sense Of their obligations to the
Commonwealth. and probably result in
the payment Of at least a million dollars
into the State Treasury within a compar-
atively brief period thereafter This De-
partment has no additional legislation to
suggest, as it is believed that the act Of
May 20, 1861, will in time accomplish
tull settlement of all arreargcs for lands"
Alter disposiug Of the ordinary busi-
ness of the Department, the report pro-
ceeds "to recount certain interesting facts
which, whilst they belong to general his
tory, yet have particular connection
with the lands Of Pennsylvania" From
these we learn that By the terms of the
charter from Charles II, dated March 4,
1851, the title to all the lands within the
charter limits of Pennsylvania, was yes
ted in William Penn and his heirs and
assigns
William Penn was the son and heir Of
distinguished Admiral in the British
Navy, who, at his death, left claims a.
gainst the Crown amounting to GIG 600
1t was in liquidation Of these claims that
the grant was made. Penns first con-
! nection with America was as a trustee OF
the proprietor of West Jersey. The
province Of New Jersey was divided into
East and West jersey. In 1919 Lord
Berkeley transferred the western half to
John Fenwick, in trust for Edward Byl-
liuge, both "of the people called Qua
kers." Becoming embarrassed. Byl-
linge transferred his interest 20 trustees.
for the beneEI of his creditors, and Penn
became one of the trustees. Subsequen-
tly, as Proud the historian states, he and
eleven other persons became the proprie-
tors of East Jersey. He also, in 1882,
purchased from the Duke of York ''the
three lower counties on Delaware" which
now constitute the State of Delaware.
1t is popularly supposed tha, pennsy-
lvania was so named by her founder in
honor Of himself, but this is an error
Penn wished to call the province New
! Wales, but the king, with most excellent
. taste, and to do honor to the memory oil
: Admiral Penn, the father of William, in
sisted on calling it Pennsylvania and it
was accordingly SO styled in the charter
which conveyed it to Penn, and which is
, the foundation of all the land titles Of the
, State.
The charter is given at length in the
report, together with the proclamation oi
the King "to the inhabitants aud plan
} ters of Pennsylvania" announcing the
grant to Penn, and the 'conditions or con-
cesson agreed upon in England by Viii
liam Penn, proprietary and Governor oil
the province OF Pennsylvania, and those
who are the adventures and purchasers in
! the same province, the 1lth of July
: 1851" These are ancient documents OF
I very great interest Proud remarks oi
j., the Conditions" that they 'In part may
be regarded as an essay towards con
stitution of government, according to the
powers granted Penn by charter"
Next follows highly interesting ac.
count of the various purchases of lands
made from the Indians, by which it Is
, shown that, in period of one hundred
and two years, the title of the Indians tc
all the lands within the limits of Penn,
8 sylvania was cxtinguished. and the Com