The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-26
immigration.

coming more and more important, ana as
o;hcrs, Ike Professor GoLpwIN SMITH, ma!
desire TO know whether or not worthy e'n'-
grants would find "hearty welcome III
VIRGINIA. we reproduce. in a condensed
t,~-, tho action OF the General Assembly
relative to immigration since tho close OF
rho LAKE war. assuming that an enactment
Of the Legislature in such cnse must 'e
t,lcr As the highest and the best mat'rea
,.<nrc<s;on of the popular sentiment.
4, tho first session Of the General As
scm!ly subsequent to the war an ACT was
,,,.sei ito promote and encourage lmmi-
=. alton into the State Of Virginia -; by
which !. was enacted that there should be
annually appointed by the Governor three
II; and proper persons, who should he acor-
1.oration, under the style of the Board OF
Immigration and it was made the duty OF
this Board Ito settle upon and carry into
operation Il practical plan forthe introduce
lion Of sober anl industrious emisrants,
with their families, from Europe, an"
"e$pccinNytrom Scotland d"d Engld"". INTO
"this State" At the same session an act
was passed, designed to encourage immi-
grafton and protect immigrant labor, by
which it was provided "that contracts LOT
=" labor for term Of service not exceeding
.,woycars, made in foreign country, shall
:. be respected and enforced by the authori-
ties of this Statcto the same extent and IN
,.,he same manner as if made within the
!. state" And again, al the same session,
another act was passed to incorporate the
VIRGINIA Immigration Society, for the
=. purposc of bringing immigrants into TINS
" State
AZ the next annual meeting OF the Gene
raj Assembly the Code OF Virginia was
srncndcd 30 that ANY alien. not an enc
my, may acquire, by purchase or descent,
and hold. rca! estate III this State; ami
and the same shall he transmitted in the
same manner rs real estate held by cltl-
{, Gems And on the 10th March, 1867,
INC two Houses Of the General Assembly
aiortcd Joint resolutions as follows:
81. That we hereby invite immigration,
embracing all CLASSES o! men, from all
countries, 10 Virginia, 10 settle the surplus
lands ana engage in all great industrial
pursuits.
-. That we earnestly recommend the
citizens Of Virginia to hold primary meet
inrs in their respective counties, Inviting
iumirr,;inn within their limits, and to ap-
point n principal agent III each, through
whom communication may be held respect
:ng lands offered for sale
Since that time there has been no meet
ing ci the Legislature until the present
session; no action has been yet taken
having the force of law, or formally ex-
,ressivc of the sense of that body in respect
oi this important interest; but 1t must he
in the recollection Of all how earnestly
Governor WALLER expressed himself on
the subject in his inaugural address
SIN my opinion" said he, = Immigration
should bc iostcrcd and encouraged hy All
the influences we can exert, and by all the
means ut our command. =
y 70 the emigrant who settles IN oltr
midst with the honest intention 81 becom-
ing a good citizen we must extend COZ dlat
and hearty welcome. regardless OF what
State or nation may happen to have been
his birthplace. lie must he made TO feel
ut home, and the equal among his fellows.
There must he extended to him those social
amenities of life which constitute lis chief
ENJOYMENT, such rs his station entities him
10 receive and enjoy, and thrown around
him and his must ne the protecting ~gls OF
the law, securing and guaranteeing him Ill
his life. liberty, and The pursuit OF harpl-
ness
no one doubts that such really are the
views, purposes, and intentions, of the peo-
r!r of Virginia, and that such reception
and such protection will he accorded to
every wcll-intentioned emigrant; and as
law and order may be expected everywhere
to prevail, why may we not anticipate, with
the Governor, that every railroad train that
arrives within our borders, and every
steamer that enters our harbors, will bring
numbers Of honest, Industrious, thirty,
men AID women seeking homes and for
tunes among US
LEXINGTON, VA, February l., 1870.
NV Dear Sir,-The subject of the accom-
panyins letter. know, will interest you,
and tue information it contains will be
useful to you. [ therefore enclose it fol
your pe.usal. Please return it TO me.
have assured Mrs. ii. that Englishmeu
need fear no hostility in Virginia, and
that, in my opinion, the citizens OF NJ
foreign country would be more cordially
received or heartily welcomed by her pe0-
nlc than the inhabitants of Great Britain,
and that agrculturists from that country
would especially find it to their advantage
10 make their homes among us. | also
stated that the Virginia Immigration So
ciety, of which YOU were president, had
been organized with view of inviting i'm
migration, and that any inquiries address
I'd to you on the subject would lie attend
ed to.
concur with Professor Goodwin Smith
in the advantages that would result to the
state if the tide OF Engligh emigration
could be turned towards her borders
though | think he is mistaken as to an,
benefits that would arise from any addres.
to them signed by me. / hope that you
NAV devise SOME means of attracting then
South. Very truly yours,
r. Z. LEE.
Colonel Thomas H. Ellis, President %
the Virginia Immigration Society.
Ny Dear General may remember
nv mentioning in former note that Pro
fessor Goodwin Smith is staying with us
lie is very much interested in having the
tide of emigration from England turned to,
wards Virginia, and is most anxious that