The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-29
: : A s.l, for the Hand. Registry ONCE

1.-THE SAFETY OF IMPORTANT VIRGINIA he
CORDS, PRESENTING AN UEBRoKEN AND PER
?. PECTIY-rREsERvED SERIES OF TWO HUN
: DRED AND FIFTY-sIx YEARS, ENDANGERED.
Editors of. the Dispatch :. Assuming the
r7ebt due to q recomm dation or our hon
orefl State Executive, and the necessity OF
action thereon by the General Assembly, l
confidently crave Of the established calm
Judgment and public spirit OF the D.Spdtcn
brief space in its columns in behaif OF
statement regarding the value OF the re-
cords of the State Land Registry Once, ana
the Importance of the trust OF its incum-
bent. which am led to fear are not gene
rally ,apprehended by our citizens at large
Of this State. - -
The archives OF the Land Office present
not only a periectly-preserved and continu-
Gus record of grants of or patented lands
from the year 1920 to the present time, but
also full muster-rolls Of the military service
of the patriots of the two wars-1776 and
1S12-both Of which are OF utilitarian I'M
portance in q legal and pecuniary bearing
in establishing the titles to" lands and to
bounty. But as elucidators OF history BY
original and unduplicated minute record
they are priceless; The patent books par
ticularly are replete with historic data =
personal minutiD OF our early settlers, local
nomenclature, and Typographical fdescr1p-
ton and bounds-thus afEording' many
essentials to correct rendering OF the his
tory OF our State, and due account Of its
prominent actors, not attainable elsewhere
not even in the mother country, England.
The advent in the colony; Of heads or
founders Of prominent or of families dis
tinguished in our annals, their local nativity,
title, and family connection, being frequently
given, together with other incidental data.
The value of genealogy, in fixing events; IN
dignifying action, and In affording motive,
Ia now conceded by all careful historians,
and when we recall how largely Virginia
contributed to the settlement of the south
ern and western States, and how large q
proportions of the prominent families OF
those sections own descent to the Old Do
minion, some conception may be arrived at
of the equivocal position our State might
be Justly regarded as assuming in exhibit
ing by legislative action an apparent disrc-
gard OF her ancient landmarks, her history,
and hertz dignity. "*j
In evidence of the widespread esteem in
which these records are held, the writer
begs to state that he has on many occasions
resorted to them for genealegic and historic
information in behalf of students OF not
only almost every State in our Union, but
also OF Great Britain, and almost invarinbty
w it'll success. RS !. I n ,.Gs
Indeed, 50 fully is he impressed with, the
value Of these records that he would earn
estly recommend to the Legislature action
toward the preparation for publication OF q
work embodying the valued. matter which
they contain. 4! ::.a.sl =. i!i21aaij
II an index Of patents, giving names Of
patentees, title, nativity, and other personal
information; the date, location, and bounds
OF grants $50 far as pracicablel, were pre-
pared, together with the muster-rolls as
described, the sale of,the work could not
be other than O source of pecuniary profit,
for thousands of copies, were the book
only heralded, could be disposed Of not only
in this country, butin Europe. - -.
Economy could hardly justify the aboli-
ton OF the responsibility Of this Office, and
provision for Its duties by variable and
precarious clerical service from. other State
officers for trite saw Is patent to all "that
what Is eycrybody's business is nobody's."
A change as recommended by the Governor
must present grave apprehensions for the
safety Of the records and their preservation
from the inroads Of vermin, damp, &c.
The salary paid to the Register (S1 1901,
in view Of the importance Of his charge,
WOulu DC Dut mouefaCe cuWpensatIOH W
u mere curator or custodian; but it would
appear that there are clerical duties attached
to the office that regular attendance Is in
dictated as necessary, and that the office
yields revenue to the State which reduces
its annual expenses to the insignificant sum
ofhbout 5000, which our State, impoverished
though it: is, in the Judgment ofothe most
economical, and might afford to pay con-
seientiously even, without serious appre-
hension or any great sacrifice of honor or
integrity. Yours truly ~ ., r. "A. B.
Richmond, Ha., December %, 1876. Ii