The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-12
7 RY T HEM.
Phone SAG for
the WANT AD. MAN.
He will Come.

title to the territory now comprised
within the lilnies Of the present State
of Kentucky. There We're In all eight
conditions. affixed by Virginia to her pro-
position to cede to the Federal Govern
ment her territory northwest OF the
Ohio, the eighth Of which was as fol-
lows:
That all the, remaining territory OF
Virginia included between the Atlantic
Ocean and the southeast side Of the
river Ohio. and the Maryland, Pennsyl-
vana. and North Carolina boundaries
should be guaranteed to the Common.
wealth OF Virginia by the United States"
The conditions imposed by Virginia gave
rise to a discussion In Congress that
lasted for nearly three years; but on tho
18th day OF December, 1883, the Commit.
tee Of Congress-. to whom had been re.
fer.ed the resolution OF the Virginia
Legislature OF January 2, 1871. made q
report in which they unanimously recon-
nended that all thu conditions imposed by
Virginia be compiled with, except the
seventh, relating to indian land deeds, and
the eighth, which IS quoted above. In
regard to the eighth condition the Com
n7ittee of Congress made the following
mnendation: 1ef
tAs to the last condition.. your corn
rnittee are OF the opinion that Congress-
cannot agree to guarantee to the Com
monwealth Of Virginia the land described
in the said condition without entering In
to a discussion OF the right Of the State
o. Virginia To- the said land; and that by
the acts OF Congressit appears to have
been their irtgnt!on, which the commit
tee cannot but approve, to avoid all dis
cussion OF the territorial rights Of In
divldual States, and only to- recommend
and accept a cession OF their claims.
whatsoever they might be, to vacant ter
ritory. Your committee conceive this
condition OF guarantee to be either un :
necessary or unreasonable. inasmuch
as, II tho land above mentioned is really
the property OF the, State OF Virginia, 1t
Is sufficiently guaranteed by the confed-
Grafton: and II it is not the property OF
the State. there Is no reason or consld-
Grafton for such guarantee.
Your committee. therefore. upon the
whole. recommend that II the Legislature
OF Virginia make a cession conformable
to this report, Congress- accept such cas-
Sion"
| Congress promptly adopted the report
| OF the committee, and within less than
month afterwards the General As
sembly passed anb act authorizing her
delegates In the Congress to convey to
| the United States all the right OF this
| Comm onwealth to the territory lying
northwest Of the Ohio river. subject to
the terms and conditions Of the act OF
Congress OF September 10, 1888. The deed
OF cession from Virginia to the United
States was written by Thomas Jefferson,
and was duly signed and executed by
him and the other Virginia delegates in
Congress on tho last day Of March, 1854.
The imperial gift was PROMPTLY accepted
BY Congress; and soon thereafter Mr.
Jefferson drew UP and presented his
| famous ordinance Of 1854 for the govern
ment OF the Northwest Territory, which
became the pattern for the still more
famou. ordinance ofl7s7.
It Will thus be seen that neither n
the act of Assembly authorizing the eer-
sion nor In the Geed OF ceysIon is there
anything to warrant the statement made
by Judge Christian In HIS report to the
Grand carp. The facts herein statsc
may be easily verified ny reference to
any Of the standard ,histor'cs covering tht.
period, and better still by reference tn
HeninE's Statutes at Large, vol. x, and
XII, where the original documents boar
Ing the matter ara printed
I vIRGIN1AN,
/ Richmond. Nnvomr.r ~, 'ans,