Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-25
FINDS v|RG|N|A'S
CLAIMS ENORMOUS
CONTINUED from First Pagc,)

the general aSStMUiy, cAeSuted Dy hc'
representatives In the Continental
Congress, Thomas Jefferson. Samaei
Hardy. Arthur Lee and James Mon
roe. according to her directions, were
contained certain conditions, which
conditions the federal government
accepted.
Among the conditions thus enumer'
ated and accepted by the federal gov
eminent was the following:
"That all the land within the ter
ritory so concealed 10 the United
States and not reserved for or APP
propriated to any OF the before men,
toned purposes, or disposed of In
bounties 10 the officers and soldiers
of the American army, shall be con-
sidered as common fund for the use
and benefit OF such Of the United
States as have become or shall be-
come mebers OF the Confederation 'or
Federal Alliance Of the states, vir-
ginia inclusive. according TO their
usual respective proportions In the
general charge and expenditure, anu
shall be faithfully and bona-fiee dis
posed OF for that purpose and for no
other use or purpose whatsoever"
The United States government,
through congress, has uniformly rec
ognized that this territory ceded was
derived from Virginia. and that she
was bound by the conditions con-
tanned in the act of cession. DESTROYS
of changing some of the conditions
contained in the act of cession se-
earding the establishment of new
states in the ceded territory. she re-
quested Virginia to make some alter
nations In these conditions, when
Virginia consented to. permitting tne
creation of states different from the
original cession. By requesting Nir-
ginia to make this change, congress
recognized that she had no right even
in the creation of the states In this
territory to alter the terms OF the
original act of conveyance, without
the consent of the State Of Virginia.
Formed Several States
Out of this territory coded by Vir-
GINA were formed the States OF Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon-
sin and a portion of Minnesota. The
United States received by this ces-
sion I7O,20s,623 acres of land. Oi
this land some was appropriated 10
comply with the conditions contained
in the act of cession accepted, other
than the one above stated. The iarg-
est portion of it was sold and paid IN
to the treasury of the United states,
and used in payment OF the public
debt. and in the payment Of federal
expenditures. 1t may possibly be
commended that this portion was, IN
der the terms of the cession. USED
for the benefit of all states, as con-
tanned in the cession made by MIR
ginia.
Worth s77,73s,424.
But, contrary to the expressed con-
ditions contained in the act OF ces-
sion. congress at different times. IN
the aggregate. appropriated SS,S6s,2i2
acres of land and s2,952,654.70, de-
rived from the sale OF these public
lands. entirely TO local uses witniR
these six states. These amounts OF
land and money were appropriated
for local school purposes, construc-
ton of canals, Improvement OF locai
roads and other purposes within these
states. entirely local. Thus it ap-
pears that more than one-fifth OF the
lands ceded by Virginia under den'
mite provisions and conditions, re-
serving to Virginia an interest ID
them, has been disposed of in ways
that have given no use and benent
to Virginia. as distinctly reserved ioi
her in her act of cession. At the time
that Virginia ceded her western ter
ritory to the United States virginia
proportion in the general charge and
expenditure was about one-seventn OF
thew hole, and thus her reserved IN
/ ierest in the lands not specifically
applied for the purposes stated In the
deed Of cess.on was acout one
seventh. The value of this land DO
! mated to local uses amounting I"
IS. ssS. PIP acresl computed at 81 pei
| acre which ~as the price fixed ol
/ congress when it was frst offered iol
| sale. would be s77,736.424. This add
ed TO the amount OF money appropTi
ated Of s2,ssS.e54 would make tn'
| total value Of the donation for loca
purposes, clearly contrary TO tn'
| terms and pTvisions OF cession
| amounts to sS0.6s0.O7s. Subject Z
such claims as might exist in oehai
Of Kentucky and West virginia. whlcl
| we're then a part Of Virginia, Virginia
has a right 70 demand Of the fedora
government her part Of these land
| and money, which congress appropri
| sted entirely 20 local Uses and 10
which Virginia received no beneiit-
a Other Fair Claims.
Tn. fall statement Of Dr. Fulton