Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-03-20
LANDS
SAT { I:
Vicious Law Affecting Homes of
Thousand People in Buchanan
County Repealed-Hot Fight
In Legislature Over Bill.

''---N.A tAeAS seAhSh PiesSS III eiiC v IL mia
legislature which adjourned last Sat
urday night, certainly in so far as
this section of the state is concerned,
was the repeal of the act of the gen
eral assembly of Virginia of 1912,
entitled "An Act to Prescribe the
Effect as Evidence to be Given to
Deeds Recorded Prior to the Year
1865, and approved March the 13,
1912.
While this act was passed at the
session of 1912, and over the protest
of Senator Royal and other members
OF the legislature OF that session, its
advocates stated that it was passed
Tor the purpose of curing certain de-
fects in titles hand around Hamp-
ton, in Elizabeth City county, on ac-
count Of their records being destroyed
by fire during the civil war.
AS matter of fact, the act was
nothing less than a deep laid plot OF
certain parties in ana out oil unls state
to give vitality to an old deed made
unuer and by virtue of an act of con-
gress paSseu soon after the war OF
1872, by w. ID. Taylor, collector OF
the United States, to one William
Lamb, to about 2UU,0O0 acres OF land,
which had been granted by the COM
monwealth of Virginia 10 Richard
Smyth and Henry Banks, (and now
known as the Frederick Pearson til
tle), then i'll Russell, now in Buch-
anan county, Virginia, and acquired
In 1900 by une buchanan Company, a
foreign corporation, under wnat is
known as the "land grabbers" act of
Virginia, and these parties in getting
said act of 1912 through the legisla-
ture, sought and did prospitute, to a
certain degree, the Legislature to serve
their own selfish ends, after they had
found out that they could not estab-
lish their claim to said lands in the
courts, both state and federal.
The deed by which the Buchanan
Company claims said lands in Buch-
anan county, conveys something near
10000 acres, and takes a large por-
ton of the county, including the
county seat, and it's court house, and
without the repeal of said act of 1912
there was great danger of thousands
OF the citizens of that county being
thrown out of their homes, and the
possession of their lands taken from
them, which they held under titles far
superior, both legally and morally, to
any title of this "land- grabbing cor
poration."
The act just passed, repeating the
act of 1912, was introduced in the
senate by Senators Royal and Buch-
anan, and in the house by Delegates
Looney, Chalkley and Grant. The
bills wer introduced a few days after
the legislature convened, but on ac-
count of the powerful lobby against
the repeal, and the delays incident
to the passing of any important bill,
were not finally passed until th e
closing days of the general assembly.
The bill passed the closing by vote
OF twenty-nine to five, and in the
house of delegates by vote of sew
enty-slX to twelve, and the act was
approved by Governor Stuart late
last Saturday afternoon, and Senator
Royal furnished the pen with which
the Governor signed the bill.
To those not knowing the obstacles
IN the way of and the powerful lobby
against the passage of this bill, it is
nliilcuit to understand or appreciate
what signal victory the passage of
this Dill was, and too much praise can
not be given to those who through
long and tiresome days and nights
and even weeks of persistent en-
deavor, worked faithfully and hard for
the most powerful lobby that has
ever waged battle in the Legislature
against a bill, certainly for MANY
years, (and it can be said without
lear of contradiction, that the fight
against this bill was harder than the
hight against the passage of the en-
abling bill), some conception can be
mad OF what the fight meant. Not
only this powerful lobby, but certain
congressman actually left their seats
in Washington and went to Rich
mond and used their influence to urge
the defeat of this bill.
The senators and members of the
legislature from Southwest Virginia.
regardless of party affiliation, stood
loyalty by the citizens of Buchanan.
and 1T is indeed gratifying to know
that when this matter was sauarely
put up to the members, they voted
the repeal of the Buchanan county
land steal, (for that was really what
1T was), by overwhelming majorities.
In addition to the faithful work of
Senators Royal and Buchanan and
Delegates Looney, Chalkley and
Grant, and all members from South
west Virginia, it is but proper and
iSht W IueHLlOn Cne names OF some
OF the other gentlemen who left their
duties at home and went to Richmond
and spent their time and efforts to get
this bill through, (Which at times
seemed hopelessly lost), and they
are as follows: j. w. Chapman, A.
s; Higginbotham, H. G. Mccall, VIM.
FL. Werth, of Tazewell; C. C. Burns.
of Lebanon; E. M. Fulton, of Wise:
W. L. Dennis, of Grundy; Hon. James
French Strother, of Welch, w. Va;
John l.. Litz, of Coeburn, and John n.
Rison, of Danville, and Governor H.
C. Stuart rendered most valuable aid
in the firm stand which he took in his
efforts to get the bill through, not
,withstanding the criticism against
his action in doing so, by certain mem-
bers on the floor of the house, when
the bill was put on its passage, and
when he approved the bill, stated
that he did SO with much pleasure, as
ne realized what it meant to the peo-
pie OF Buchanan county.
Taking everything into considara-