46 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
VIRGINIA ACT OF CESSION-1783.*
SECTION 1. Whereas, the Congress of the
United States
did, by their act of the 6th day of
September, in the year 1780,
recommend to the several States in the
Union, having claims
to waste and unappropriated lands in the
western country, a
liberal cession to the United States of
a portion of their respective
claims for the common benefit of the
Union:
SEC. 2. And, whereas, this commonwealth
did, on the 2d
day of January, in the year 1781, yield
to the Congress of the
United States, for the benefit of said
States, all right, title, and
claim which the said commonwealth had to
the territory north-
west of the river Ohio, subject to the
conditions annexed to the
said act of cession:
SEC. 3.
And, whereas, the United States in Congress as-
sembled have, by their act of the 13th
of September last, stipu-
lated the terms upon which they agree to
accept the cession of
this State, should the Legislature
approve thereof, which terms,
although they do not come fully up to
the propositions of this
commonwealth, are conceived, on the
whole, to approach so
nearly to them as to induce this State
to accept thereof, in full
confidence that Congress will, in
justice to this State for the
liberal cession she hath made, earnestly
press upon the other
States, claiming large tracts of waste
and uncultivated territory,
the propriety of making cessions equally
liberal for the common
benefit and support of the Union:
Be it enacted by the General
Assembly, That it shall and may be
lawful for the delegates of this State
to the Congress of the United
States, or such of them as shall be
assembled in Congress, and
the said delegates, or such of them so
assembled, are hereby
fully authorized and empowered, for and
on behalf of this State,
by proper deed or instrument in writing,
under their hands and
seals, to convey, transfer, assign, and
make over unto the United
States, in Congress assembled, for the
benefit of said States,
* This act was passed on December 20,
1783, by the legislature of Vir-
ginia, to authorize the delegates of
that State in Congress to convey to the
United States all the rights of that
commonwealth to the territory north-
west of the river Ohio.