Broken Compact The Hollowing-Out of Nevada Statehood

Nevada Journal ^ | August 14, 2013 | Steven Miller

[Duke C.]

Before Nevada joined the Union in 1864, the U.S. Congress explicitly promised more than two dozen times that the new state would be on an equal footing with the original states.

That promise was not kept.

Take, for example, language on merely one page from the Congressional Globe — predecessor of the modern Congressional Record — for March 3, 1864:

[Duke C.]

This posting is for those who are seriously trying to understand what went wrong 150 years ago.

[DannyTN]

It is what it is. I don’t know that it went wrong. I understand that there are a lot of people that want a shot at the land that the U.S. Gov’t owns and would like to change what was done in the past.

I figure with Nevada, the gov’t needed to be able to test nukes somewhere. I’m glad they owned a desert for their radiorific pleasure.

[DannyTN]

It is what it is. I don’t know that it went wrong. I understand that there are a lot of people that want a shot at the land that the U.S. Gov’t owns and would like to change what was done in the past.

I figure with Nevada, the gov’t needed to be able to test nukes somewhere. I’m glad they owned a desert for their radiorific pleasure.

[Talisker]

The Feds don’t care about laws referring to land ownership by the States. They are invoking corporate jurisdiction here. Incorporation of the State of Nevada, incorporation of the Bundy Ranch, incorporation of the BLM as an agency of the corporate US government. To the Feds, that links it all together into an interdependent web of authorities and obligations, and no non-corporate issues are allowed to be heard.

[greeneyes]

Same thing as goes wrong today. Ignoring the Constitution, and establishing unconstitutional Federal authority through unconstitutional laws and regulations promulgated by unelected bureaucrats, backed up by judges who just make up the law rather than going by original intent.

[Duke C.]

People have been kicking this phrase (found in the enabling act) around lately:
"That the people inhabiting said territory do agree and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within said territory, and that the same shall be and remain at the sole and entire disposition of the United States …" This doesn't mean that the residents of the Nevada Territory agreed to give up all future rights to the lands. Congress did this to ensure that clear title was delivered, but they never followed through and disposed of the land.

[DNME]

Excellent article with great historical research. Must reading for everyone concerned about federal ownership of HUGE swatches of state land.

[Dalberg-Acton]

"I’m glad they owned a desert for their radiorific pleasure."

Me too. However, John Wayne - not so much. The Conqueror (1956)

[Nifster]

What you fail to realize that like so many other treaties that were signed and agreed to the US in this case just simply ignored it. They have a long history of this type of behavior

[tophat9000]

Outstanding bump