Mr. SAULSBURY. It is not my intention to detain the Senate; I spoke longer on this subject yesterday than I intended; but there is one view in which this subject may be considered which then escaped my memory, which I wish tomention to the Senate, and I will simily state it now. I this were a controversy between private individuals, instead of between the Government of the U.S and the State of Virginia, there can be no doubt as to how it would be decided in a court of law. I contended yesterday that the act of retrocession of this portion of the DistCol to the State of Virginia was not unconstitutional, but was constitutional; but even if we were to admit, for the sake of the argument, that the original act of retrocession was unconstitutional, yet at this late day it would not be competent for the Congress of the U.S. to repeal the act, provided the same rules of law and principles of e uity would obtain in a controversy between fit Virginia and the U.S. as would obtain between private individuals. There is no principle of law more clearly recognized than this, that where a party claiming an interest, for instance, in a tract of land, attends a public sale, sees that tract of land sold to an inno cent purchaser for a valuable consideration, sees improvements erected upon that tract of land, and folds his arms and acquiesces in it, the party who has the legal title to the land by his acts has forfeited that title and cannot recover the land as against an innocent purchaser. Now, what is the application of this principle of law to the present case? In 1846 the congress of the U.S. by solemn act retroceded this portion of the DistCol to the State of Virginia. For 20 years the U.S. Government. has acquiesced in that act.' Bymnny‘aub's ent acts of legislation she has reoo'gniaed is former portion of the DistCol to be a portion of tVirginia. “She has levied direct taxes upon the inhabitants of Alexandria as inhabitants of the State of Virginia. She has stood by and e State of seen the State of Virginia erecting at the public expense and out of the public treasury of that State 3 railroads in that territory. She has admitted to seats in the HoRep of the U.S., Representatives elected by the inhabitants of that portion of a congressional district of Virginia. She applied her confiscation act to the inhabitants of that former pertion of the DistCol as citizens of the State of Virginia. The congress of the U.S., in levying its direct tax, provided that in case of non-payment of that tax by these very people, inhabitants of Virginia, they should be subjected to an additional penalty of 50%.