The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-22

lidity TO the Contract; and even this furi, pitt
ful as it was, had iince been drawn from the trea
fury of Georgia BY thole who had paid it, or
others claiming under them, by AN aet--yet
more infamous and difgraceful, If poflible, than
that by which 1t was depohted there. But it is
not my intention, Al this time, 70 enter into the
particulars of this tranfa6tion. IN the former
Rages of this bill have endeavoured to give a
faithful hiitorY oft. Weak and vain, however,
mutt be every effort to do ju!tice to this enor-
nous and atrocious procedure. Some gentle
men, indeed, will tel you that we have no proof
OF theie facts. The depoftions, fay they are ex-
Parte, and therefore in itri6tnels of law cannot
be conhdered rs evidence. But when was il
known that men could not lcsiGate on lefs than
legal evidence! Have we rot the fame evil
dence of the fraud, that we have of the exinence
OF the claims! Are not the evidences of both
III the fame report? the fame proof of the cor
ruPtlon AS OF the claims. They both hang to-
gether. Do not gentlemen thenielvcs admit
the exittence of the corruption? On what o.
Their principle could they juftify their propoGti-
on to withhold from thefe harpies the whole OF
their glorious booty, and put them off with
comparative pittance. Set aide the evidence
OF the corruption, and it cannot be denied, that,
nitead OF ifve, they are entituled to FIFTY mil
lions or acres. Irepeat they are entitled to all,
or nothing. We at leatt are conliitent-we de-
ny their title to any thing, and we propofe to
give them nothing. Gentlemen on the other
hide can iupport the claim TO the five millions,
winch they propoie to give, only by arguments
when Jultfy claim to ten times that amount
MIR. K. here read the fourth refolution.
:" That the good people of Georgia mprefl-
ed with general indignation at the act of atroci-
Gus perhdy and unparalleled corruption, with
a promptitude of decifion highly honorable to
them, did, by the act of fubiequent legislature
Pafled on the lSth day of February 1896, under
circumitances of peculiar foemnity, and finally
1anctioned by the people, who have filbfeouent-
ly engratted it or their contribution, declare the
preceding act and the grants made under it, in
thcmielves null and void that the faid act
ihould be expunged from the records of the
tate and publicly burnt; which was accor-
DINGHY done; provifon, at the fame time being
made, Tor reitoring the pretended purchafe mo-
hey 10 the grantees, BY WHOM, OR BY PERSONS
CLAIMING UNDER THEM, The greater bart of
tie aid pveba/e noney has been avitbdrasvn from
the ty'eaLAry Of Georgia"
This is another of the refolutions not even
iuoftantlally embraced in the proffered amend
ment, which has been rejected by the commit
tee. The evidence of the facts contained in the
former part of it is to be found in the act of
Georgia which hold in my hand, commonly
called the refclnding act. The report of our
commiiiioners furnilhes the proof of the with
drawal OF the money, with detailed ftatement
OF that nefarious buiinefs, which in the former
ftages of this bill has been amply explained. In
t., reicinding at the Legislature of Georgia
take other objections to the ufurpation of 1895,
behdes thole founded on its corruption. They
deny the constitutional right of their predecef-
Tors to have made fuch an alienation of the pub
lie domain, even with honorable views and
for fair equivalent. They declare that their
contribution prefcribes certain mode whereby
vacant lands fhall be fold and granted, and that
the pretended ACT of 795 is void, not only from
It's corruption, but from its contravening thofe
proviilons. This is a weighty and vital obiec-
ton. The Cow yet equitable method known
70 the contribution Of Georgia of laying ca new
counties, granting out the lands, ard when they
were appropriated and fettled, laying off and
letting others, was ill fuited to the gigantic ra
Pacity of the adernbly Of 1875 and their raven
Gus accompliceS, who grafped at every acre
within the nominal limits of the fate, whether
covered by Indian titles, or whether thofe claims
were extinguifhed. Here Mr. Randolph read
a copious extract from the act of Georgia above
mentioned, in fupport of what he had advan-
ced. The committee will fee that the whole
OF this ACT, 70 far from being an abandonment
OF the rights OF the fate, goes on the ground of
aiierting and Importing them. 1t recognizes
every principle and every fact (tbe withdrawing
of the purchafe money excepted, which was
poiteror to it) contained in thefe refoutions.
Can they then be fubverfive of the rights of
Georgia? Gentlemen of the mott tender con-
licences in relation to fate rights, have but the
alternative of deciding againft the act of 1898,
or againit the act of l796-of iutifying the af
1embly of 1895, or supporting that of 1896.
MIR. K. here read the fifth refolution
g That fnbfequent Legislature of an indivi
dual fate, has an undoubted right to repeal any
act of preceding Legislature, provided fnch re-
peal be not forbidden by the contribution of
fuch fate, nor of the United States" Can
therevbe more undeniable poftion!
Mr.. r. here read the fixth refoution7
&C That the aforefaid act of the fate of Geor-
gla (the refcinding aet) was forbidden neither by
the contribution of that fate, nor by that of the
United States - If it were thus forbidden, if
may eaiily be fhewn.
Mr.. X. here read the feventh refolution.7
1 hat the claims of perfons derived under |
the aforeiaid act, (thc corrupt a6) of the 18th |
OF January 1875, are recognized, neither by any |
compact between the United States, and the |
fate of Georgia, nor by any act of the federal |
government :" This fact, although none will |
venture openly to contradict it, has not been
efficiently attended to, or underftood. mutt |
beg leave in anfwer to the objection of fome
gentlemen here, to repeat what was advanced |
by me in former dfcufIion of the fubeGt.
Georgia coded this territory to us fubett to GER
tam fpeclfied claims-arifng under Great Bri-
tain---under SpaiD-and under her Bourbon act,
as 1T is commonly called, which has no relation
70 any of the yaZoo acts as they are termed. l.