The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-12-31


The committee having pa!Ied thro' the bill,
reported it without amendment.
The houfe Immediately took u? the report |;
md on the queiton to engro!s the bill tor third
reading,
Mr.. Alton afk-d for information with re-
gard to new principle which appeared to him
20 he contained in the 6rf fedion. He obf-rv-
I'd that it was unknown to him whether the u
States had ever placed volunteers or militia on
their pen6on lit. IF this had not heretofore
been done, and it fhould be done at this lae
period, he did not know where the buiinefs
would end. It would he no wife difficult for
any perfon TO bring forward fome kind of evil
dence of a Disability received in the revolutions
airy war, by ihewins that he bad performed
fome fcrvice or other. With regard to thofr
at prefeut on the peniion lii of the fates, it
would he extremely difficult for them to pro-
duce the evidence required by this law and
the ftates might after the paGage of this bill
fweep from their lit petitioners of the defcrip-
ton contemplated in the bill. Unleis proper
explanation of thefe circumstances were made,
Mr.. a. faid he could not vote for the hill.
Mr.. Gregg moved to frike out the words re-
lative to the making provifon for perfons diff
ab'ed in the militia. or acting under the autho-
rity ofa particular fate. He fiid that he thought
it forced contribution of the act of 1908 to
extend its proviions to thofs perfons employed
in the militia fervice, or who acted under par
ticular ftates. He read the Drovifions of that
act, and obftrved tina, they did not contain p
word rejecting the militia, or thofe who acted
under the orders of Rates. He could not fee
the propriety of placing on the peniion lit thoft
who acted under the authority Of the ftates.
There might be fome bodies who had been or
dered out by particular ftatcs, who 70 far from
being recognized by the general government,
had been called out in contravention of their
orders. 1t would, Mr.. G. thought be very ex
ltraordinary to place fuch men on the pen(ion
lit oftbe United States. He believed that all
proper objects who had been drawn out under
fate orders were on Gate peniion lifts. Ifthefe
men were fet afloat by this act, they might at
this late day, owing to the difficulty of collect
ing proper evidence, be left, without rennedy.
MIR. John C. Smith faid that the bill under
confederation was precifely fimilar to one which
had, at the laft FELTON,, been agreed to in the
houfe, and had been ordered TO be engroi1eti
| tor third reading but which had not been
concluhvely acted upon. He ohferved that
he had never been very tenacious of the princi-
Pile on which gentlemen had animadverted :
| though he believed that the wounds received by
the dfcription Of perfons referred to had been
| is ferrous TO them, and as important to their
country, as thofe received by folders in the
actual fervice of the u. S. 1t had been remark
FOR this defcription Of per ons. Whether this
was, or was not the cafe, he did not know.
But If gentlemen would advert to tie aet 81
| i796, they would find provifion made for
lcommihoned and snon-commiilioned officers
and Privates of the militia who had been in the
frrvicc of the u. S. fince the revolutionary war.
The principalin this bill was the fame with that
IN the bill paf1ed in 1896. In that inftance he
militia bad been called out for the general fer
wee under the authority of particular hates
Congrefs then thought proper to provide for
tucE cafe. MIR. Smith did not know any thing
| which made it lefs proper to provide for Gmi.
| lar cafes which had occurred during the revo.
lntionary war. 1t was true that the provifiop
| would be applicable to but a few individuals,
but this could not affect their claims to the inf
tice of their country. How far this proyifion
might operate unequaIly, Especially on ftates
wko had already made provfon for their mill.
tia, he did not know. He was not acquainted
with the facts alluded TO. He was perfectly
wiling that the bill ihouId lie, until correct in
formation fhould be obtained.
| Mr.. Marion hoped the words would not Be
ftruck out. He perceived no real difference be.
tween the claims of the militia and of tboGe in
Irregular fervice. 1t was true that fome ftates
had made provifion for their militia. But eve.
ry Rate in the union ought to bear the bsrthen
of the war equally, it ought not to fall exciu-
lively on thof, Hates which had been invaded,
and whole militia had confequently been the
mott cxpofed. Although fuch hates had made
a proviiion it was more conionant to equity and
intice that the union flouId bear the bur.
then. Gentlemen ihould recollect that the fec.
tion only provided for thofe who had been en-
gagged in the general fervice.
| The quehion was then taken on MIR. Gregg.
motion, and loft-Ayes I6.
| Il was then ordered, without divifion, that
the bill be engroied for third reading to-mor
row.
On motion of Mr.. Southland,
| Refoi1,ed, That committee be appointed tc
enquire whether any and ifany, what alteration,
are neGeffary in the ad rcfpetfing the compen.
fation TO grand and other jurors flmmoned tc
ferve in the courts of the u. s.
| Mr.. Southland prefaced this motion by Eating
that he had been informed that Jurors in the
different courts of the u. States received vari.
Gus compenfations.
| On motion of Mr.. Thomas the boufe refoIv.
ed itfelf into committee of the whole--Mr
| J. G. Smith in the ehair--on the bill +" fupple.
rneDtsry to the act entitled an act regulating the
grants of land appropriated for the refugees from
the Britifl provinces of Canada and Nova SEQ
ta."--
| This bill directs the following locations oil
land and patents to be granted