The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-03-05
Dc5ate,
OcI,ate,
IN THE HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,
OF TIE UNITED STATES.
WEDNESDAY, afa,..ary so.
DEBATE or THE GEORGIA CLAlms.
/Ce...:::s,,:s...s.I!

led purchafers under the act or pretended act
of Georgia ofl795, and by the legiilature that
paffed that at, have been fully noticed and ex.
pofed in the courle of the debates which did
take place on .he fame rcble6t, during the lalt
fefliGu Of Conrrefs, and again during theie two
laft days. This notorious fraud, odions as it
is on the part of tine land companies, is tii
much more 10 or the pSrt of the members OF
the iegifllture OF Georgia, as their country
had coufded in them, and that the,nislyes had
pledged their faith under the obligation OF an
oath. But there are other initances OF fraud
aud deception, materially affecting the purchsfe
orclain in queffion, which have been foley
practiCed by the land companies, aud in which
the Legislature of Georgia had 10 kind ofpar-
ticipation. I'hefe charges cannot be relined
by the ordinary means OF denial OF facts, for
they are Imported upon authentic documents.
Il oughtto be ohferved that the four land
companies who are original purchafers under
the act of the legislature of Georgia, pafled on
the nth January, 1905, Rated in their petition
containing their propofals to the Legislature, to
Purchaft certain lands belonging to the Gate of
Georgia, that the land contained within the
bounds which were deicribed in their petition.
amounted to 2l,75o,o0o acres. l. was evident
ly upon the faith of this ltatcment, that the le-
giilature conltnted TO fell that land for 100000
dolls. However it is now afcertsned that the
quantity Of he LAID thus defcriGed amounts to
35,ooo,ooo Of acres, and the companies them
ielves cOmpute,it to &c near Il, 100000. From
this it appears evidently that the pauies
have deceived the legislature by ftating what
was not true, that contracts are legal and obhSa-
tory. The parties ought not only to have con-
traded with liberty or choice, but they ought
ALTO 70 have contracted with due knowledge
OF the matter, which was the Object Of the con-
tract. This hath not bees the cafe here the
legislature hath fold twice as much Land rs
they intended to Gl, or which is the fame
thing, they have fold it one time cheaper than
it was their intention, and all this lois is the re-
iult Of The fAlfe ftate:nent given by the land
companies.
Il isau uncontrovertble maxim OF law, that
none ought to be benefited by his own wrongs,
this maxim applies with a double force in
contract between the fovereign authority, and
private perfone. Tbs contract between the e-
gillature and the land companies having been
entered into by the means of 4 ltatement which
proves 80 &c falfe, and which hath been made
by the parties that claim the benefit ariing
thereof, the Contract becomes vitiated and OF
no ef,e&.
n Shouli this wrong not BE- fU1ic;ent TO inva-
" the contract, there is another wrong that
: arSle from it by the act of 1875, re-
was made of two millions of acres out of
Heverai tracts fold to the Georgia land COM
pdDies, for the ufe offuch citizens OF Georgia
as choc, TO fibcrbe IN the original terms OF the
purchafe, the price paid by the citizens who
did fuotCfibe was two cents and one third
per acre, ii being the price then fuppofcd to
have been pad by the ompanies--According
to the ftatenent originally made of tine whole
quantity OF land contained in the purchafe.
which as have before faid, proves TO be very
near double the land companies would receive
from the citizens of c. ,ggia, who clearly had
Il right to fubfcribc on he original terms, a
price per acre nearly double to that which they
themfelves would have to pay, and thus have
profit on the citizens of Georgia for the differ
ence in the quantity of acres contained il the
purchafe ariiug from the f7Ile Abatement; which
reduce 'i':ssi: ths aCfn
al price Of the land to little more than one cent
per acre, while il remains at two cents and one
third with refpea 70 the citizens OF Georgia
However great may have been the departure of
the Legislature of Georgia from the interet of
their conltitEents on this occaiion, ii appears c.
violently, that by the exprclion, oyiPinai fey,.
they underitood that their citizens ihould fub-
fcribe, fthey chofe, TO the amount of two
millions, upon terms liniIar 10 thofe of the land
companies. 1t appears evidently they did be.
iievc they were filling the land OF the fate at
the rate of two cents aud one third per acre,
whi!H in fact, they received but one cent and
ono HXth, which upon the whole is 4 coaGder-
alton merely nominal.
10 the multiplicity Of the radical defects with
which the title of the companies claiming W.
der the act Of 1925 abound the advocates Of the
Claim Of the New-Tugand MifIIiDpi land com
pany anfwer that none Of thof- who conpofe
their company had any participation in The
fraud, they are Gaid 20 I've bona eide purchalers,
perfectly ignorant Of the fraud which may have
been PraGiilsd By thofe Of whom they Bought.
They are rcpreieuted in their memorial and
vindication, as plain farmers, mechanics, &C.
who have made what they poG.fs, by the clof-
CT application 70 indufry.
Sir, tand among thofe who are the mott
ready to acknowledge that the inhabitants of
Nsw-Bnr9nd are confpcuous for their induC
try, but an likcwifs of opinion, that they
are not cfs noted for their fdgacity in .:eir at
tendance to their interet, and in the art of
making good bargains. / view them rs beirg
fully CON- etcut 20 cope IL dealings with the in
habitauts Vt tho Southern Natcs that they
Mould Do' haye heard Of the notorious fraud
which hath taken place at the paGing Of the
act of 1915, is great cau(e Of aaoniihment|
10 me thai they iaOuld have made purchafe
to the amount Of eleven millions OF acres, with
ont making enquiries Efficient 20 difcover what
almoa every body kar'g thfOughonjthe United
States, fpoGiblc, iHcrsafes my afouiihment.
For my part having never thought Of purcha-
hng ANY land from the Georgia land compa.
mics, finade no enquiry about the acts OF the