The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-03-08

nu!lOie prO!luCe 10 SUdSa|Our Iair inNSltlSd-
ton of the naked quetion dirobing it of thoie
tinfel habliments which have been artfuy
thrown around il for the purpofe OF conceang
its real deformty.
The claims the amendment goes TO reject, are
derived by pretended law of the fate of
Georgia ; flid to have been paiied in the
month of January l795.-Ht would contend
this law was abfolutely void, a6 initio, not ou-
~ becauie the Legislature had no power to
make fuch law, but from the circumstances
under which it was made. That the grantees
under this law could have no title to
the land either legal or equitable, ana
that there has been no circumstances at
ending the fubiequeat flles, that places
the inb-purchafers under hyperion equitable adj
vantages. II will be particularly necetiary, Mr.
Speaker, TO be attentive to dates that of the
law under which the claims are made, and &C.
| morally known by the name of the ceihon law,
has already been noticed. Let Us now lee how
| this law pa6td, it ftards characterized ny cir
cumitanccs unparalleled in the annals of pollu-
| ton, Of which W, have the mott concluhve evil
dence before us the whole fate of Georgia
! has borne tefimony to the fact-and Ii is now
depofited in the archives of the government
| that majority of the AGembly which Palied
the law were corrupted and bribed; tome had
money given them, others flares in the land
| they were affecting to fell.
| This is 70 universally admitted, and Detected,
that the mott enthuiiaitic friends of the preient
claimant cheerfIlly allow the original grantees
| haze no titles, and he believed there was not
one now before Congrefs with his claim. But
! X is contended tbs fub-purchaiefs had no no.
tice Of the fraud in the original contract, but
are bona tide purchaicrs for 4 good and vaiua-
he confederation actually paid. This he never
could agree to; the evidence before him was
the contrary, and he would here take review
of at leat PAT of that evidence, great por-
ton Of which no doubt has been deitroyed by
the lapft o. nine years, but tutiicieAcy remains
when hrour ht together irriiiibiy IL carry con-
yiction to the mind of the mott fceptical ; the
law tie!f is alnot enough for this purpcie.
The fimple object was to fell to four companies
the vacant weltern land, but to deuce tle prO-
pie and lul enquiry, it is called g an act lap
Elementary 20 an act entitled an aHt Tor apPro-
priating a part of the INDICATED territory OF
this fate, & for the payment OF The itate troops,
and for other purpoes, and the protettoh' ana
| iupport ofthe frontier" and the lame iaiHlna'
ton is kept up through the enactlng cianies,
and is the Iougeit act in the ftatute book (; 1t
goes into lengthy examination of the fate IT,
| tie, of extinguilhing the Inaian title, aud APP
proprating the money, directing 1t To be laid
out in bank itock.-Where, Mr.. Speaker, VIII
you find fuch law as this. III the Object or
the Legislature had been correct, would there
have been aneceflityy for clothing the law IN
fuch delufve colours; no, Sir, fraud ana mia
my were to he cancelled and the covering mutt
be thick. They were however disappointed in
their aim, for hoheity and integrity had yet
their refidence in the fate, and ioon as 1t
was known, the whole country was fellingly a
| live to the abufe, and general effervefcence
pervaded the public mind this was manIteited
in the only pofIible way that remained. The
aGeTi6iy had adjourned moi to meet a,rain IN
twelve month prefentments of the grandjurles
in almoft all counties ofthe fate, were made
in terms of bitter Interpretation of the law
it was alto denounced in the public prints from
one end of the continent to the other. La the
month of May 1915, convention was held IN
the fate, the grand Jury pretentments, petit
ons and renOnitranees, from all parts OF the
country were (ent up thefe were by the con-
vention RENTED to the next Legislature as the
| only competent authority to remedy 10 enor-
nous an evil in the month Of February before,
as has been f. ably Rated by my valued friend
and colleague, (Mr. RLndoiph,) had this ilo-
| iect been the fuhttaDct Ola connun! cation o!
! he Prelident of the United States to Congrsfs,
md a rcfolution, AID bill pafIed the Houfe of
Representatives. OH the fubjett. Shall after
this be told the fub-purchafers had no notice:
| impoiiible, hiitorcai event TO notorious, but
| the evidence does not flop here, the Georgia |e
| gillature again aiembled in the month of No
yember 1875, the fubiect ofthis nefarious and
wicked fpccuation that covered the country
with flame and difgrace, was taken up, and it
| a doubt before had remained of The corruption,
| it was then removed by a number of afidayits
| proving inc1ntenibly the fact, and on the thir-
teenth day OF February 1896, a law was pailed,
not repeating the aG Of 1895, but with honet
md Iaudible indignation, declaring it null and
ND, as being bottomed upon fraud and PERU
, and unveils to the world the mott H1giti-
Il conduit that ever difgraced legislative at
| &c hlY it Isl there af-ertained and declared
that she land had been fold for three hundred
thoufand dollars lefs than what had been offer
ed for it, and the quantity of land much great
or than it had been reprefented the lands con-
tanned in the grants to the four companies were
eGimated at twenty zone millions of acres, which
| at five hundred thoufaud dollars, the price gi-
ven, is 2 l-a cents per acre the real quantity
| is about thirty-fye millions of acres, this redu-
ces the price Of the garden of the world, to
| nearly IS cents the acre take notice Mr..
| Speaker that the law of 1906 does not pretend
TO repeal the act of 1906, but proclaims to eve
| ~ body that to be void which was in reality
! 20 before, and with an houet zeal, provides
| that the money which had been paid ihould be
repaid TO the purchalcrs. This annuling law
was 70 precious to the people, it was monu-
peut 70 honorable to the Rate, that when after
4. A. -. n 1t