Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1807-11-20

sSOb winch PROVIDED that certain
sections should be reserved for the dis.
posal Of Congress in-each township in
1900, an act was passed authorising the
surveyor general to lease these sections,
parts Of which were accordingly leased.
An act had bren,since passed authofi-
sing the sale Of the sections heretofore
reservation the disposition ofCongress,
with y provision ayt.ched TO it, that no.
sectltn should be sold at a tower rate
than . dollars per acre. This price was
50 eStraVasandy high, that il appeared
from the report fthe Secretary Of the
Treasury only four sections had been
sold in the course Of the last year. To
reduce the price fixed, so as that all the
PAbtic lands nigh. be sold and occupied,
he moved the + liowias feselution-He
remarked thar a similar resolution was
last year referred to the committee On
Public Lands, who reported q bill but
from the press Of business, il was not
acted on IT. -
Resolved, That the committee on
Public Lands be directed to enqnire into
the exp-diency Of making further pro.
vision for the sale Of the lands reserved
for the disposition If Contress-and
that they have leave to report by Till or
otherwise. Agreed. - -,:<as
Mr. Dawsot said; within a few DAYS
= number Of gentlemen i nAhe House had
expressed much feeling ia Ahe- subject
otthe injuries which hid b,>en- resvi yed
from a foreign power, and seemed desi.
nous OF minute enquiry into the busi.
ness. He .reioicesd at thvse expressions
OF indignation. Whe,her it woald be-
eoms proper not only - speak, bot to
act, dePcnded on circumstances no, with.
in THEN coutrot He was informed BY
the Secretary Of War thar there were ia
the magazines Of the y. S. a great num-
Der OF stands Of arms, ofour own manu-
facture, which were daily increasing.
1t appeared that some of the states were
IN wan of arms j; the distribntion of
these would be serSiceabie both to the
u. S and to the states fa~dividually.
For this reason he moved the following
AA0SAuSAoh = . -. - D EFtE = -
Resolved, Tha:a committee be ap.
pointed to snqaire into the expedlency Of
selling TO the individual states or terrific.
Eies, who may wishto purchase any arms
or ordnance oWnedby the u. S. and
which may be parted with without injury
10 the public, and that they report. by
bill or otherwise.
Mr.. Nelson had no objection to the
principle embraced by the resolution,
,bu, thoaght It was improperly referred.
He moved that the resolution should bs
amended so as TO refer it to tho commit
tee on so much Of the Presidents mes.
sage as relates to military establish.
Msnts,, Be. : =.
Mr.. Dawson had no objection.
The resolution thus amended was a.
yfeedto. y
Mr.. Randolph said, that At. the last
session Of Congress, an act had been
passed, prohibiting the importation of.
slaves into any part or Ptacein the q. s.
alter the lst day Of January next One
ofthe sections of thst act contained a
principle in his opinion totally sabver.
.sissa Of the right of propefsy in=slAss
holders. lie had wishsdathe suhjeeta.o.
have been coDsidrred at the fastsssssiou =,
but from the late period Al which it had
been brought forward, The House had
declined acting upon il He would say
no more uponthe subject at this time,
but wished abill to be broughtin for a.
mending the act, for which purpose he
moved the following resolution, which
was adopted, andta committee accord.
ingly appointed.
Resolved, That a committee be ap-
pointed 10 enquire into she sxpediencyo of
aUendiagAhe act, entitled, AnIaet to
prohibit the importation Of Slaves into
any port or place within the Jurisdiction
of the y. States, from aud alter tiae first
day Of January. in the year of our Lord,
one thousand eight hundred and eight"
Agreeably 10 the order of the day, the
House went into . committee of the