Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-03-20

HOUSE Of REPREsE. NT.a77TES.
Saturday, aiarcl' 10.

After the reception and reference OIL
various petitions; !. amongst when was
lone presented by MIR. levitt from sun.
dry inhabitants Of the Green Mountains
lin Vermont, praying repeal OF the du-
|ty ON imported salt:
a committee Of FIVE members was APP
pointed, ON notioa Of MIR. Forney, to en-
[auire into ihe expediency Of increasing
he salary Of tie clerk Of the house OF re 4
representatives.. -
The cngrossed bill.for the relief Of =
rastus Lopmis !; the eagrossed bill max !
ling further provision for settling CLAIMS
Ito land in, the IllShois Territory: and
|she eberosssd bill for the relief OF certain
claimants to lands in the district OF w
Icennes we're seyeratly read the third
time and passed.
The house took UP the bill from the
SENATE, relative to- evidence IN eases Of
Naturalization. as amended, passed and
returned to the Senate.
The house then went into committee
of the whole, MIR. Moore in the chair, Oh
/ the bill providing for ,quietiug and adj
Ijusting certain land claims in tile Mis-
Isissippi territory.
A motion made by Mr.. Strong to
Istrike cut the first section, produced a
sgoeti deal OF debate on the merits Of the
bill; from which We extract the follow
ling substantial view of the question.
After the treaty of 1875, that is 1925.
when the u. 8. took possession of the
Mississippi country, they found certain,
settlers on lands whohad settled under
lSpanish grants. issued when Spain was
possessed Of the countryside U.sStatcs,
without demanding any equivalent there
for, rclinquishcd 10 these settlers all the
fright acquired by the treaty Of 1885, but
Iwithout walranting them in the tile
subsequently,, however, ceitai' persons
holding patents under the British 60
Ivcrnmcnt set up a claim to these lands,
Jas having The elder titles--and The actu
lal settlers, those holding under the Spa
lnisI grants, petition the United States
to exa,eine and decide the cIains Of the
British grantees. and lit be adjudgc,!
THAT they have the stronger tile, hat
their claims may be satisfied BY AL e.
Equivalent grant Of public land elsewhere.
| The bill reported by the committee On
the public lands, to whom the petition
was referred, and now under con5ntera-
Itioa, provides that the Secretary OF
State, the Attorney General, and the
Commissioner Off General land 0fiicc
be authorized to examine the disputed
claims and decide thereon according to
Elaw, as soon as the claims to l40, eco a.
ores have been filed for decision that
lit the claim Of the British grantee should
lin any case be confirmed, the commits
lsioner of the land Sfice Shall issue his
certificate for the, amount thereof, which
certificate shallbe a final satisfaction Of
|his claim, :and shall be received in paw
Ement tol.aay es4he public lands Of the
United States, at the rate of two dol
liars per acre for eve y acre Of the certi-
|ticate; that no claim shall be filed TN
der this act which has been barred By a.
my former law; and that the decision Of
THE commissioners shall be final and con-
elusive.
The melton to strike out the first sec
ltion, being vital one, gave rise to the
debate above mentioned, III which Mes
Fsfeurs strsng, Wright, Forsyth, Jack
son and Ross Supported the motion, and
Iof course opposed the till; aud Mcssrs.
Robertson, Ei'Kee, johnson, Clark of
Ky. Pickering baltimore, and Llopkir-
|sel spoke against striking out the Sec
|tion; Mr.. Clay, also, on subsequent
Question. advocated the bill.
The question was finally determined
against striking cut the section; and
After some further unsuccessful at
f,empts to amend tile bill, the committee
rose reported progress; and
The House adjourned.
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