Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-17


pediency Of providing laws for the disco
very of slaves escaping from ore state 'n-
to another.
A resolution passed the House direct
ing the committee on military affairs to
enquire into the ex,ed!eacy OF continu-
ing for five years further, the pensions
which had been granted by Congress for
a limited period, to the widows and or.
phans Of officers and soldiers who had
been killed or wounded in the defence oil
the country. Gen. Harrison, who moved
the resolution, stated that some oil those
pensions had already expired and that
several others would also expire in q
short time, leaving those helpless Oh
jects Of the country bounty, or rather
justice, exposed to every privation. The
general then undertook to exemplify the
hard.hips against which he wished the
House to provide, by particular instances
Of ladies, (,he widows Of general officers
fallen with glory in the country's de-
fence) who, by the expiration of their
pensions, would be left without support.
To the widows of general Pike, general
Allen and general Hart, he particularly
alluded by name, and gave an Affecting
picture of the situation of the frSt o.
those ladies, whom hc visited at her resi-
dence on the banks Of the Ohio, where
all was neatness, comfort and hospitality,
but all Of which would be lost to her it
the application then before the House
should fail, which, however, he thought
impossible. The resolution passed.
The house then resolved itself, on mo-
ton of Colunel Johnson, into commit
tee of the while, on the bill authorising
the co mmuta,ion of tie bounty lands o!
soldiers Tor moncy--when The honorable
mover stated that from the documents
laid before them by the Secretary Of war,
it appeared that the whole number olsol-
diers who had not yet received th:ir pa
tents were about 50,OG0-of Which he
calculated that about $4,000 would take
the benefit of this bill. Mr.. Holmes
proposed an amendment to prevent spe
culatsrs from deriving any benefit from
the b.li-and Mr.. Clay moved to strike
out the words " claiming under tbem,'
so as TO extend the benefit of the COM
mutation only to soldiers or their repre-
sentation, to the entire exclusion Of pnr-
ccasers. 1t now began to appear that
the measure had by no means that gene
raj appreciation of the house that was
imagined out If doors. The expedicncy |
Of lcgislating with caution was urged BY
Mr.. Sturrs, to whom it appeared certain
that difficulties would arise about the
transfers already made'-that some would
in consequence Of those transfers be
paid both in land and money, and that
suits innumerable would follow, while
the house would be filled with petitions. |
Mr.. Smith and Er. Holmes seemed to
more than doubt the expediency OF lie.
gislating at all.--Mr. Clay alone firmly |
maintained his opinion Of the value OF the |
measure but offered, in order to try the |
principle of the bill, TO withdraw his a.
in order that, for that pur-
pose, a motion might be made to strike
out the first section. In this state Of in
decision, the hour being half after three,
a motion was made Tor the committee to
rise and report progress, which was car
lied, and the committee having obtained
leave to sit again, the House adjourned.
We invite the attention Of cur COM
merciai readers TO the excellent essay of
MERcATon,. in the preceding columns.
The Importance Of the subject should
merit their notice, and the mastery man
ner in which It is handled, will well re-
pay perusal.