Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-04-11
CONGRESS.
SENATE.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.

The Senate took up the bill to change
the mode of disposing of the public
landslide following amendment thereto,
offered by Mr.. Walker, of Alabama, be-
ing still under consideration:
And be it further enacted, That purchasers
of public lands, which shall have been sold
prior to the - day Or next, shall
Be permitted to forfeit and surrender the same
before the day of final payment, by delivering
their certificates to the Register, and endorsing
thereon their consent that the land therein
described shall be re-sold; whereupon, the
said certificates shall be considered as can
celled and the lands shall be deemed and
taken TO have reverted to the United States,
and shall be disposed of in all respects like
other reverted or forfeited lands, according to
the provisions of the fourth section of this
act; but if such lands should sell for more than
one dollar and - cents per acre, the excess
shall be paid over to the former certificate
holder Provided, That such excess shall not
be greater than the amount previously paid
on such certificate.
Mr.. Walker submitted a number of
arguments in support of his amendment;
and entered into particular statements of
the amount of sales, the prices given in
Alabama and elsewhere, for public
lands, the great amount of debt due and
becoming due, sc. to show the proprie-
ty of afording the relief which his
amendment contemplated; but, as the
Senate was this morning thin, and the
subject before it Of great importance, he
hoped its consideration might for the
present be postponed.
Mr.. Wilson, though uniformly friend
ly to the principle of the bill, was willing
to defer its consideration until the Senate
should be full, and moved to postpone
it till tomorrow.
Mr.. Thomas proposed a postpone
nent to Wednesday next.
Mr.. Otis was opposed to so distant
postponement, as he feared 1t might
endanger the bill, which had already
been postponed through all the moods
and lenses. 1t had been lost in the other
House, at the last session, after passing
this, for want of time. Should it be again
defeated from the same cause, it was to
be feared that they might bid adicu to
all hope of the measure. Mr.. O. made
Il TCHlolh " tWoS vi tuO SuDJOSt Va shS
amendment, to show that, however
equitable the relief, it was doubtful whe-
ther the measure would be proper be-
fore the debt for which the sales were
pledged, had been paid off.
Mr.. Walker replied, to obviate the
objection of Mr.. Otis !; and the post
ponement was supported by MIR. Noble,
and opposed by Mr.. Ruggles.
The motion to postpone to Wedncs-
day was lost; and the motion for to-
morrow prevailed; 10 to IA; but
A reconsideration ofthe vote was sub
sequentIy moved and agreed to; and,
the motion to postpone being thennega-
lived,
The Senate resumed the considera-
ton of the bill and amendment.
Mr.. King, of Alabama, had no hope,
from the indications which he saw, that
the amendment would be adopted; but,
# the change proposed by the bill should
axe place he had no doubt the legisla-
lure would see the necessity OF some
such relief as the amendment offered.