Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-05-15

lhe United Statessto take the cxarhius tion
Of witnesses BY commission and the en-.
crossed billto authorize The appointment Of
commissioners to lay out The route Of, a canal
sthrough The public lands IN 'hio, were SCI
yeralIy read the third time, passed. and sent
10 The other house for concurrence.
The resolution CRYING the consent Of Cons
rress to compact between Kentucky and
Tennessee, for the settlement Of their boun-
Diary line, vas again considered, and passed
to third reading.
PRE-EAPTloT RIGHTS. ~
On motion Of Mr.. Thomas, lie Senate pro-
ceeded. in committee Of the whole, Mr.. Hor-
sey in the chair, to the consideration Of the
following bill, to grant the right OF pre-cmp-
ton to actual settlers on the public lands
BE Il enacted, &c. That every person, or
the legal representatives OF every person,
who has actually inhabited and cultivated,
and who now resides upon, any tract OF land
lying in any district established for the sale
Of public lands, which tract is not rightfully
claimed by any other person, such person,
! SO residing, as aforesaid, or his or her legal
representatives, shall be entitled to prefer.
ence in becoming the purchaser, from the
United States, of such tract OF land, at prl-
vate sale, upon the sama terms and condl..
tons, in every respect, as are now. or shall
hereafter be, provided by law, for the sale
OF other public lands sold at private sale:
Provided, thatno more than one quarter sec
ton OF land shall be sold to one individual,
in virtue OF this act, and the same shall be
bounded by the sectional and divisional lines
run, or to be run, according to law Prov'-
ded also, that no lands reserved from sale by
former acts. or lands which have been di-
rected to be sold in town lots, shall be sold
unde this act.
Sec 2. And be II further endcled, That IN
cases where two or more persons, entitled to
( the right of pre-emption in virtue ofthls act
shall Be settled, as aforesaid, upon one quar-
ter, or fractional quarter-section OF iand,5
each person shall be authorised to purchase
/ one quarter section, or fractional quarter Sec
ton of the section, or fractional section OF
land, upon which they are so settled; and
the euarter-section, ortractional quarter-sec-
ton, upon which such persons are settled,
shall be equally divided between them, in
such manner as the register and receiver,
within whose district the land lies. shall de-
termine and direct; SD as to secure, as Tar
as practicable, to every such person, their
improvements respectively.
Sec. 3. Provides that every person claim
ing preference in becoming the purchaser
Of tract of land, in virtue OF this act, shall
make known his or her claim, by delivering
notice, in writing, to the register OF the
land Office for the district in which the land
may lie. That all lands to be sold under
this act, shall be entered, with the register.
at least two weeks before the time OF the COM
mencement of the public sales in the district
wherein the land lies; that every person ha-.
wing right OF preference in becoming the
purchaser OF tract of land, who shall fail SO
10 make his or her entry with the register.
within the time prescribed, his or her right
shall be forfeited, and the land by him or
her claimed shall be offered at public sale
with the other public lands in the distrist to
which it belongs, &c. &c.
Mr.. Williams, Of Miss. by direction of the
committee on the public lands moved the IN
definite poslponement ofthe bill.
This motion gave rise to considerable de-
bate, in which the bill was supported by
Messrs. Thomas, Edwards, King, Of N. Y.
Noble, johnson, Of Lou. and Smith. and op-
posed by Messrs Louvre. Lanman, Roberts.
and MelIen, the two last lamed, not opposed
to granting some relief to actual settlers, I'M
der the late change in the mode of disposing
of the public lands, but not in the way pro.
posed by the bill.
The motion to postpone the bill indeh-
nitely, was ultimately decided in the mega
tive, by yeas and nays-yeas Ia, nays q.
Mr.. King, Of N. Y. then, agreeably to
suggestion which had been thrown outin de-
bate, moved 10 reduce the quantity OF land
for which the pre-emption shall be allowed,
from quarter-section TO halt quarter Sec
ton, Geo acles); which amendment was a
greed 10.
On motion Of MIR, Ruggles, the second
section was stricken out.
Mr.. ROBERTS moved to addsto the bill the
following proyiso: = Provided also, That
no person or persons shall be entitled to re-
ceive the benefit of this act, wherein any
transfer Of Exemption right has been made
before the patent shall have issued for the
land claimed under such right, and every
such transfer shall be null and void. !"
This amendment was opposed for various
reasons. by Messrs. Johnson, of Lou. Macon,
Lowrie, Edwards, and Walker, of Alab.-
the lastn AIMED gentleman submitting also, at
n.;d..ti. tanoth his reasons In opposi-