Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-04-20

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square, upon which question arises. whe'
Their the grant intended TO convey thou
sand square acres. or, as the claimants al
lege, thousand acres square which OF
course is the difference between one thou
sand and one million Of acres.
Mr.. Roberts stated some objections to THIS
report. to the course proposed by the bill
and to III. validity of the claim setup TO
an extent of territory, almost, he said, equal
to an empire. 8.
Mr.. Hunter replied at considerable length,
detailing the grounds on which the commit
tee founded their report; and entering some
what into the merits Of the claim. After an
elaborate and minute investigation OF the e
violence adduced by the claimants, the com
mi,tee would have felt themselves bound
had they been obliged to pronounce an 9
pinien. TO say that the claim was aJust anu
EQUITABLE one but as TALL the evidence was
ex parte, it was thought best to refer't to a
judicial investigation, where the Y. States
could be able to adduce any counteractlng
evidence which might be within reach. The
interest Of the United States required this
course as it was not possible that congress
conld do Justice to the public they rarely
had any thing TO guide them but the inte-
rested statements and ex parte testimony OF
the petitioners congress was, from ITS con-
; tuition. not a fit tribunal to decide such
claims, and particularly claims ofsuch enor-
NOUS extent as the present one, &c.
Mr.. Brown made some remarks on the
practice of the Spanish Governors i'll Loul-
siana, in making grants Of land, the circum-
stances in which this grant originated, &c.
10 shew that this claim rested on reasona-
bic grounds, AMI had sufficient evidence to
establish its justice.
The bill was on motion Of Mr.. Johnson,
Of Lou. who wished to make similar pro.
vision for other cases, postponed to. Mon
day.
The engrossed bills, for the relief of Jno.
Rodriguez for the relief OF Pierre denisde
Ia Ronde, to establish the district OF Blake
": to establish additional land offices in
Alabama. and relative to the Arkansas ter
ritory, were severally read the third time.
On motion of Mr.. Macon. the Senate took
up the bill making an appropriation for car
rying into effect certain surveys OF the
coast of North Carolina, directed by re-
solution OF Congress of the last session
when, for the purpose of offering some a
nendments to extend the bill to two or three
similar cases, in which objects .au-
horised by awrquire specific appropn-
atoms, which MIR. Dana wished to prepare,
me bill was laid on the'table. The amend
nents were subsequently offered by MIR Da-
IA. agreed to, and the bill ordered to a third
reading.
CLOTHING THE ARMY.
The Senate then resumed in committee OF
the whole, Mr.. Walker, of Alabama, in the
chair, the bill to provide Tor clothing the
army in don este manufactures Mr.. Van
Dykes motion to amend the bill being un-
der consideration.
To give place to an amendment which
had been prepared by MIR, Barbour, which
he was willing should supercede his own,
Mr.. Van Dyke withdrew his amendment.
Mr.. Barbour then proposed TO amend the
bill, by adding on such terms and at such
prices as will not be injurious to the public
thus leaving an option with the
Secretary Of war. and depriving the bill Of
its imperative character.
The object this amendment, Mr.. B. OBJ.
served, was to mitigate and render less OBJ
jectionable measure which he conceived
but which from the vote of
seemed to have gained for it,
since the last session, when a similar pro-
position was rejected, sufficient favor to car
ry it through the Senate. Mr.. B. then en-
tered into general argument against the
expectancy of the bill, which he opposed,
not only on account oil its contemplated 90.
ject and effect, but because it was minute
and insulated measure in great system
which was now before the other house,
which, if adopted, would merge the object
of this bill, &c.
Mr.. Dickerson would have no objection to
the amendment, if so modified as to read
/" not materially injurious" &c. & proceed
cd IN ranlu aanara llu To Tho arnnrnanfS of