Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-03-14

The Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. Wezvton, from the committee on
commerce, reported bill to impose a
new tonnage on French ships end YES
sells; and
Mr.. Nevtoa, from the same commit
tee, reported also a bill concerning
navigation, and to repeal the act Of April,
Is, 1918, concerning navigation; which
bills were seyerally twice read and com,
mittcd.
On motion of Mr.. Pindau, it was
RESOLVED, That the letter from the
Secretary of State Of the 9TH Feb. 1920,
transmitting a list Of the newspapers in
which the laws of the United States are
published, and an estimate of the ex-
pcnse of such publication, be referred
to select committee, and that the same
committee inquire into the expediency
Of repeating or amending the acts re-
curing the publication of the laws in
the newspapers,
This motion Of Mr.. P. was grounded
On the belief that the expenses of pro-
mitigating the acts of Congress in news
papers had increased to an unreasonable
and improper extent, and that the laws
on the subject required repeal or modi-
fication, SO as to reduce this expense.
The resolution was referred to COM
mittee of three members.
On motion of Mr.. Uaiker, Of N. c.
twas
Resolved, That the committee on the
Public Lands be instructed to inquire in
to the expediency of limiting the guam
tity of public lands hereafter to be ex-
posed to sale at the several Land Offices
of the United States.
Mr.. Cook submitted the following
resolution for consideration
Resolved, That the committee of
Ways and Means be instructed 10 in
quirc into the expcdiency of repeating
SO much Of the first section of an act en-
titled "An act making appropriations
tor the support of govcrnm ent for the
year 1872" approved March 3, 1919, as
pledges the fund reserved for laying out
and making roads to the states of In
diana and Illinois, for the repayment of
the monies appropriated and advanced
by the United States, for constructing
the United States road from Cumber-
land to the Ohio river, and of appropri-
ating the same to defray the expenses
of laying out and making road from the
Ohio river opposite to Wheeling, by
Columbus, in the state of Ohio, and by
the permanent seat of government of In
diana, on the most eligible route, to Ven
dalia, in the state of Illineis.
In offering this resolution to the con-
sideration of the house, Mr.. Cook begged
leave to ask its attention to the act there
referred to. BY that act the fund re-
served for the improvement of roads
leading to the states of Indiana and Illi-
nois, had been pledged for the repay
ment of the money appropriated by
Congress for the completion of the Cum
berland road. This road was commence
ed, Mr.. c. believed, ten or twelve years
ago. BY the acts of l6 and 1918, au-
thorizing the admission of Indiana and
Illinois, respectively, two per cent. on
the net proceeds arising from the sale
of the public lands in those states was
reserved by Congress to the laying out
and making Of roads leading to those
states, respectively; and in considera-
ton of this appropriation made by Con-
gress, with others, which were under
stood, on all hands, TO be for the benefit
OF those states, respectively, the states
surrendered part of their sovereignty
they agreed that the lands of the United
States, then remaining TO be sold, should
be free from taxation for five years after
the day Of sale; and in Illinois the boun-
ty lands given to the soldiers of the late
army, were also to be exempted from
taxation for three years from the date of
their patents. This surrender Of the
sovereign right of Illinois to tax the
lands thus exempted, was, MIR. c, said,
the consideration given for the road fund
now under consideration, as we'll as
some other advantages which were grant
cd to her, and for which she is grateful
to the government. This, with the other
made by Congress, were
now matters of compact betw cen Illinois
and the United States; and to divert this
fund from the channel in which Mr.. c.
could not but think it was intended to
flow, Illinois would consider violation
of that compact.
To appropriate that fund to the making
of road terminating at Wheeling, a
point several hundred miles from the