Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-04-04
CONGRIESS.
SENATE.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH |.


public lands.
Mr.. Barbour said that, under exist.
ing circumstances with respect to another
question (the Missouri Question: he did
not feel in the humor at present TO IegiS-
late on this bill, which, at any other
moment, he should have regarded as
very important one. Unless something
should be done on the other subject to
which he had referred, he, for one, was
willing, after passing the annual appro-
priation law, that Congress should re-
turn at once to their constituents and
take their sense on the course pursued
by Congress. For the present, he moved
to postpone it to Monday next
The question on this motion was
agreed 10, without further debate.
The bill extending the time Of pay
ment to debtors for the public lands, and
to defer the forfeiture thereof for nom
payment, came up next in order.
Mr.. BurriH, in order to bring it into
the view of the Senate in connection
with the bill for changing the mode Of
disposing Of the public lands, to which
It had some affinity, moved TO postpone
this bill also until Monday next.
Mr.. Noble and Mr.. Thomas opposed
the postponement. The present law on
the subject would expire on the 5lst of
the present month; and, even if this bill
passed to-day, there would scarcely be
time, after its receiving the assent of the
other House, to give information of its
passage to the several Land Offices.
s Mr. BurriH said he was not disin-
clined to give indulgence to the debtors
for public lands; but he doubted whe-
Their the present mode of doing it was the
best that could be devised. Under the
present system there would be no end to
the postponement Of payment-the debt
becoming heavier every day by the in
terest being added to the principal As
to the shortness of time, Mr.. B. said he
presumed those who had charge of the
land offices would hardly proceed to i'm
mediate forfeiture, though the law of in
diligence should expire before they
heard of the renewal oft.
MIR. Rnggles opposed the postpone
1nent. 1t any thing were done by Con-
gress on the subject, it was essentially
necessary that it should be done now.
be regretted much that the other land
Dill had been postponed That bill was
precisely the same as had passed this
house at the last session, by large
majority, and he thought might have
been easily acted on to-day But he
hoped this bill would not also be post
poned, there being no necessary connec-
ton between the two.
Mr.. BarriH withdrew his motion for
postponement, to oblige the friends of
the bill
Mr.. Lowrie felt himself reluctantly
Obliged to renew the motion to post
pone. If the question should now be
taken on the bill, he said he must vote
against it. 1t was time, if the present
system of disposing of the public lands
was to be retained, that it should be
made to operate, without continual legis-
latIon on it, and representation of pay
ment. But, if the bill for cash sales
should pass, he said he would go every
length to accommodate the present debt
ors for lands, and give them every
reasonable indulgence.
MIR. Edwards said, if gentlemen would
assign their reasons why this bill should
not pass, he was ready to meet them.
But, he said, let every measure stand on
ITS own merits, and do not delay this bill
that another may be first passed. Either
the debtors for public lands are, from
the situation of the country, entitled to
relief, or they are not. If they are,
they ought not to be dcbarred from it by
! considerations connected with another
l"hiil. What was now the situation of the
country where the money was due
During the last session of Congress the
Secretary of the Treasury had directed
Certain money to be received in payment
at the several land offices. Such money
had been generally procured by the
debtors. But now, when they had to
pay 1t, scarcely any other money would
De received at the land offices but the
paper OF the Bank of the United States.
But, it appeared to him, gentlemen
meant to hold this bill in serrorem, to
induce those who were opposed to
change in the mode of disposing of the
pubic lands, to vote for that measure
tor he had always understood there was
no objection to the present bill on its
own merits. To the other there was
strong objection, and he expressed some
doubts of its passage.
Mr.. King, of New-York, expressed
the opinion, that. before the Senate went