Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-01-22
SATURDAY, DEC. ID.

hO may oo al PoooSS'AO' "a "a sAi
ject.
SATURDAY, DEC. ID.
On motion ofMr. Whtman, it was
| Resolved, That the Secretary Of Wal
be directed to report to this House
statement of the expense of furnishing
the Army of the United States with IA
tons for the term of one year, ending or
the l4th of. April, 1918, exhibiting the
average cost per ration, and also of the
expense Of furnishing the Army With IA
tons exhibiting also the average cost
per ration, for the term of one year, un-
der the provisions Of the law, passed on
the l4th of April, 1918, entitled Gan
act to regulate the Staff of the Army
On motion of Mr.. Ross, Of Ohio, it
\ was
Resolved, That the committee on
Public Lands be instructed to inquire
into the expedienoy of providing oy law
for the future sale Of public lands in
half quarter sections; and of the pro-
priety ofreducing the present price.
On motion of Mr.. Robertson, of KY.
1t was
Resolved, That the committee on Pun
lie Lands be, and they are hereby, IN
structed to inquire into the expediency
of so altering the laws regulating the
sales of the vacant lands of the United
States, that from and after the -
day of -, no credit shall be given
thereon, and less quantity may be
purchased. and at less price, than is
authorized by the existing laws.
On motion of Mr.. Woodbridge, twas
Resolved, That the committee on
Public Lands be instructed to inquire
into the expediency of providing by law
for the final adjustment of the ancient
titles to land within the territory ofMi-
chigan.
MONDAY, DEC. 90.
A message was received from the
President of the United States, stating
the Interpretation he had given to the act
Fof last session for prohibiting the Slave
Trade. As the act authorizes the sci
zure of vessels engaged in the Slave
Trade, and ordered all negroes taken on
board such vessels to be removed to
Africa, he had, in pursuance of the act,
determined 10 send,a public ship to the
coast of Africa, with two agents, for the
purpose of experimenting and protect
ing all such Africans as may be thus re-
moved to those coasts. The agents are
to be specially instructed in their duty,
and are to be authorized to select place
or places at which the persons taken un-
der the act may be delivered to them
Shelter and food are, of course, among
the provisions to be made for them
The principal agent is to have a salary
of $500, the other of $1,000.
On the same day message was also
received from the President, communi-
eating information that the journals, acts,
and proceedings of the convention of
1887, which formed the constitution of
the United States, had been printed by
order of congress.
TUESDAY, DEC. 81.
On motion of Mr.. WAitman, it was
RESOLVED, That the committee on Re-
evolutionary Pensions be directed to in
quire as to providing by law for the ap-
plication for pensions, under " An act to
provide for certain persons engaged in
the land and naval service of the United
States in the Revolutionary War;" APP
proved March l8, 1918, by guardian, in
case of the incapacity Of the person enti-
tied thereto.
LOSSES IN THE SEMINOLE WAR,
The house then resolved itself into a
committee of the whole, Mr.. Livermore
in the chair, on the bill to provide for the
payment of property lost, captured, or
destroyed, during the Seminole war.
This bill gave rise to considerable dis
cussion, principally on the expediency of
paying for the loss of horses, for whose
use the riders received from the United
States a compensation at the rate of forty
cents per day. Another question was
incidentally brought into view-the le-
gality of the orders by which they were
called into service.
The result of the business was, that,
at rather late hour, the bill was report
ed from the committee of the whole to
the house; when
A motion was made by Mr.. Storrs, to
postpone the bill indefinitely, on the
ground that the principle Of the bill was
incorrect, and not the less so because of
there being precedent for it.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. %.
The house recommended the conside-