Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-03-21

the committee on public lands, to the
bill originally introduced by Mr.. John
son of Louisiana was the matter first
under consideration.
Some conversation took place be-
tween Messrs. Smith, Brown, Williams
Of Miss. and Johnson of Lou. on a wish
expressed by the first named gentleman
to postpone the bill for few days for
the purpose of allowing time to act on a
memorial from certain persons claiming
land in West Florida under British
grants, to adjust which it might be pro-
per to incorporate provisions in the
present bill. Being satisfied, however
bv the explanations of the friends of the
bill, that there was no necessary con-
nection between the present bill and
the claims referred to by Mr.. S. he
waved his motion to postpone the bill.
| Mr.. King of N. Y. renewed the mo-
ton to defer the consideration of the
bill. He wished day or two to exa-
mine the provisions of the bill, which
were numerous, and which proposed to
adjust claims of immense magnitude ::
he adverted briefly to the nature of
these claims, to sbew that it might ap-
pear, on investigation, to be expedent
| to devise some different mode of obtain.
ing and authenticating evidence in the
cases, and of providing some tribunal
for the final settlement of the claims,
different from Congress. which he con-
ceived not the best constituted tribunal
for the adjudication of questions such
as those involved in the defnitiye set
Element of these land titles.
Mr.. Brown re, lied, and went some
| What into the merits of the bill nd ma
ture of the claims to be adjusted, to OBJ
viate the objections OF Mr.. X. He did
not, however, object to a short post
ponement of the bill. if desired for fur
! Their examination and
The bill was postponed to Friday.
The military appropriation bill was
received from the other House, and
read.
The bill for the relief Sf Vincent
Grant to indemnify him for the loss
of house destroyed by the enemy on
the Niagara frontier. in the late war,
on account, as was alledged of It's occu-
patton as a depot of Naval stores, &c.
for the United States service, was ia
ken up.
Some time was spent on this bill, In
which Mr.. Wilson stated the grounds
on which the committee Of claims mace
up their report and in the inyestiga
ton of the facts set forth, Mr.. Burrill
and Mr.. Smith entered; the latter gen
tleman particularly spoke at some length
in examining this case, to snew the ne
cessity of great caution in deciding ia
vorably on such claims.
On the question OF ordering the bill
to be eDgrossed for third reading, 1t
was Decided in the negative, without
/ division, and the bill of course re.
jected.
The Senate then resumed the consi-
deration of the bill fyr the relief of
John II. Piatt, providing for the equi-
table adjustment Of his claims against
the government for supplying fhe north
western army in the late wary
The amount which tie bill would al
nit to the credit Of the petitioner, is
very considerable, and the Senate were
occupied until after o'clock in a very
cose and laborious Investigation of the
facts of the case, and the multifarious
circumstances and voluminuus doCu-
ments connected with it. Messrs.
Wilson, Johnson of KY. Lowrie, Lo-
gan, Ruggles, Trimble, Lanman,
Lloyd, Otis, Burrill, Van Dyke, and
MorrIl, entered largely into the exam-
nation of the subjecl, but the Senate
had not decided on it when "a motion,
by MIR. Lowrie to recommit the bill to
the committee of claims for a report on
the case in detail being under conside-
ration
The Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,