Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-01-18

Mir. Uiiliam8, Of n. G. said, he hoped
the House would not pass the bill, con-
il as embracing policy in
furious to the interests of the govern
meut. l. proposed to sell quarter sec
tons at the minimum price for the bene-
fit Of counties. But this privilege gen
tlemcn supposed might not be accepted.
II so, Mr.. w. said, the House was le-
gislaling TO no purpose-giving grants
which would not be accepted~-ofEering
TO confer favors, which from neglect or
design might be rejected by the party in
tended TO be farored. With regard to
the increased value which it was said this
measure was to i've to lands ofthe Unit
ed States, MIR. w said, he had no conf
dencs in the scheme Of giving away with
one hand, to receive increased value in
the other. This land, which it was pro-
posed TO give at the ,ninlmum price,
Nigh, be worth 20 or 80 dollars an acre.
Ii we make grants, said he, le, it be TO
the poor individuals who emigrale to that
country, and who are without the ability
to buy land TO live upon. If we extort
from the hnmblest emigrant the real
value of the land, let us DO the same, at
least, from the counties to which it is
COW proposed to give it.
MIR. Rankin said this privilege was
asked for by the States first embraced in
the bill, because Congress had given it
before to others. Ii the argulent oil 1.-THE
gentleman from North Carolina was act
ed upon, the world would soon come to
an end: the Planter would not trust his
grain TO the ground, because i, was CIV
ing away without knowing Whether any
thing would spring from il TO reCompense
him. Bat the Argument was not just
one: II was certain the location OF a seal
Of justice was an advantage as sure 10 III G
adjacent land as was the advantage to the
farmer OF sowing bis seed. II certain
advantage would result TO the United
Staes from the measure, and no disad-
vantage could flow from it, why not pass
the bill {?
The question was then taken on order
ing The bi,l to be engrossed for third
reading, and he votes were as follows +:
For the third reading 81
Against ii Cd
So the bill was rejected, by MAORI
ty OF three votes.
December d.
LAND OFFICES.
The engrossed bill " for the relief oil
the r gisters and Receivers of Public
Money of the several Land Offices" was
read third time; and the question be-
ing " Shall it pass 7"
Mr.. Taace, OF Ohio, said that the bill
proposed to afford compensation 10 the
Land Officers for services performed
under the relief law. He did not believe
that the additional compensation here
proposed was necessary. Tbey had
comp ia,ned, indeed of the arduous du-
ties they had TO perform under that law,
but he believed they were adequately
compensated for their services. Ii was
subject of common conversation in the
country where the land offices were
situated, that the officers were making
immense fortunes by the exercise OF the
functions devolved on them. Mr.. V.
made several observations 10 illustrate
the sufficiencv OF the compensation al
present allowed 10 the land officers, and
concluded by saying that he had been III
one OF The land Offices for few minutes,
whilst the business under the relief law
was in transaction, and he had seen The
officers receiving money faster than ever
he had before seen money received,
where it was TO be cow er,ed wholly to
the use of the persons who received II.
Mr.. Rankin stated, in behalf oil the
committee which had at the LIST session
reported this bill, that il was bouorned
on information received from the Gene
raj Land Office, ai,l on reqaes, from
the Secretary of the Treasury that some
compensation nigh, be provided for the
extra services Of these Land Olficcrs.--
In addition to which, the committee had
a letter from the Com missioner OF the
General Land Office, describing the adj
dtional duties assigned to the Land Of
ficers under the law extending rsiief 10
the debtors for public lands: and also a
number OF extracts of letters from the
officers themselves, saying that the ma
ture of the business dcvolved on them
was such tina, they could not perform it
for the fees allowed by law, but that, to
save the individuals concerned, and to
prevent the law from bling wholly in
operative, they had progressed in the
business, relying on the just of the
government, for Indemnity for their extra
services.