Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-01-20
Uo.N 1MhoSAO.<aA..
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
TueSdaH, December 3.

Mr.. Cook, oil Illinois, Offered the fol-
lowing I. sotu Ion ior consideration:
ResokUed, That a committee be APP
pointed 10 inquire into the expe dieuCy ol
reporting d biilto provide Tor the appoint
uient Oh "a Bard OF Commissioners 10 ex-
anime and adjust all claims 10 land by IN
dlviduals against The Z. States, where
such claims depend on Ii les detlv,d
either from any law oflhe United 5 a,es,
or acl OF an, foreign governments, and
VIII, have been granted To The United
States by virtue OF any treaty or conn
pa, Win such foreign governments.
In offering tins resolution,
Mr.. Cook, SAID thai something more
than feur Years experience III tut House
had led him to lie conclusion, thal much
OF the nne oil The House might be saved
by the establishment oi d tribunal OF the
OF toe money oi The people, too, the ex
pendlture OF Which is caused b, the pro-
| tractet sessions of CanSress. 1t had
long been desirable object To take
from Tons House great portion OF the
labor @nIt n grows out Ut he invesn-
lsaiIop OF these clalns. II vas IN
possible, indeed, from the nature oil
| things that the House could Thoroughly
| understand and correctly decide upon
he vast number OF claims which are
continually presented tor their consl-
deration. HIS object, then, was, thai
some plan should be presented to The
House, the details OF which might be-
come subject of consideration alter the
1isl was reported. He adverted 70 the
fact, that more than million OF acres
of land are reserved from sale tor the
purpose of satisfying such claims as
should be found admissible, which
clains have been kept III suspense, some
Of them for nearly q larttr o. IA century,
and all ct them too long. lnIuslce was
hus done to the government, by keep
ing up the land from sale, or to the Ia
viduals who CLAIM II by Withholding
rom them their right. A Board OF
Commissioners, IT established, might
Nher pass upon the claims dehnriveiy,
pr collect evidence, and digest and re-
port i, to Congress, with heIr PPM II
herenpon. Mo-, Irs ice would IN tins
manner be done. as well as mufh time
Dc saved. For the last four years il had
been seen that tnanv measure, OF nation
al importance had been entireiy passed
over, tar the want OF time on the Darn of
!ne ii ause 10 acl upon the Il. In const-
luence OF the tiiue occupied by the dis
cmsslon of land c!iins, III Which Mem
i'rs tell, tor heir con ttuents, deep
lnterest, the great sualec nf NanuIac-
'ures, for example, AIMING many others,
Id been tussed asi t. or pertnutcd 0
Siumber on he tables. | was TO endea-
vor 10 provide rcmei, iar tins CRYING
evil, that he md proposed this resolu-
sjon.
Mr.. Font, Of Con. moved 10 lay the
resolution on lhe tabls. Ncgallved, Is
to IS
Mr. Foot said his object in this no.
ton was to avoid discus SION, OF hand, |
on this proposr,np, which, being atTirma-
tive, could not be expected to pass wi:h.
out discussion of the principle which
was involved IN ii.
MIR. Cook said i, was by no means lis
object To invite discussion, or to consume
any considerable portion of the time of
the House. He had offered il from
firm conviction that there was a DISPOSE
ton, on the part Of this House, to res ort
to some plan TO abridge the labor to
which it IS now subjected. The resolu-
teH m II
but that OF the expedienty o. having
plan presented for its consideration,
which was all that the selec, committee
would have to do. 1t was not his wish
to bring on dis ussion now, Of the prin-
cip'e which the plan would invoiye.
Mr. Condict novel to amend the re-
solution so as to inquire into the expe-
dlency of repor IN plan, &c.
M. Cook accented this amendment
as modification of his motion. He
| said II would pro ably answer his par
pose as we'll as hi, orr 5inal motion.
Mr. Wihams, OF North Carolina,
moved TO amend the resolution, so as to
direct the Committee on The Public
Lands, instead ola Select Committee, to
inquire into the subject.
MIR. Cook said he had as much dispo.
silioD as any one to refer % the Standing
Committees of the House the things
which come properly within the sphere
of their duties. But the Committee on
the Public Lands was already over whelm-
ed with business. There were persons
not on any committee, who might be We
ny usefu'ly employed IN the investga-