Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-02-26

far az to be able to dispose Of it. as it
stood at prescott, they wste compelled to
remain upon the Land, OF to forfeit
their title. He was, therefore, opPos'
cd to discharg,ng tho Commitsee,
The bill to authorize the opening and
LAYING out Of certain roads in the terr''
tory Of Florida. and the bill for the res
lief Of james Johnson, were severaily
read tho third time, and passed.
The report of the Committee on the
Judiciary, unfa vorable TO the petition
Of Ebene ger Oliver and others, OF Bo'.
ton. was taken up for consideration. Mr..
Wand ke in tho chair. These petition.
ers. a. Directors of the New England
Mississippi Land Company, claim in.
demnity for ,ract of land belonging
to them. which Indemnity, to the ..
mount of about $50 900 was awarded
to another company. by an error OF the
commissioners appointed under the act
of Sd March, 1924, to adjust and DE-
termine upon the Georga land claims,
(commonly called the Yazoo cla'ms:)
a considerable part of the money having
since come into the hands of the United
States, to whom proportion OF the
claim Of the latter csmpsny belonged.
This error, on the part OF the COM
rnissioners, lis u ow n acknowledged one;
they having decided that, as the end0rs'
ed notes of hand, which were given In
payment for said tract Of land, had not
been paid, the holders Of those notes re-
tanned lien upon the land as security.
The petitioners also. claim that, If It
should not appear proper to the govern
,nent to give them the indemnity which
they lost by an error on the part OF the
commissioners, their releases may be
given up, and they be reinstated in the
title which they held previous to the
appointment Of the commissioners; as
the act of Congress expressly provides
that the release, which the petitioners
gave to the governments, was not to
take effect until indemnity was made.
Mr.. Mills moved to reverse the re.
port Of the committee. He spoke, al
considerable length, in support OF the
Justice and equity Of this claim.
Mr.. Van Buren,, Chairman OF the
Committee ON. the Judiciary, supported
the report. de did not consider
that the government was bound,
in Justice or equity, to allow the claim
now under consideration. lie believed
i. would be highly inexpedient and i'm.
politics to silow it; and went into o
history of the origin OF the claim. to
support his opinion. As tho commits
sioners were appointed to decide tSnally
upon all the conflicting claims of this
kind. according to the best OF the light
and knowledge which they possessed !;
and. az this was an error in judgment
u pom law merely, he thought their pro-
ceedings could not be opened by Con.
grsss for the correction of errors. lie
resisted the claim of the petitioners to
be reinstated in their former title to the
Iand, on ths ground that the very sp't't
of the law for the appointment OF the
commissioners forbade it, as the grand
object for which that law was passed,
was, to quiet all these conflicting claims.
and relieve the government from them.
Messrs. Holmes, Of Maine, and Ksl-
", advocated tie report of the commit.
tee; and, without deciding upon tho
question,
The Senate adjourned till to morrow.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.