Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-05-09

No amendment having been offered, the COM
mittee rose, and reported the bill to the House;
when it was ordered TO its third reading to-mor-
row.
On motion of Mr.. vin,on, the House then re-
solved itself into committee of the whole, Mr..
I.etcher in the Chair, on the bill supplementary
to an act, entitled act for The relief of Daniel
Sew ard" and the bill providing for the relin-
punishment of certain lands sold by the u States in
Ohio
The reports OF committees in these cases were
read; whereupon, the committee and reported
both bills to the House
The first of them was ordered TO third read
ing; and on the second protracted debate arose,
which occupied the House till three O'Clock; in
which it was opposed by Messrs. Cooke, OF Tenn.
Ingham, of Penn. Thompson. OF Ohio, Forsyth, of
Georgia, and McDuhe, of s. Carolina, and adj
vocated by Messrs. Vinion, Vance, Wright, and
Whttlesey, of Ohio, Mccoy, and Powell, of
Virginia, Whipple, oil n, Hampshire, and " ebster,
of Mass.
The nature of the bill we had occasion TO state
very fully in the reports of last session 1t arose
out OF the following circumstances When the
State of Virginia ceied TO the United States that
tract of land which includes the State OF Ohio
virginia reserved so much land should be re-
qusite to make provision for her militia The
land thus reserved, had the Ohio for its Southern
boundary, the Miami and the Scioto for lis East.
ern and Western boundary, and tor its Northern
line running directly from the of the Mi ,m
10 the source of the Scoto. When this line came
| to be run, part of it entered within the Indian
tract, and the surveyors had arrived a,
the Indian boundary, they were prevented from
proceeding to complete the line. But i,s drec-
ton, 50 lar as II went, was supposed TO lead d-
rectly from the source of the Miami, where it
started, towards the of the Scioio where il
| terminates. The Indian lands subsequently, fell in
| a.. f. =
animation being ma lie, a second line run
starting the point with the former and lead
ing to the source OF the Ssioto, which latter
| source was found to be much farther West than
| had at first been supposed This left gore OF
land between the false line as at first run aad the
true line of boundary. But, in the mean while,
the Government, supposing the false line 10 lie the
true one, had sold out this gore, and given title
the settlers. When the mistake was di.cov cred
the claimants, under Virginia military land war
rants, demanded this land and proceeded 10 sue for
its recovery. The settlers, thus endangered APP
piled 10 the United States, either TO have their IL
tie confirmed, by paying the Virginia claimants, or
TO have the value OF their land AMI improvements
! If the land must be given up. The present bill
proposes to pay the Virginia claimants in mo
ney, and TO Confirm the title of the settlers on tho
gore.
THE lands in question are some of the richest
in Ohio, and thickly settled by persons in
moderate circumstances. tbeie Is village the
tract, and valuable merchant mills on another part
of ii.
The sum appropriated is 363 600, being the
amount of an appraisement made by the United
States Commissioned. at the rate of five dol.
lars an acre for the land, (wthout the improve
ments.l
The bill objected to, on the ground that thi.
estimate was much too high, that the sum was
more than could be recovered the United States
had received but about two dollars an acre for thu
land from the settlers who bought il, aud that the
boundarylne still unsettled, SUIT being low
pending in the Courts oil Ohio which involved thai
question.
To this it was replied, that the casetyas one o.
plain common sense, and ordinary justice; that the
estimate was not above The real value of The land
which was of great richness and fertility; that the
: sum wasnot larger than the purchase money
with interest, from the time of sale; that the las
! line had been declared 10 be the true boundary
by decision OF the Supreme Court Of the United
States; and that, however the question might b.
settled in the courts below, this decision must hi.
mately prevail; that delay would only increase IN,
, interest; and that, well the Virginia claim
ants, the Ohio settlers, would be content will
: such settlement as the bill proposed.
Q The question being then taken, the bill! was or
|, Gered 10 third reading.
5 And then the House adjourned Nat. Int