Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-04-16


der e0nsd, raonI mean the act OF Congress, sed
the IL OF May, 1920 Tor the adjustment OF the land
elsims in Louisiana The ect declares that any per-
persens, claiming lands within that part OF Lou
iana lying ives, VI the Mississippi river, Including he
Island d New Orleans, iouud.d upon Span sh grants,
order OF survey, aud whose Claims have
no' been re'oiofe filed IN The proper tihee, may,
from AID aitet the hs dey o. jay Xt AID until the
Sis cay o December th,resf e.. deliver rot ia
whiting, and the written evidence OF b' Il claims TO
the Re-, L r OF the land district, within wh CHI such
lands may be situaed, within hs same S'a'e aud said
notices and .vdences 20 lar as they may be presented
"ihin the time limited by this ac', shall be By the
said RI ser recorded in books TO be kept tr that pur
pose, Tor wi ch service ccmpe OsatiCn shai be ce
we'd from sCch c'amau :, at the rate OF 20 Gems Tor
every huDdTt wcrts-abd the rights OF such persous
who shall taii neglect doing, wthu he m H.
united bJ this act shall be, 80 la as they ate derived
ro", OF, iododed Oh any &C, oi Congress, be forever
hereafter barred, and become void and the evidence
OF ia, claims after, admitted as evidence in any
court II he United Safes
The enate will perceive that Ills law is more OBJ
noxious TO tie genlemaus Obj ttons, than the law
der con'idCIa,iI; HE act only iorfis the laLd
the nqueni for falling to pay the ju,uy due
he GIVE nEer but the statute oil COngres, De, ares
TIE Spanish gran concessions, or orders of survey
absolutely forfeited Tor ,he iaiu enter their ev-
dence OF lille within ven time, with the re ss;er OF
hs land d'-t let, With. which such lard may be stu
a,td, and the oject Of this statute was the same
he enc und consideration, that is tie The dpui-
ed lend lilies Of the country. IL will be pereeiv ed ty
he Senate, h,t lie act of Congress only declares
nat the patent evidence OF tile, sta never be per-
United 10 be civ IN evidence in any Of the Gu Is Of
the United States; but goes further and mskes void
The gram. appeal TO every n,lsman in ihs body
IL This ~ not much stronger case than the
under GeratioD? What dCes the seventeenth sc
ton OF his bill propose to 10: Dies any for
e!ture: Nc, it does no. Does il decl re that II TIE
delirquen tails TO pay bis taxes he hall BE forever
hei eater deprived of the Of bis pain! N, it
doe n' il oaly requires him to ,how that Re has paid
his taxes aud ii his land shIud have been her, t)ore
urned delr que imprC pery by the Sher IT, that IA.
"A tiIe tor hfa and he y
books, psy what was Justly chargeabe, and have the
bene OF his paen'. Yes, sir, give il in evidence 10
any Court OF record, where any controversy may be
pei dog, touching the title Il the same, and Tor my
soul, Mr.. Speaker, cannot the u eat inquiiy ia At
pres n Itself to the minis OF ohtr gentlemen in Te.a
ton to this section; but GLk much good that is
to flow from H. ,hiik it will go very far towards
settling the Western land titles. That clause, Connect
ed with The statute Of limitations, pa sed during the
present session, IL, to my mind, worth all the rect Of
the bill No man can hereafter give his ioisited pa
tent 10 evidence, to tUrn u Industrious occupan, out
OF his Lar'-sar ell labor The Spectator will haye
more 10 thihk about than he Ind heretofore. The frs,
thing he had TO do BET re, TO see how many liz lie
pldnai NJ there within he bounds Of his survey,
and how much ho.e improve Inents worth; and
II he thought them lisci worth turning his atlen
ton To, he would bring his acton. But i, is now,
he will have come hrg else TO do besides riiIng
over his land to count his tenants; he must the
Allegheny Mountains, and he Blue Ridge too; and
make his way o tie City OF Richmond, aud pay some
wo or three th'usaud dollars into the State Treasury.
ms VIII cneCk the mead way o. the and-lObber.
will OF be convenient for i'm at all times to pay up
the srrears O taxes. There ara many suits brought,
Mr.. Speaker for other purpose than TO Brighten the
ignorant occupant, and thus q / i'm from hi, humble
home. Yes, cir, bought Tor Gains hat were wholly
made IN the camp, aud never chsiu sire ched or
snsle tree marked; and many ignorant, industrious cit
IL ms have ia'u victims 10 less worthy class OF the
community This will not only put stop 10 his IN
holy Of conduct, but il will also repenish the
Treasury of the Commonwealth Yes, sir, since ibis
law has been in progress there has already
hundreds OF dollars into the treasury This is The hon.
est and poor mans law It is designed to be protee-
lion thrown around thtr righs-an ample shield. be.
bind WI ich, they may stand secure, aud defend them
selves against the rude attack of he merciess specu
later. But the wort gentleman seems TO tn AK that
this law l. made to favor the lawyers. How ii is pos
hle for any 10 imagine that this law ia calculated
yers had called to m Ike law favorable to their
iie e, this would have been lhe last act that would
have entered into my mind for, agreeable my poor
judgment oil the matter, il Is death blow to the law
yer. Ii 10 evident 10 every man, that il is net 10 The
interests Of the lawyer, to settle the aGd tiles OF the
West. Does il not at diminish his practice? Yes,
II does, Mr Speaker; and that the most profitable prsc
tice that be has in the Courts. Very frequently he
brings suit for land the amount of some hundreds
some Thousands Of dollars and il he gains the suit,
he has half the PR fits other large cond-
uonal iee Who does not see that the lawyers Of the
esiern country receive copous crop OF fees from
the land suits OF the country? and if TO op off all their
fees, will be advantage to The lawyers, then sir,
this law viii be in their favor, aud not till them
Therefore, hunbly trust that this law Will not be
brought under the maedicion and OF that evil
genius that is or demoshng lawyers that il may be
regarded as the peoples law and not the lawyers law
The worthy gentleman made effort TO enlist the
passions OF the Senate in favor Of the nonresident
lDqu-nt land holder, ty asking. WHY was lhs high
hal d-d measure resortsd 10? Was il becaue he was
aiar of: These words he frequently repeated with
great emphasis. To ihe-e expressions We responded
ye' and re-schj Shat is The reason; he is too far
off nov, and ever has been. When the Govefnmen,
called upon him for aid he far of; he kept
himself at an immeLse distance from the treasury =
When the Government was involved in war, he
al his post, ready 10 defend der right: No. AIr
ii eak r., stood alar of; AMI is his be placed
on an equal footing eith the actual settler Of The coun-
try? the sinew and nerve Of he Governments these
men lhet have at all inns contributed to he support
and in The time OF @a!; ready to spend their blood aud
treasure in her defence No, Mo. Speaker, if either
Of these is to be the object of government favor
surely, surely, ii must be The actual seer who by
bis industry, has reclaimed The forest from sla'e Of
nature, and made valuable Improvements 10 the coun.
ry; that individual who stands identified with The
best Interests OF the Government. Yes, sir, the Co
vernmen is urged by every consideration tina, manly
and noble, TO extend the favor 10 The actual settler
holding under grants from the Commcnwe alth as their
claim is founded in justice and pleads in mel ing tones
OF sympathy TO this body for relief.
But II s thought to be direct attack upon The liter
ay urd, that these lands should bs sod out fr the
benefit of that fund. Does Ioi The Senate perceive
that II will be impossible for the literary fund ever 10
realize any thing from these claims! Suppose for ex
ample that these lands were set up at the highest bid
der, what would they bring? Who would risk his
mtney in that way? Who would encounter the diff
cues OF establishing those claims and ing u az inst
the actual settlers upon the land. Hupdreds and ,hou.
sands OF acres would be cried off for a mere cong and