Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-01-11

better claim; 0t
destroyed certificates or ,csp; ALTO to change the maxi
mum quantity OF land allowed 10 De app opriacu oy
he sail act supply tho claims embraced by tho said
act; lastly. to make such a,r'tons "'hs sad eon'ni''
lee usy con | Ter just and equitable.
II was the suggestion oil DIR. Haynes. postponed
PUBLIC LANDS.
Mr.. viuton offered aud amendment to the bill for
graduating the price OF tho public ands and moved its
printing, which was agreed to.
The following communication from the President Of
the United States. was presented by tbs SIP .aker;
To the House Of Representatives:
10 compliance With the resolution OF the House OF
Representatives OF the l7ih OF December last, calling
tor information the subj OF internal improvement
submit herewith report from the Secretary OF War
ANDREW JACKSON.
On motion Of Mr. Mercer il was laid upon tbs table
and. together with the accompanying doeumsn''' oruer
INDIAN TREATIES
The hill making appropriation for carrying into effect
certain Indian ire a,iss al third Tins and passed
THE CENSUS.
The act 10 amend the act for king the MIN census'
was read third time and passed
SALE OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The bill iom the Sen .te supplementary to the seve-
raj laws for the sals Of public lands was read twice
and motion OF Mr.. Clay, referred to the Committee
on Public Lands.
ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL.
The bill authorizing change in the disposal OF land
granted for the Illinois and Michigan canal, was then
taken Mp.
Mr. Irwin Of Ohio, offered the following embodiment.
Aud crowded, also, that said State shall in every
instance Of the application Of scrip, apply equal sum
OF money from its funds or from funds raised by
ito authority, to the construction OF said canal OF
which fact the Secretary of the Treasury of the United
States shall be satisfied, before new issue OF script
under the provisions Of this act"
Mr.. Irwin ssid il would be perceived by the bill,
that before The State OF Illinois could avail itself Of the
proposed TO be extended TO II by that act the
State apply their money to the purposes OF the
construction oil the canal He had submitted bis a.
nendment with a view to disinvolvs the subject from
the difficulties with which II seemed to he cucumber
ed. met, he understood with the appreciation OF the
gentleman from Virginia, who had spoken during the
discussion of the bill on the preceding day; and IL re-
moved the Of jections Of his colleague from Ois, (r
Vntsn)
The anne niment wa, then adopted by the House
MIR. Mccoy aid he had, on yesterday, ven,ured 10
put forth few Suggestions with respect TO this BILL
He regretted to be called upon by sense of pub
lie duty, again TO troubs the House; but be should
con,en, himself with few words. He viewed the bill
merely in the lii hit OF pioneer who advancing 10
open The way for others he had but little doubt that
should II be passed, the House would soon hava
sion TO discuss and act upon others o; prec.ey SINH
lar description. And where he asked, this end!
The question arose ass whether Illinois had not sold
part Of the land and that part OF the best quality and
wished TO return the remainder upon The u States.
Il they were % sell for thirty days ser tho passing OF
tho act, AMI then throw the refuse Of tho land back to
the COVE rnment at the price at which they sstma
ted the best and ,t fertile tracts, that to be per-
mtei Aud yet they modes ly come forth and a.k
that one dollar aud twenty five cents per acre be Iai
u in lieu Of the lands when the sales had reduced
the price OF refused lands TO rs cents Government
bad coded to the State of Alabama nearly half million
Of Of land for similar and he had been led
10 unde that that State also had sold part Of such
land Indiana had received donation for like pur-
pose; OHIO had been given about niliicn OF acres
Now, he a.ked, were the United Sia'es to take back
iom the States the refuse Of the land. which had bee
coded TO them, al the price at which the best
the average lands were estima'ed' Without meaning
the slightest disresprct to the Safe in question, he
must say that hs did think il too much for Illinois to
ask The United States TO take back, as purchase, the
and which she had coded to hem. The csssion had
bss made-t was received by them; and there was
no one, he would 10 say, who could net see
through the object of the before IN M an the
cons quences which would follow from it's adoption.
His colleague (Mr Mercer had spoken Of the advantage
If giving away money scrip for this canal; but bis
ibeIalty in t,bursing the money for which the pocr
people Of the country were taxed for the construction
Of works Of this description. was we'll known. He |
(Mr McCoy0 had hoped thet they should have pro. |
seeded through this session, without being Pests
Il csc external I Dads and canals.
Hs thought the House would have gone with the |
consider ion OF The claims hcb called upon
heir attention. Claims which all KIN. 10 b. just-and
ams the s.teme mt Of which h I'D been long defer
ed that year after year. the roor aud deserving claim
nts diminishipg in number fe' he observed, he |
lad hoped that for this session. they would have been
eeased ON this everlasting din abo internal i'm
whereas the contrary had been the
Or the House inundated with bills lar roads, canals
nd so
Mr.. Duncan called for the reading If two letters on
ne subect, wtlch would she W. ne observed upon the
ighest authority, the advantages which would result
rom he adoption Of tie measure.
THE letters read by the Clerk They were |
'om Dr. w ard and General Graliot.1
Mr.. Bell expressed himself in favor Of the bill.
Mr.. Barrnger opposed the bill. A system wa. at
york for the purpose Of wrestling all the public lands
rom the General Government; and this measure was a
art Of it, he believed, account OF the peculiar
Ter in which the State of Illinois had advanced her
retensons TO the sovereignty of the lands within her
limits
Mr.. Rencher conceived it to be unre asonable tina,
he State of Illinois should pay all the expenses of this
anal She owns only one-fifth of the land, whereas
he United States is possessed Of four ihs and will
cceive commensurate benefit from that great public
nd national work, when il should be completed and |
ut in operation The General Government would be |
enefted in the highest degree far than ILL |
los by the advance in the price OF landby the great
demand for il, in consequence Of the increased de-
nand los the sale and disposal OF produceand by the
,reat influx of settlers which such advantages would
draw TO that part OF the State II did not
wish go into general discussion the merits OF the
gnal appropriation OF the land for the purposes of this
anal perhaps, he (Mr, r. might not have voted for |
l. He would not debate the question of its propriety
r improperly, but inasmuch as the grant had been
lade and as Government, in his opinion, would realize
ioe advantages from the canal than would accrue 10
he State Of Illinois, he thought that the bill should
ass.
Further; he understood that much Of the land con-
aimed in the grant Of very little value and that
en with respect to the good land many years must
ecessarily eapse from its remote location the sparse.
of the population, and the distance of the settle
nens from each other, before IL could be brought into
or made in any shape the OF profit.
Tut, said Mr.. r. complete the canal and these regions
Iill be populated and the United States will be indem
flied Tor its advances Of money. Illinois would, no
oub, cheerully complete the canal herself, ii she
ould, and retain the lands; but their proceeds will
ave no doubt, amply repay us far any aid we may