Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-27

purchase at the public sale of the government,
or did you purchase from the company OF spe
culators?
Answer-I did attend the sale for the purpose
of purchasing for actual settlement ana cuiti-
vaton, and purchased from, or rather tnfough
their agents or bidders of company OF spe-
culators.
Question-Had you selected for the purchase
any particular tract of landl
ARsper-l had.
Question-Why did you prefer purchasing
from or through one of the agents of the COM
pany Of spectators, to bidding for it yourself at
public sale2
AnsweY-I was stranger in the country, and
this being the first sale had ever attended there
was entirely ignorant of the customs and pro-
ceedings at the sales of the public lands
QweStion-What were the circumstances
which induced you to purchase, through the
agent of the company2
Ansper-In bidding for the land which had
selected, before the SALE / found il run on me,
and knocked off to myself and son. at between
four and five dollars per acre; whereas Iobserv-
ed that the company generally obtained their
lands at 81 20 cents per acre, and with but very
few exceptions, no person bid against them;
was therefore induced TO forfeit the land thus
charged to myself and son, to be resoid. TWAS
then purchased by the agent OF the company OF
SPECTATORS at price not exceeding 81 81, who
Immediately sold it to me at one dollar advance
took, of course, the Receivers receipt to said
agent, with the Registers receipt upon the back
oft, for the transfer of the same to me.
QueStion-Who were the bidders or agents of
the company for purchasing at the public sales,
how many of them were there, and where did
they reside?
Ansper-I think there were five, if not six per-
sons, who We're considered by the people at large
as bidders or agents for the companies ofspecu-
lators ! cannot now remember the names or
residence of more than four of them there were
Robert j. Walker, of Natchez, Miss; --- FL
lis, of Louisiana; and Malcolm Gilchrist, of Ala
bama, and MCLamore, OF Tennessee
QueSiion-Who was the person whom you say
addressed the meeting and told them Of the
combination OF the spectators, and what was
the name of the agent from whom you purchaS-
ed your land2
AnSWer-The man who addressed the people
was Robert ]. Walker, the same from whom
purchased the land.
Question-Whe were Register and Receiver
at Coocchuma land Office; were they present at
the sale, and informed or had knowledge of the
existence Of such combinations of spectators
and their object and did they interpose in their
official character, or otherwise, to prevent the
accomplishment ofthe purchases for which they
had contracted?
Ansper-Samuel Gwinn, who was Register,
and Richard H. Sterling, who was Receiver, Gas
will appear from the receipts for the land which
purchaSed) were both present when Robert ).
Walker addressed the people on the subject OF
the combination and intention, and | neither
saw nor heard of any interference on their part,
either by word or deed
Questionable you see OF know of any con-
duct on the part of either the Register or Re-
ceiver, which would justify you in the belief
that they were concerned in the said specula-
tons.
.4asrer-I heard the Register Samuel Gwinn
say exultngly, and with snap OF his hnger, to
some persons who were near him, when GER
tain portion of the public lands were bought by
one of the agents of the company, "that land
will bring us ten dollars per acre"
Questionable you know if the Register or
Receiver Of the Office, has ever demanded of
the purchaser, fees II compensation, for the per-
formance of their official duties, not author
lied by law?
Answer-I paid the Register one dollar for
every separate transfer of eighty acres from
the said Robert J. Walker to myself / am ig-
norant if he were justifable or not in taking
that fee.
Question.-Who acted as auctioneer and
was he considered as one Of the company Of
the spectators, or was he in any manner con-
nected with them?
Ansper-Col Rather, OF Alabama, generally
acted as crier. He himself told me, that he had
constantly been in the woods, for the last six
weeks examining the lands, and taking num-
company of spectators.
Questien.-Did the actual settlers who attend
ed the sales, and bid for the tracts OF land on
which they We're settled independent OF the
company in single instance, obtain their lands
at government prices, and were not most OF
those settlers driven to the necessity of pur-
chasing by permission Of the companies of
spectators, and each limited to one quarter
section before such permission was granted.
Answer-I know of no instance of person
purchasing. independent of the companies who
obtained the land purchased at one dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre. do know several
instances where the purchaser was bid upto six
dollars per acre. Most of the actual settlers
obtained their lands through the companies, or
by their permission, and consented to limit their
purchases to one quarter section, each, as
condition on which the permission to purchase
at Government price was granted by the CON-
pany of Spectators
Question-Were there any lands sold at
higher price than one dollar and twenty five
cents per acre, and again offered at public sale
AZ 40 hut n off cnnarintpn1inG