Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1835-01-10

I'd and deeaed guilty q Pe1u-
eoovicaion thereof be punish
cases Of wilful and corrupt
ned to amend the bill by
- rs wouds N Italics and in
IaouG - swiag ~ lieu thereof
49, ~ hereby made the duty or
- Receivers Of the Land
- Uoiaed States to administeS
ooekO and 20 Gil up all such afidav1
IIao shnu - furnished to such Register or
1Gsceivsr from the proper department in
lrhe form Of printed blanks) ~ shall, or
may Be necessary or required BY law 10
the entry or purchase Of the public lands,
without compensation"
Mr.. MCCARTHY said, he was opposed
to the amendment offered by his colleague,
itMr. Lanc.) He considered it would be
unjust aud Liberal on the part Of the Gov
|ernment to require its public officers to
perform these additional duties without
compensation. He said he was in favor
Of the passage Of the bill, for it contained
provisions that would relieve the Purchas-
lers Of the lands in many districts from
much trouble; instead Of being under the
nscessseeof hunting up q judicial officer
to draw up the necessary affidavits and
administer the oashs required by the exis-
ting laws, as is now the case, this bill con-
templates the performance Of this duty
where IT should be, at the registers Office
where the entry is made; he was, there
fore, for the bill. He thought it ought to
lbe amended, but that the amendment un-
der consideration was Objectionable. Mr..
Nice. said, he considered it improper to
require either the payment Of this add'-
tional expense by the purchasers Of pub
lie lands, or the performance Of the duties
without compensation. 1t was the act Of
the Government that made it requisite
that these affidavits should be taken; they
should therefore pay the expense. He
hoped the amendment under consideration
would not be adopted, and concluded by
asking the reading Of an amendment
which he sent to the Chair, providing fos
the payment ofthese additional services by
the Government; which, if in order, he
/ would offer when the amendment then be.
fore the House was disposed Of.
Mr.. LANE was opposed to the amend
ment Of his colleague. 1t would greatly
increase the salaries Of these officers, who
already received almost the best pay nm
der the Government. They were Offices
which were eagerly sought after, and te.
lnaciously held on to, under the present
4 compensation. Those officers arc now
paid salary Of $500, and ono per cent
lon the amount Of purchase money receiv
: ed by them for public lands. They are
also furnished stationary. Many Of them
receive from $3.50 to $1,000 per asnum
. land if - nendmest Of bis colleague
slprsvailn - Of them receive 1t less
- oU~ 81 the whole q shen
fwos3 d9o - il greatly incseaset
|compensaUo6. BY his own amendment
| he proposed that neither the purchaser
nor the Government should pay ths fee'
flor administering the necessary oaths
lbut that the duty should be performed
without fee by those who already receiv,
. l.ho most ample salary.
M. McCarty replied, that the reason
ftaEged BY his colleage in support Of his a
mendnent was, in his estimation, strons
reason why il should not pass. 1t is urget
!. jsaid Mr.. Nice, that If the officers who ART
required to perform these extra duties
should be paid by the Government for tn
) labor performed, it would increase :hei
, salary some one or two thousand dollar
per annum, and that this would be to-
/, great deduction from the proceeds o
D the land sales for the Government to tOIer
ate. lfthis be true, which isdenied, wha
kind of principle do you establish Why
by the doctrine Of the gentleman, yo,
impose duty upon your public agents
W 'r,h, in justice and good faith, $1,000 o
$4,000 per annum; but because he IS wei
paid for performing other duties which
e you have required at his hands by pre-
E vious laws, you will pay him nothing
T though it may be necessary, in order 4
perform this duty, to pay away for clerl
hire half has salary. This, Mr.. Speaker
: has not been the principle upon which
thls Government has ever acted; but
. differ, said Mr.. Nice, very much from tn
statement Of the gentleman in reference
= to tho extent of this increase of salary b,
. the payment Of the extra duties. Ihav
3 had something to do with this kind Of eel
sfvice myself, and l will vesaufe TO say
that the compensation for these extra du
= s;o~ INV the q llowa nco of the ordinary fees