Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-05-25

presentatircs Of The United Of 1mcrica Congress
ASSEMBLED That so much Of any act, or acts, as antho
the receipt OF evidences Of the public debt III pay
mrnt for the lands Of the United States shall from and
after The hireth day Of prl thousand eight hun
drrf and SIX, be repealed"
The section proceeds with two provlsos, saving the
rights OF persons who had purchased lands, win the
right 10 make the mrn,s therefor IN evidences OF The
public debt prior the passage of the act and holding
oni Inducements 10 those indebted for lands 10 make The
payments IN advance, and in money but III no way al
cCng the repeal above quoted After the 3Uth DAY ot
April lSOG, therefore, with the exception as 10 puT.
chascs shch had been previously made, evidences OF
the public debt OF the u States not medium IN
which payments for the public lands could be made but
the w Of 1900 above referred 10, with this modIiica'
lion, unued 10 be The law regulating these pay Inents
II is:I nc committee have been correct in their con
sruclion Of tina, law, and It's influence upon The curcn
cy medium o! payment, Tor the public lands, t!s mo.
dicaon reduced that currency, mcdium TO "specie
only
No further change is found have been made in the
laws in this respect, until the year cl2 On the 3h
day Of Jane of that year, law passed entitled IAN
ac, 10 authorize the issuing OF Treasury notes The
first clause of the 9th section Of that act is in the follow.
Ing words:
CSC G. ind be further enacted, That The said rca-
sury notes. made ble shall BE- every where
received in payment of all duties and taxes nid by au-
thoy of the u States, and of all public lands sold by
the said authority.
This law added new medium Of payment for the pub
lie lands 10 wit Treasury notes. issued by the Govern
ment itself and for the payment of which, with the ne-
rest thereupon its faith was so!enniy pledged From
this time therefore, the public lands might be PAID Tor IN
either "sptcc Treasury notes. and II was at the OPP
lion Of the purchaser by The law to make his payments
in the one the other medium, as his interest or conYe
n.cncc or pleasure should dictate.
On the 18th of February 1913, another law was pass
ed "to authorize the issuing ol Treasury noes Tor inc
service Of the year thousand eight hundred and
thirteen and on the Ih day of March, lSl1, another
similar law passed " TO authorize the Issuing o!
Treasury notes for the of the year one thousand
eight hundred and fourteen both Of which last men
toned laws contained provision precisely s'nar IN
substance aud in terms to that above quoted IRON Inc
Law Of 1872
On the 3lat day Of March 1914, an act was passed,
entitled An act providing for the indemnsttcalIon oil
certain claimants of public lands in the Mississippi Ter
ri,orv" By this the President of the United States
was directed 10 be issued, from the treasury
certificates Of stock 10 certain claimants to lands uncef
'the Upper Mississippi Company, under "lhe lenhes'
see Company" under "the Georgia Mississippi Com
pany," under the Georgia Company, and under
Citizens rights 50 called, for amounts aud upon con.
dlions prescribed in the act and The iouri sec'oh OF
tie act is in The following words:
"SEc j. ind be ii further enacted, Th1t The SAID GER
rfca,es of stock shall be receivable IN payment OF inc
public lands to be sold after the date q sue" certificates;
in The Mississippi Terilory Prordtd, That on every
hundred dollars 10 be paid for such lands ninety hive
dollars shall be receivable in sdch certificates and hVe
dollars in cash Pr0riGed, That no person or persons
making pavmcn for lands certificates authorized TO he
issued bv this act shall he entitled 10 The discount for
nromp, nj now allowed by law 10 purchasers OF
public lands 80
Here was a new medium Of payment for public lands
in the Mississippi Territory, which authorized puIchas'
es of lands from the S, there subject TO the nta-
tons Of the ac to make payment either IN Specie or
in "Treasury notes. in those cerir!catcs OF stock,
subsequently more familary known s'MissssiPp land
scrip In relation 10 all the public lands, other than
n. .; saHt
currency, or medium, in which payments were TO be
made was left unchanged ard continued to be regulated
by the laws before referred 10, and 10 be specie, or
"Treasury notes. w
By an act. passed the Goth day Of December 1911,
entitled IAN act supplemental to the acts authorizing
loan for the several sums of twenty-five millions OF do"
lars and three millions OF dolars further emission OF
Treasury notes authorized to the amount OF ten and
half millions OF dollars, and the following IS copy oi
the first clause Of the third section oi The acl:
"SEc. 3 9nd be Guriher enactcd, That The Treasury
notes TO be issued by virtue of this act shall h. prepared
signed and issued in the like form and MANNER shall
be reibursabc at the same places, and IN the IKE Pc
RODS shall bear the rate of interest; shall, III The
like manner be transferable and shall be equally receiva
b in payments The United States for taxes, duties,
and sales Of the public lands as the Treasury notes ls
sued by virtue al the act of Congress, entitled AN act
10 authorize the issuing OF r"asuy notes Tor Tue service
o.! the wear one thousand eight hundred and fourteen,
passed on the fourth day OF March, 10 The year a'ore
said
On the 2lh day Of February, ISIS further act was
passed entitled IAN act TO authorize The issuing %
Treasury notes for the service Of the year one tousanc
eirh, hundred and fifteen, the first clause OF The sxh
section of which is in the words following:
"SEC g. 7ad be further enacted, That The treasury
notes authorized be- issued by this act shall be every
where receivable in all payments 10 the United States
Neither of the two last mentioned acts made any
change in the character Of the currency or medium ni
payment authorized by law 10 be received for The pubic
lands nj The time Of their passage but merely ADDED 10
the quantity of that medium which rested upon The iah
and credi, of The Government. Sill, therefore. "sPe'
ca" and .Trcasury notes receivable tor all lands
wherever situated and '.specie "Tteasury notes. and
Mississippi land scrip for that portion of the pubic
lands situate within the Mississippi Territory
This brings the examination, IN point oi tine, up 10
Tho charter Of the second Bank Of the United States IN
1876 and it may be proper here to remark that IN case
the committee have been mistaken as to Tie i"rce ell
feet and true construction OF the act OF Inc lOh oil Way
1900 aud that did not exclude the bills and notes {"
the old Bank Of the United States from being legal
medium for The paymen, for lands STILL inasmuch as the
cb,ra- ,r that bank expired on the Sd day Vi March,
1911 by its own limitation, and as the 10Th section oil
the charter which made lis bills and notes recelVah!e
for any description Of public dues, was repeae" on 'e
10Th day of March, 1872 by an act OF Congress passed
for hat sole rurnose it will he that this difference
Of construction of The act of 1900, if admitted Will only
affec. the currency, medium, in which the pubic
lands might be paid for, up 10 the sd OF March, or
at most up 10 the 10Th Of March 1872 when that bank
had ceased to exist bank and It's bills ana no'es 10
he receivable by law for any portion of the public dues
AT the period of time Of which the committee now
sneak therefore the currency media, made receiva-
bic BY law in payment for the public lands was as last
above enumerated.
The act to charter the late Bank Of the United states
was passed on the 10Th day Of April, 1916 ana the i4'h
section of that charter made the bills and notes OF the
bank payable on demand, receivable in all payments 10
the u States "uness oercise directed by act o. Con-
qress" This added 10 The currency receivable by law
in payment for the public lands new medium, 10 VII
the bills notes. payable on demand OF the late banS
Of the United States.
The Joint resolution Of 1876 followed but twenty days
behind the bank charter il having been passed. ana met
the approval of the President on the 3Olh DAY OF hp'
1916 That resolution required and directed The Score;
tary Of the Treasury to adopt such measures as ne
deem necessary to cause as soon as mgh' De- a..
ac hacnmin1 due 10 the u