New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-02


the sum Of half million Of dollars to these four
ceupanie.. This &C. reserved the right 10 c'uzen'
of Georgia TO become interested in these purchases
to the extent Of two millions Of acres on the same
terms az the original members Of the companies
making the purchase; ahd, under an invest CATION
ordered BY the next Legislature, it appeared tu.t
of the members of the preceding Legislature who
voted for the bill, all save one did in fact become
interested in one or more Of the companies.
The case, however, against these members was
in some respects far less flagrant than the recent
proceedings in Wisconsin. The accusation was
limited TO charge of having sold the lands for
an inadequate consideration, and OF participating
themselves in the purchase. What tended to
aggravate the excitement was the great profits
realized by the original spectators, who had pro-
ceeded to sell out at once at a great advance to
individuals and companies in the Middle and
especially the New-England States The real value
Of the lands-considering the Indian membranes
upon them, and the claim of the United States as
against Georgia to that portion Of them south OF
the thirty.third degree Of latitude, which had
been established BY the British as the boundary Of
West Florida-wss greatly exaggerated. The peo-
pie of Georgia considered themselves as being
pluDdered for the benefit of speculstors, and the
next Legislature, without any provision for the ben
eft Of innocent purchasers at second, hand who had
parted with large sums Of money, passed a new
act revokipg the sale as unconstitutional and
void, and directing the repayment to the companies
r. al a. of tha
if called for within eight months, the several
amounts uncalled for at the end of that period 10
be adjudged "derelict and forfeit to the State"
As mesns at once of signalling the public ndig-
nation and of destroying all proofs of the exist
ence of the grant, the act authorizing the
sale was ordered to be burned and all re-
ference to it to be expunged from the
records. This burning was executed with great
ceremony. The two Houses moved in pro-
cession to the appointed spot, preceded by Com
mittee bearing the obnoxious parchments. fire
having been kindled in front of the State House,
the Committee handed the documents to the Presi-
dent of the Senate he to the Speaker Of the House,
he to the Clerk, and the Clerk to the Doorkeeper,
by whore hands they were committed to the
flames.
The new Constitution Of Georgia, adopted in
1898, claimed these same lands as the property of
the citizens, and provided further for the repay
ment out Of the State Treasury of all such sums of
money as had been paid into it under the act of
1894. But the grantees, and especially those pur-
chssers who held under them, were by no means iu-
cned to submit to this arrangement and the com.
pact Of 1902, by which Georgia transferred to the
United States for the sum of 81, 100000, to be
paid out Of the proceeds of the lands, all her title to
the country west of the Chattscoochee, SO far rec
ognized their claims as to provide that not above
five millions of acres Of the coded territory
or their proceeds, might be appropriated
to the satisfaction of any reclamation in re-
laton to these coded lands which might be
approved by Congress. commission composed
of Madison, Gallatin, and LincOln-then Attorney
General-ts whom this subject was referred, IN ade
report in 1903. After going into history Of the
case, they came to the conclusion that, whatever
grounds of invadty there might be as between
Georgia and the original grantees, aud even though
the contracts might not be legally binding as be-
tween Georgia and the present holders yet as tho
holders claimed to stand, and to a certain extent
did stand, in the position of innocent purchasers
without notice, their case seemed to be proper
been already made on the part of the holders of
these grants. They offered to sell out their claims
at the rate of twenty-five cents an acre-amount-
ing in the whole, it was calculated, to g, 0OO,
600, it being, however, part of the PROPOSE
ton that the entire amount paid should not exceed
the sum produced by the five millions Of acre, of
the Mississippi lands which should sell the dearest.
This the Commissioners thought too much. They
suggested instead an offer to the claimants of GER
tifcates, bearing interest, to the amount of
$4,000, 900, or certificates ST twice that
amount without interest, and only payable
out of the first money that should be realized from
the lands after the payment to Georgia had been
completed. Instead of this however, Congress
merely passed act approprstiug the five millions
of acres, with certain deductions for the satsfac'
ton of other claims, to the quoting Of such
of these grants as might be recorded within year
in the State Department, and for which Congress
might see fit to make proTision--the same Commits
sloDers being reappOinted to receive proposals from
the claimants and to submit them to the next Con-
gress.
Before that Congress, the New. England Missis-
sipp Company, successors by purchase to the
Georgia Mississippi Company, one of the four COM
psnies to which the sale of 1895 had been made,
appeared by their agents to solicit settlement
These agents had been judiciousy selected-one
being Gideon Granger, the Postmaster General, the
other Perez Morton one of the leaders in Ms,sa-
chusetts of the marty NOW in nnaseas0n of the Ma