Mr. Boudinot thought the number too large.
Feifons, he observed, who wished to purchase so
large a tract, could afford, and would have 110 ob
jection toconie tothe feat of government to make
the purchase.
Mr. Sedgwick observed that it would be a great
advantage to have the contract for large purcha
ses made under the immediate eye of govern
ment. 'he house, however, he thought was not
prepared to fill up the blank ; lie wished it left
open.
I he motions for filling the blanks were with
drawn.
Mr. Boudhiot proposed that all smaller quail
tities be fold at the subordinate offices —To pre
vent the confufion thdt felling the fame quantity
at the different offices might occasion.—Agreed.
Mr. Smith (S. C.) wished it determined under
whose direction these offices should be ; whether
of one or three conuniifioners, or of any officer
already appointed. He thought one officer would
be moil eligible ; there would be more refpon
libility, and uniformity.
Mr. Sherman wished the determination of this
particular delayed. His mind was notmadeup.
—The motion was delayed.
Mr. Boudinot proposed that no lands should be
fold previous to fettling the indian claims—
Agreed.
That part of the report was read, which sets
apart certain lots, for certain particular purpo
ses anddiredts the manner oflocating them,
Mr. Scott moved as a fublHtutc his second pro
position, that such districts as (hall be set apart
for sale shall include the actual settlements, and
be left to be indiscriminately located. He said
it was improper to set aside different tracfts for
different modes of location, some in large trades,
others in small lots ; he conceived it would be the
interest of government to let every one purchase
where he pleased and as much or as little as he
chose. From experience he knew that those parts
were always fettled with the moll celerity that
were not bound down to any of those reftriftions
I or his part he could fee no good argument in fa
vour of them ; he wished some of the gentlemen
■who approved of this mode, to give him some
reasons for preferring it. There could be no
fear, he observed, of individual settlers flattering
and losing themselves in the back woods ; there
was a fufficient check to prevent it—the Indians
would keep them cornpadt, much more effectual
ly than any regulation Congress could make. If
certain scattered tracfts to individu
al settlers, a confutable tracfc including these
was wanted, he could fee no inconvenience in
granting it, reserving to the former settlers their
rights.
Mr. Williamfon rose to give the gentleman lafi:
up one reason for opposing indiscriminate locati
on. Hitherto he owned much mifchief had i.o'
anfen from this mode of settlement ; but now
there were persons rich in lecurities and ca/li
ready to take up conttderable quantities ofland
which if they were permitted to feleft here and
there, pick and chufe every choice tract they
could, ifindifcriminate location was the establish
ed principle, take upall the good lands, and leave
for future settlers, those who might not have the
fame means of purchasing immediately at com
niand, the indifferent parcels. Many he knew
had it in contemplation te do this if the opportu
nity offered. He instanced North-Carolina as an
example of the injurious tendency of this liber
ty ; whe.re many tratfs are unsaleable, ovvino- to"
this circnmrtance. If these tradts were to be pur
chafed by ac'tual settlers, the cafe would be dif
ferent ; but they would only be taken up by per
foils under the name of actual settlers. Such a
practice would be an impediment to such compa
nies of Europeans as might wish to fettle amon r
Mr. Scott raid he expedted the gentleman would
have offered more solid objections to his plan
and more forcible arguments in favor of the other'
Though the firft settlers had the the
land ; yet he conceived the remaining part would
acquire a considerable additional value from the
furroundmg settlements. As f or the European
companies who might be tempted to fettle amonp
us, he did not contemplate it as an object so de
ferable. A body of French people fettling in
that way would, hefaid, preserve their
and manners 2000 years perhaps ; this woufd not
be for the true interest of the country all its i n
habitants ftould by mutual intercourse become
affimulated and no name be known but that of
Americans. .«mi ox
Mr. Boudinot was against indiscriminate loca
tion . He Taid, he had seen the bad effetfts ofJr
in the State from which he came. Persons had
bough, up the lowlands, and r„,d
to Inch as absolutely needed a water lot to E
farm at enormous prices. He mentioned another
objection to the plan-the tendency it had to
create law-fmts. He said he was certain moll
money had been (pent at law in disputes arifin!
from that mode of settlement in New-Terfev
S . W0 " ld h * v ? b f. en neceflary to purehife the
Jand in the whole state. The late Congress, he
informed, had adopted a method to obviate
the inconveniences of the former mode—the lands
were laid our into mile-squares, these divided in
to four equal squares, and in that form fold.
Mr. White proposed that such as fliall not im
prove their purchases within a fixed reasonable
time, fbould forfeit the fame.
Mr. Boudinot wished it left to a committee to
determine. He had no objection to leave the
power with the commissioners.
Mr. Scott approved of the idea thrown out by
Mr. White, and agreed to amend the proposition
in conformity with the opinions of Mefli s Boudi
not and White.
Mr. Boudinot conceived it would be very diffi
cult to determine what an actual settler was. A
pui chafer could go and spend a few days oil his
land, and call himfelf an acftual settler.
Mi. White proposed that a man holding only
a certain proportion of uncultivated land to the
improved, ihould be called an actual settler.
Mr. Sedgwick disliked indiscriminate location,
He was confident if the diftricfis so to be fettled
were extensive, there would be too great room
for speculation aud monopoly.
Mr. Scott said there were traces of land which it
is lmpoflible to fell even by offering good parcels
with them. Between Philadelphia and his home
there were, he said, fpors, that were only intend
ed by nature for the birds and beasts—that could
be of no value for cultivation. He could not fee,
he faid,much probability, that the belt land would
be picked out—the difficulty of exploring a wild
and uncultivated defart, opposed a conhderable
banier to such attempts.
Mr. Scott's amendment was loft.
Mr. Fitzfimons moved to flrike out from
the clause the limitation of 100 acres to each
settler.
Mr. Scott disliked the limitation, he wished it
amended so as to leave it to Congress to fix the li
mitation by ad—Agreed.
„I? the " ext Paragraph in the following words.
The other tracts flial! from time to time be set
apait for (ales in town/hips of ten miles square,
except where they shall adjoin upon a boundary
of Tome prior grant, or of a trad so set apart; in
which cases there/hall be no greater departure
fiom such form oflocatton, than may be absolute
ly necessary."
Mr. Scott moved an amendment that the seven
■ anges which in laying off Congress had already
I Vrt 3 c ,°* rable expence, be fixed on for
by that article <""*« P'to b.fa apart
ir wn r ;,,l h r i,an J aS a s ainft the motion; hefaid
t would be confining the settlers to too narrow
bounds in making their choice.
rh^r r V C,ymer wi . <hed to kllow how much land
tliefe seven rages included.
Mr. Scott said, he could not give the exa<fc in
formation.
rose, and reported progress
TUESDAY, Dec. 28
In committee of the whole house on the state
-i'! e L " lon - Mr - Boudinot in the chair,
i ne report of the Secretary of the Treafnrv
on thefubjedsof a land office 7 and the
pnaied lands in the Western Territory, under
confiderauon. J> UiiUCI
Mr.Scott said he was readyro give fon.e informa
tion relative to the extentof the seven ranees • He
produced a map of them, from which it appeared
that they mcluded 35 ] ot s, each 6 milesTquare
Ihe traf. in the ffiape of a triangle, of which
one eg measured about 60, and the 42 1t
all about 1200 square miles His amendmen
was agreed to. uclli
[ 7he next article was agreed to with a triflinsr
amendment— without debate.
Then the following was read : " That- 1-JlO
price shall be thirty cents pr. acre, to b e pa id
either in gold or filrer, or public securities c^m
tPeTe!!S f f Which /ha ' l bear an '"'mediate in
reieit of fix per cent, as at par with gold and sil
ver, and thofe-which shall bear a future or less
1 Mr e s'cnrr any a*?*' at a P ro P ortio »al value."
Scott In ° v ed that 30 cents Ihould be struck
pr M acre en H, n f"? "J™ So cents
■ K , M : . re was every reasonable
probability, that the lands would be worth that
sum in a few years. '
La ,j rance f ? id tllat as the quality of the
and would vary, j t appeared proper to fix 011 two
prices, at which they foould 'be fold, viz Thlt
h .™,e,ha„ ■ ,z n - or T , h ; f ;
tnan He fubmuted the idea to the con
sideration of the committee
* Ir ' S prefered the insertion of a sum
below which the lands ftould not be fold.
Mr. Will 1 amfon fnggefted the propriety of
Pnth a g f, a i d,ffCrenCei . , V he P Hce tf thoS J who
pnrchafelarse quantities, from the price tothofe
who purchase fmalj quantities.
The motion for striking out was loft.
Mr Sedgwick then moved to amend the clanfe
bcleft e ;S'l that ! hCp, " ke P" ««<■»» "«
oc lei* man 30 cents pr. acre.
690
Mr. Stone objected to the motion. Hefaid the
operation of it would be, to leave it discretion
ary with the surveyors to fix the price of the v a .
rious tradls : This would be to constitute a tribu
bunal, in a measure independent of the govern
nient. He thought the policy of the govern
ment mould be, to fix on a price, which fhafl be
so reasonable, that persons m ay feel every induce
ment to pay it before they take up the lands for
it has been found by experience, laid he, that
oncea tra*ftof distant country is taken pofc
feflion of, you never can get any thing more than
the settlers are willing to pay. He infilled that
it was impracticable to fix the relative value of
unlocated lands—it had been repeatedly tried
without effect. He asked if any of the States had
ever established various rates for their lands ? He
knew of none.
Mr. Sedgwick answered the enquiry refpe<tin£
the relative value of lands being ascertained in
the several states : He said that so far as his in
formation extended, which refpe<fted only the
states of New-York, New Hampshire, and MalTa
cliufetts, this had invariably been the cafe: Every
man knows there is a moil eflential difference
in the value of lands : Those on navigable rivers
may be ten times as valuable as those on the top
of a mountain—this every individual is so sensi
ble of, that a difference in the price is constantly
m and government (heuld not make
a difference, it is impoflible to fay; any man, by
caitinghis eye on a map, can at once determine
that fonie part of the land is unspeakably more
valuable than other parts. He was certain that
veiling a discretionary power, in the disposal of
the land would be productive of the grearefl ad
vantage to the United States ; and on this prin
ciple he could not conceive why the furveyorg
ihould not determine the relative quality, that
the United States may fland some chance of get
ting the value of this property.
Mr. Livermore was in favor of Mr. Sedgwick's
motion—and enlarged on the unreasonableness
or fixing a particular price.
Mr. Jackson was opposed to inverting a discre
tionary power to determine the price with any
persons whatsoever ; _it had been productive of
mUchievous consequences in the state ofGeorgia.
—He was for fixing a price, and the highefl price
r u ° L lan(is would bear— when that is
old, if the residue will not bear the price efta
bliihed, xt can thenbe reduced.
? cott objected to the motion—he stated se
veral difficulties jthe principle was, that foreign
ers will be deterred from adventuring ; owing
to the uncertainty in the price : For when they
arrive in the country to fettle,they most purchase,
and they will then lie at the mercy offpeculators.
(To be continued.)
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29.
, Carrol took his feat this day.
1 he bill directing the mode in which the evi
dences of the debt of the United Stares, which
have been, or may be loft ordeftroyed, shall be
renewed, was read a second time, and referred
to a committee of the whole house on Monday
next, 100 copies were ordered to be printed.
The petition of Shubael Swaine, a prisoner
connn d in gaol for a breach of the revenue law,
praying Congress to rake his cafe into confeder
ation and remit his fine, was read, and on mo
tion referred to a committee confilting of Mr.
Goodhue, Mr. Livermore and Mr. Sinnickfon.
Mr. Firzfimons presented the petition of Philip
Buck, praying comper.fation for disability occa--
Uon d by services on board one of the row gal
lies during the late war, and for a schooner loft ;
which was read and referred to the Secretary at
War. J
: , H ® i(ter P resented the petition of Anna
Wilhelmina Elizabeth Longcanner,pitying com
peufation for services rendered by her late hus
band, during the war, which was read, and re
ferred to the Secretary at war.
Mr. Lawrance-prefented the petition of Win
throp Sargent, praying compensation for addi
tional services, whilst executing and performing
the duties of Governor of the Western Territory
which was read and refered to the Secretary of
the Treasury. J
Agreeable to the order of the day, the house
resolved ltfelfir.to a committee of the whole
to take into confideratioji the bill to provide for
the delivery of goods, wares and merchandize,
in the river Delaware, in the Stare of Pennsyl
vania, in cafe of obltruciion by ice.
Mr. Boudinot in the chair.
The committee made sundry amendments
which were reported to the liotife, the fame were
read, other amendments were proposed in the
house which were agreed to, and the bill as
amended was ordered to be engrofled for a third
[ reading.
The lioiife proceeded to consider a motion
madeyefterday by Mr. Tucker, that the com
mittee appointed to prepare and bring in a mi
litia bill, be initru<fted to bring in a clause to
this effedt. " Be it enacted, That the militia of
the several States of the union confiftingof such
perrons as are, or may be enrolled by them rel
pc<shvely, shall be organized, armed and disci