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NAVAL PEACE ESTABLISHMENT. The House went into a Committee of the Whole on the bill relative to a Naval Peace Establishment.

FEBRUARY, 1806.

State of North Carolina was read the third time and passed.

Mr. TENNEY, one of the members for the State of New Hampshire, presented to the House certain resolutions of the Legislature of the State of New Hampshire, "proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, so as to authorize and empower Congress to pass a law, whenever they may deem it expedient, to prevent the further importation of slaves, or people of color, into the United States, or any part thereof;" which were read, and ordered to lie on the table.

An engrossed bill supplementary to "An act to regulate and fix the compensation of the officers Mr. GREGG explained at some length the pro- of the Senate and House of Representatives" was visions of the bill. The bill he said, correspond-read the third time and passed. ed with the intimations of the President relative to giving an opening to the promotion of several officers who had greatly distinguished themselves in the Mediterranean service. He stated that the bill contemplated giving the President power to keep in service nine hundred and twenty-five able and ordinary seamen and boys, making two-thirds of the full complement of six frigates, two of fortyfour guns, two of thirty-six, and two of thirty-two; that it contemplated the increasing the number of captains from ten to thirteen; the creation of nine masters commandant, and the increase of lieutenants from thirty-six to seventy-two. This arrangement was proposed, in order to give to the young officers in the navy that rank and reward merited by them, and to enable the doing this, without interfering with the rules of promotion usual in the naval service.

Mr. LEIB spoke against the feature of the bill that augmented the number of officers. It appeared to him, indeed, a pension bill, and to make large allowances without services rendered. It also contemplated the keeping six frigates in service, and provides for them thirteen captains, nine master-commandants and seventy-two lieutenants. He did not consider the Treasury in such a state of overflow as to justify this liberality.

Mr. GREGG said the gentleman had misunderstood his remarks as well as the nature of the bill, which, so far from directing six frigates to be kept in actual service, repealed that part of a former law which contained this provision.

No motion having been made to amend the bill, the Chairman proceeded in the reading of the remaining sections; When

Mr. GOLDSBOROUGH expressed his opinion that the bill required considerable amendment, and that he had understood from the Secretary of the Navy that its provisions were not consonant to that system which he considered the most conducive to the public service. With a view to obtain fuller information relative to the subject, he moved that the Committee should rise and ask leave to sit again.

This motion obtained, without opposition, when the Committee rose and received leave to sit again.

MONDAY, February 10.

Another member, to wit: DUNCAN MCFARLAND, from North Carolina, appeared, produced his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat in the House.

The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act to authorize a grant of lands to the French inhabitants of Galliopolis, and for other purposes therein mentioned," was read the third time and passed.

An engrossed bill declaring the assent of Congress to an act of the General Assembly of the

The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter from Christopher Greenup, Governor of the State of Kentucky, transmitting a memorial of the General Assembly of the said State, together with sundry documents in relation to the Ohio Canal Company; which were read and referred to Mr. BOYLE, Mr. DICKSON, Mr. T. W. THOMPSON, Mr. J. MORROW, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. TRIGG, and Mr. DARBY; that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House.

A petition of John G. Macan and others, managers on behalf of " the Louisiana Company," inhabitants of the State of Ohio, was presented to the House and read, praying a grant of the public lands, on parts adjacent to the river Mississippi, and in the neighborhood of St. Louis, on such terms and under such restrictions as Congress may judge proper, to aid them in establishing a colony, consisting of all such mechanics and professional characters as may be necessary to the welfare of the intended settlement.-Referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.

Mr. CROWNINSHIELD, from the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures, presented a bill declaring the town of Jersey, in the State of New Jersey, to be a port of delivery, and to provide for a light-house on Wood island; which was read twice and committed to a Committee of the Whole on Wednesday next.

Mr. C., from the same committee, to whom was referred, on the twenty-seventh of December last, a resolution of the House" to inquire into the propriety of erecting the port of Newcastle, in the district of Delaware, into a port of entry," made a report thereon; which was read, and referred to a Committee of the Whole on Thursday next. On motion of Mr. DANA,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to consider and report whether any amendments should be made in the standing rules of the House relative to confidential communications.-Referred to a committee of five members.

The bill declaring the consent of Congress to the act of the Legislature of South Carolina authorizing the imposition of a tonnage duty by the City Council of Charleston was read a third time.

Messrs. J. CLAY and MARION supported, and Mr. CROWNINSHIELD opposed the bill, which, on the question being taken, was passed-yeas 52.

FEBRUARY, 1806.

Importations from Great Britain.

IMPORTATIONS FROM GREAT BRITAIN.

Mr. NICHOLSON said he wished to lay on the table a resolution relative to the subsisting differences between the United States and Great Brit

ain, on which several resolutions had already

been offered. When this subject first came into notice, at an early period of the session, he had foreseen that it might lead to the proposition of plans which might deeply affect the revenue of the Government. He was, therefore, anxious that it might be referred to the Committee of

Ways and Means, in whose hands the superintendence of the revenue was placed. committee it was referred in the first instance. But the House afterwards thought fit to discharge that committee from its consideration, and to refer it to a Committee of the Whole on the state of

the Union.

Mr. N. observed that it was with great deference that he undertook to offer any resolutions embracing objects of such importance as the differences between Great Britain and this country. If the subject had remained with the Committee of Ways and Means, or with any other select committee, a set of resolutions in a digested form might have been expected, and it might have been shown in what manner and to what extent the revenue would probably be affected. When, however, resolutions were offered by individual members, it impossible to offer any such calculations, and the subject would consequently come before the House in an undigested form.

was

Mr. N. said he had seen two propositions, neither of which he liked. One was a resolution

offered by a gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr. GREGG.) When he considered that our importations from Great Britain amounted annually to about twenty-five millions of dollars, and that the whole of this trade was, according to the proposition of the gentleman, to be prohibited; and it was also considered that the average amount of duties on articles imported from Great Britain was twenty per cent., it would at once be seen that the measure would affect the revenue to the amount of five millions annually.

Nor did it, in offering these resolutions, appear to have been taken into view, that while the measure had a very material effect on the revenue. it had likewise an immediate effect on the

habits of our citizens who consumed goods imported from Britain. With regard to the single article of cotton, its prohibition would operate in three different ways. In the first place, the wants of our people will be increased in proportion to the prohibition of cotton goods; in the second place, the revenue would be affected by it; and in the last place, it was extremely probable that the foreign demand for the raw material we furnish would be considerably diminished. A single fact would evince this with some force. In the year 1791, there were exported to Liverpool 64 bales of cotton; and in the first nine months of 1805 there had been exported to the same place 93,000 bales. This would show what the effect might be of the prohibition of the importation of

9th CON.-15

H. OF R.

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Mr. N. said he had seen another proposition, not

offered, indeed, in the House of Representatives, but elsewhere, (alluding, it is supposed, to the report of a committee in the Senate,) which did not go to the extent of the motion by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, and therefore was not so deleterious in its effects, but which, in his judgment, was extremely objectionable. This proposition went to prohibit the importation of woollens of all

nable

descriptions, linens, nails, hats, looking-glasses, rum, hardware, slate, salt, coal, boots, shoes, ribbons, silks, plated and glass wares.

In this list there were four articles of great importance with which we are supplied from Great Britain, which our habits, at least, have enrolled on the list of necessaries, and with which we cannot be supplied either by ourselves or by other nations. With coarse woollens we are supplied altogether from Great Britain, and we cannot procure them elsewhere. Mr. N. said he had taken some pains to inquire into the state of the German manufactures, and he was convinced, from the information he had received, that we could get, neither from Germany nor Holland, those coarse cloths which are extensively consumed in the Middle and Southern States, and he presumed throughout the whole country, except by those who moved in the higher walks of life. In Holland and Brabant there were some such manufactures, but they were too narrow to supply us with any considerable quantity of them.

That kind of rum which we derive from Ja

maica, Antigua, and Barbadoes, and from which a large revenue is obtained, Mr. N. presumed was not to be got elsewhere; as the whole of this article which was imported into the United States was consumed, and no part of it exported, it followed of course that the revenue would be diminished in proportion to the extent of the prohibition.

The manufactures of Birmingham and Sheffield, going generally by the name of hardware, could be got no where else. The whole of these imported were consumed in the United States, and their prohibition would have the same effect

on our revenue.

Of salt, which was imported from different countries, and which amounted annually to three and a half millions of bushels, not more than the one-hundredth part was exported. By diminishing the quantity imported, we both increase the price of the article and decrease the amount of the revenue.

Mr. N. said, that the course which seemed to him most proper, was to select among the manufactures of Great Britain such articles as we import from thence, and can supply ourselves with by our own industry, or obtain from other countries. This would present to Great Britain a plan that would at once be seen to be practicable. By laying a prohibition on the importation of all articles received from Great Britain or her colonies one of two effects must ensue. Either we

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shall be laughed at by Great Britain and other European Powers for adopting a system altogether impracticable, because we cannot adhere to it; or we shall furnish to her Minister, whose character for decision is well known, a pretext for sweeping the ocean of every dollar of American property afloat on it.

If, on the contrary, we adopt a system which is practicable, to which it is seen that we can adhere without injuring ourselves, and which will materially affect Britain, we may hope that measures will be taken by her Government for the adjustment of our differences, and the rendering us complete justice.

Mr. N. then submitted the following resolution: Resolved, That, from and after the - - day of next, the following articles, being of the growth, or manufactures of Great Britain or Ireland, or of any of the colonies or dependencies of Great Britain, ought to be prohibited by law from being imported into the United States, or into the territories thereof, viz:

All articles of which leather is the material of chief

value; all articles of which tin or brass is the material

of chief value, tin in sheets excepted; all articles of

which hemp or flax is the material of chief value; all articles of which silk is the material of chief value; woollen cloths, whose invoice prices shall exceed

woollen hosiery of all kinds; window glass, and all other manufactures of glass; silver and plated wares; paper of every description; nails and spikes; hats; clothing ready made; millinery of all kinds; playing cards; beer, ale, and porter; and pictures and prints. Mr. NICHOLSON concluded by remarking that he would not undertake to say that he had made the best selection of articles. It was with great diffidence he had made the selection. He would, however, offer it at this time, that gentlemen might give their attention to it, and be prepared to enter on its discussion when the subject came before the

House. He submitted these propositions at this

time, to avoid any delay which might arise from withholding them till the House should have entered upon the subject.

This resolution was immediately considered by the House, and referred to a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and ordered to be printed.

On motion of Mr. G. W. CAMPBELL, certain resolutions offered on the 3d of January, 1794, by Mr. Madison, on the differences at that time subsisting between the United States and Great Britain, were ordered to be printed.

WEST INDIA TRADE.

Mr. CROWNINSHIELD said, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. NICHOLSON) had offered several resolutions prohibiting the importation of sundry

articles of British manufactures into the

States. Mr. C. observed that he had another project which he wished to submit, relative to our trade with the British West Indies. He did not mean at this time to discuss the subject, either so as far it was connected with the propositions of the gentleman from Maryland, or with that of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, which went to a much greater extent. But with regard to one idea expressed by the gentleman from Maryland,

FEBRUARY, 1806

he thought it proper to say a few words. That gentleman had observed that the proposition oftered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania would affect the revenue to the amount of five millions of dollars; and therefore impressed upon the House the duty of being extremely cautious in taking such a step. Mr. C. said he did not believe the adoption of that proposition would affect the revenue to any such extent. He did not believe it would affect the revenue to the amount of a million of dollars. Because, although we should prohibit the importation of British goods, we could get most of the same articles from other countries. We get salt from Cadiz, and Lisbon, and from several other places. Rum could be got from every island in the West ludies; and if we should not be able to get a sufficient quantity of it to supply our wants, we could import from France brandies, which will be a good substitute. We may also get woollens from the continent of Europe, and every article on the list, perhaps at higher prices. It was not, however, Mr. C. said, his object at this time to discuss the merits of either proposition. His chief object was to offer his own project, which related to the West Indies. Every one knows that those islands are dependent on the United States for the necessaries of life; that they cannot get many important articles they absolutely want from other countries. Every one knows that for fish, beef, pork, and lumber, they are dependent on us, inasmuch as they cannot get them elsewhere. How is the trade carried on? Great Britain has adopted a curious commercial principle, bottomed on the principle of her navigation act; which in time of peace almost amounts to a prohibition to introduce into her islands any articles of ours; and which in time of war opens the ports of a few of her

islands for the introduction of particular articles

or

to see this trade perinanently open to the citizens of the United States. He thought it probable this might be done by the adoption of his plan. The gentleman from Pennsylvania had offered a proposition which was calculated to meet in part the practices of Great Britain. The first resolution related to trading to the West Indies in foreign vessels, and not in vessels of the United States. Every one knew that in the trade between the United States and the West Indies there were either none, or very few foreign vessels.

Mr. C. then offered the following resolution: Resolved, That, from and after the- - day of next, no goods, wares, or merchandise, shall be exported from, or imported into, the United States or the territories thereof, in any ship or vessel whatever, to or from

any European colonies or settlements, situated on the eastern side of the continent of America, or its adjacent seas, northward of the Equator, unless the importation of all articles of the growth, product, or manufacture of the United States and their territories, in American bottoms, is at all times admitted into the said colonies, or settlements, and unless the exportation of the productions of the said colonies, or settlements, is permanently allowed in American bottoms from the same to the United States, and the territories thereof.

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The resolution was considered. and referred to a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and ordered to be printed.

DRAWBACK.

The House went into a Committee of the Whole on the bill to extend the time for taking the oath, and giving bond in cases of drawback, and for other purposes.

On the second section, which is as follows:

"That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby authorized and empowered to extend the benefit of drawback, in cases which have happened since the passage of the act of March 2, 1799, entitled, "An act to reg, ulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage," where the persons claiming such benefit have omitted to take the oath and give bond within the ten days proscribed by law: Provided, The Secretary of the Treasury shall be satisfied that such omission was caused by unavoidable accident, and that no fraud was intended thereby to be committed against the revenue laws of the United States; and provided, also, that satisfactory proof shall be exhibited to him that the goods, wares, and merchandise, on which the drawback is claimed, have been landed without the limits of the United States.

A long debate ensued, which continued beyond the usual hour of adjournment, in whicht Messrs. J. CLAY, LEIB, ELMER, NICHOLSON, CROWNINSHIELD, N. WILLIAMS, and SLOAN supported; and Messrs. HOLLAND, CLARK, J. C. SMITH, JACK

posed the section.

SON, BIDWELL, CONRAD, MACON, and SMILIE, OPWhen the question was taken on the striking out the section, and carried-yeas 70.

The second and third sections, bottomed on the second, were also struck out.

The Committee then rose and reported their disagreement to all the sections except the first. The House immediately considered the report.

Mr. J. C. SMITH spoke in favor, and Mr. CROWNINSHIELD against concurring in it; when the House adjourned without coming to a decision.

TUESDAY, February 11.

Mr. J. C. SMITH, from the Committee of Claims, presented a bill for the relief of the Governor, udges, and Secretary of the Indiana Territory;

which was read twice and committed to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow.

Mr. S., from the same committee, to whom was referred on the fifteenth ultimo, the memorial of Peter Landais, made a report thereon; which was read, and ordered to be referred to a Committee of the Whole to morrow.

A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act for the relief of Seth Harding, late a captain in the Navy of the United States;" to which they desire the concurrence of this House.

The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act for the relief of Seth Harding, late a captain in the Navy of the United States," was read twice

and committed to a Committee of the Whole to

morrow.

A message from the Senate informed the

H. or R.

House that the Senate have passed a bill, entitled "An act authorizing the sale of a tract of land in the town of Cincinnati, and State of Ohio;" and also, a bill, entitled "An act making provision for the compensation of witnesses who attended the trial of the impeachment of Samuel Chase;" to which they desire the concurrence of this House.

The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act authorizing the sale of a tract of land in the town of Cincinnati, and State of Ohio," was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.

The bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act" making provision for the compensation of witnesses who attended the trial of the impeachment of Samuel Chase," was read twice and committed to the Committee of the Whole to whom was committed, on the fifth instant, the bill making an appropriation for the payment of the witnesses, and other expenses, on the impeachment of Samuel Chase.

Ordered, That the Secretary of the Treasury cause to be printed for the use of the members of both Houses, the report to be made to this House, in pursuance of the several resolutions of the House, passed on the third, fifth, and seventh days of the present month.

DRAWBACK.

The House took up the unfinished business of yesterday, being the report of a Committee of the

whole House, to strike out the 2d, 3d and 4th sections of the bill to extend the time for taking the oath, and giving bond in cases of drawback, and for other purposes. The sections are as follows:

"SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he hereby is, authorized and empowered to extend the benefit of drawback, in cases which have happened since the passage of the act of the second day of March, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, entitled "An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage," where the persons claiming such benefit have omitted to take the oath and give bond within the ten days prescribed by law: Provided, The Secretary of the Treasury shall be satisfied that such omission was caused by unavoidable accident, and that no fraud was intended thereby to be committed against the revenue laws of the United States. And, provided also, That

satisfactory proof shall be exhibited to him that the goods, wares, and merchandise, on which the drawback is claimed, have been landed without the limits of the

United States.

"SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That, before relief shall be granted by the Secretary of the Treasury as aforesaid, the person or persons applying for the same shall take the oath and give bond, in like manner as is now required by law.

"SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act conta ned shall be construed to extend the allowance of drawback upon any goods, wares, and merchandise, which have been heretofore exported to New Orleans, and upon which the drawback may remain, at this time, unpaid."

On concurring in this report a lengthy debate ensued. Messrs. JOHN C. SMITH, JACKSON, BEDINGER, and HOLLAND, spoke in favor of concur

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ring; and Messrs. LEIB, CROWNINSHIELD, NEWTON, BROOM, J. CLAY, and ELMER, against concurring in the report. When the question was taken by yeas and nays, on concurrence, and carried-yeas 71, nays 45, as follows:

YEAS-Willis Alston, jr., Isaac Anderson, Burwell Bassett, George M. Bedinger, Silas Betton, Barnabas Bidwell, William Blackledge, Robert Brown, John

Boyle, Joseph Bryan, William Butler, Levi Casey, John Chandler, Martin Chittenden, Christopher Clark, Matthew Clay, Frederick Conrad, Samuel W. Dana, John Davenport, jr., William Dickson, Elias Earle, James Elliot, Caleb Ellis, William Ely, John W, Eppes, James M. Garnett, Charles Goldsborough, Peterson Goodwyn, Edwin Gray, Andrew Gregg, John Hamilton, William Helms, James Holland, David Holmes, John G. Jackson, Thomas Kenan, Nehemiah Knight, Joseph Lewis, jr., Duncan McFarland, Patrick Magruder, David Meriwether, Thomas Moore, John Morrow, Gideon Olin, Timothy Pitkin, jr., John Rea of Pennsylvania, John Rhea of Tennessee, Peter Sailly, Thomas Sammons, Thomas Sandford, Martin G. Schuneman, James Sloan, John Smilie, John Cotton Smith, John Smith, Henry Southard, Thomas Spalding, Richard Stanford, Benjamin Tallmadge, David Thomas, Philip R. Thompson, Thomas W. Thompson, Abram Trigg, Killian K. Van Rensselaer, Joseph B. Varnum, Peleg Wadsworth, Robert Whitehill, David R. Williams, Alexander Wilson, Richard Winn, and Joseph Win

ston.

NAYS-John Archer, David Bard, Joseph Barker, Phanuel Bishop, John Blake, jr., James M. Broom, John Claiborne, Orchard Cook, Jacob Crowninshield, Richard Cutts, Ezra Darby, Peter Early, Ebenezer Elmer, William Findley, James Fisk, Isaiah L. Green, Silas Halsey, Seth Hastings, Michael Leib, Henry W. Livingston, Matthew Lyon, Robert Marion, Josiah Masters, William McCreery, Nicholas R. Moore, Jeremiah Morrow, Gurdon S. Mumford, Jeremiah Nelson, Thomas Newton, jr., Joseph H. Nicholson, John Pugh, Josiah Quincy, Thomas M. Randolph, Jacob Richards, John Russell, O'Brien Smith, Samuel Smith, Joseph Stanton, Samuel Taggart, Philip Van Cortlandt, Daniel C. Verplanck, John Whitehill, Marmaduke Williams, Nathan Williams, and Thomas Wynns.

Mr. J. RANDOLPH said he had a report to make which, according to the rules of the House, required the galleries to be cleared. They were accordingly cleared for a few minutes; when the House adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, February 12.

Mr. GREGG, from the Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred, on the eleventh instant, the bill sent from the Senate, entitled "An act authorizing the sale of a tract of land in the town of Cincinnati, and State of Ohio, reported to the House their agreement to the same, without amendment.

Ordered, That the said bill be recommitted to a Committee of the Whole on Monday next.

Mr. P. R. THOMPSON reported a bill authorizing the erection of a bridge across the Potomac, within the District of Columbia; which was referred to a Committee of the Whole on Friday.

Mr. MAGRUDER presented a petition from sundry inhabitants of Georgetown, praying that if

FEBRUARY, 1806.

Congress determine to authorize the erection of a bridge across the Potomac, it may be at a point above Georgetown.-Referred to the same Committee.

LIMITS OF GEORGIA.

Mr. SPALDING, from the committee to whom was referred, on the thirteenth ultimo, the memorial of the Legislature of the State of Georgia, made a report thereon, which was read, as follows: The committee to whom was referred the memorial of the Legislature of the State of Georgia, respecting disputed limits between that State and the State of North Carolina, having taken into consideration the matter of the said memorial, as well as such information as the documents attached to the memorial and former reports made to this House afford, beg leave to submit the following report:

Between the latitude of 35 degrees north, which is the southern boundary claimed by North Carolina, and the northern boundary of Georgia, as settled by a convention between that State and South Carolina, intervenes a tract of country supposed to be about twelve miles wide, from north to south, and extending in length from the western boundary of Georgia, at Nicajack, on the Tennessee, to her northeastern limits, on the Tugalo. This tract was consequently within the limits of South Carolina, and in the year 1787 it was ceded to the United States, who accepted the cession. This territory remained in possession of the United States until 1802, when it was ceded to the State of Georgia. From the most correct information relative to the said territory, it appears that it is inhabited by about 800 souls, and (to adopt the words of a former report) it is not shown at what period they made the settlement, nor had they any title to the land on which they settled and made improvements. No such title indeed could have been created, as those lands remained within the boundary of the Cherokees until the year 1798, when a part of this territory was purchased by a treaty held at Tellico. It does not appear that the lines that bound the tract of land in question, and divide it from Carolina, have ever been established by public authority.

After the transfer of this territory by the United States to Georgia, the Legislature of that State, in compliance with the earnest request of those self-governed people, praying that they might be allowed to participate in the civil rights enjoyed in common by the people of the United States, passed an act in the year 1803 to organize the inhabited part of the territory, and to form it into a county, authorizing, at the same time, the Governor to appoint commissioners, to meet such commissioners as should be appointed by the Government of North Carolina, to ascertain and plainly mark the line dividing this territory from North Carolina. The Governor of North Carolina expressed a readiness to accede to the proposition, under the provisions of a former act of the Legislature of that State, but clogged with a condition which the Legislature of North Carolina refused to depart from, and which the Legislature of Georgia refused to accede to. Her reason may be found in a letter from General Pickens, of the State of South Carolina, attached to a report made to the House respecting that territory while the property of the United States. The letter states, that before the people inhabiting that territory settled on the lands, it was surveyed, and grants obtained for most part of it from the State of North Carolina, and probably by men who cared little whether the land was within the Indian claim or the limits

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