MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS

1815

The Memorial of Sundry Citizens of the Mississippi Territory respectfully sheweth,

That your memorialists taking it for granted, that it is not the policy or wish of a Just and wise government to Speculate on, or profit by the misfortunes of its citizens, and believing as we do, that the Government of the United States is founded in Justice and wisdom and Confidently relying on the Just and liberal disposition of your Honorable bodies, Your memorialists have presumed to memorialize your Honorable bodies one the subject of much interest and importance to them, And beg leave to state that many tracts ofLand on which the purchasers have failed to make the final payments have been offered at public sale for the ballance due to the United States, and have not since been sold, but now remain the property of the United States.--Your memorialists further beg leave to state to your honorable bodies, that recently many citizens of this Territory have, from the peculiar situation of this section of the United States at present invaded by the Enemy, and the great scarcity of specie, been unable to make the final payment due to the United States on the tracts of Land purchased by them, and are now forfeited and liable to be offered at public sale.--Your memorialists Therefore pay your Honorable bodies to pass a law authorising the Claimants, their assignees or other legal Representatives of such tracts as have reverted to the United States and not been sold to re-enter them and that the sums of money heretofore paid on them respectivly be passed to the credit of the purchasers, their assignees or other legal representatives and that the Usual or other reasonable indulgence be given for completing the payments thereon---and that the time for completing the payments on those tracts which have not been offered at public sale be extended so as to allow a reasonable indulgence for their completion on such terms as your Honorable bodies may in your Wisdom deem Just.--Your memorailists are well aware that your Honorable bodies have, heretofore, been frequently memoralized on this subject from our Territory, and nothing but the hardness of the times and our distressed situation could have induced us again to have troubled your Honorable bodies on the subject,--Your memorialists can not however refrain from thinking their case hard indeed, many of us having Volunteered in the service of the United States for its defense, and altho’ the love of our Country was the moving cause Yet we had hoped that the pay for our sevices would aid us in making the payment to the United States for our Lands, but we are paid off in Bills on the Banks in New Orleans which are refused in payment for our Lands. and since the City of New Orleans has been in danger of being invaded by the enemy, We have not been able to exchange them for specie at any discount, many of us have failed in making our payments from that cause--As in duty bound we will ever pray

Zachary Brasfield