MISSISSIPPI TERRITORIAL PAPERS - MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS BY INHABITANTS OF AMITE COUNTY [HF:14 Cong., I sess.:DS] (Referred March 22, 1816) To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled The memorial of sundry inhabitants of Amite County in the Mississippi Territory humbly setting forth That many of the Settlers on the Public Lands feel much distressed in consequence of the Presidents proclamation ordering their removal: we your memorialists represent, that since the Land Sales in October last purchases have been made to a great amount and many of the Settles ousted by the new purchasers and no valuable tract of Land remains now to be sold under cover of settlement. Those that now remain on the Public Lands are of the poorest class of People and on land not of sufficient value to induce purchasers and that their little improvement add so much to the value of the land: and were the occupants possessed of the means, no doubt many of them would purchase But what makes their distress the more sensibly felt, is, that they are ordered to remove from the Public Land in consequence of their inability to pay When at the same time the United States are in arrears to them for services rendered both in the Indian & British wars some of whom laid down their lives while in the service of their Country whose widows & orphan children are now dependent on their friends and a grateful Country for subsistence Humanity forbids that their hardships should be increased. Your memorialists are well aware of the claim that the State of Georgia has on the faith of the United States in carrying into effect their agreement and cession entered into with the State of Georgia & that they cannot intefere in giving any relief in the premises without a violation of that faith or the assent of Georgia Your memorialists flatter themselves that the State of Georgia will not hesitate a moment to give their assent to a measure having such strong claims on their humanity more especially when it is understood that the settlers on the Public Lands are far the greater part their own children the decendants of Georgia- Now, the prayer of your memorialists is that one years indulgence may be given to the settlers on Public Lands before they are removed except by purchase; in which time they will in all probability be in some degree relived. And your memorialists as in duty bound will ever pray &c Micajah Davis John Cockerham Sr John Dixon Hardy Coward Roger Dunn Thos Sellers Thos. L Husband C Gayden Jacob Boatner A Gayden Josiah Gayle John Loury WI Loflin Z. Lea David Johns David Davis John J. Simmons Robert P. Davis Nezan Lewis Corn Van Houten Jesse McCoy Fleming Watkins George Gerald Fleming Tynes Archibald Brown Tho. Batchelor James Marler John Burton John Gill Henry Humble Charles McMaes Richd Murphey Joseph Clark Robert Berryhill Isaac Berryhill Jacob Decell Sam'l Hayes Evin Whitington John Robinson James Welch- Darus Anderson Wm T Padelford J. Hinson Wm More Robert Berryhill [MS. illegiblel Wm uell Stephen Cade Richard Curtis Will Jones Benjamin Tarler John Hill John Cockerham Peter Hill David Hill Robt Loury Jonathan Cortney David Cox John Cortney John Cain Thomas MoKnight Isaiah Cain Herbert Morgen Waltem Huly Abraham Pucket John Monty Elias Cortney Benjamin Lewis Robert Cortney John Lobe Francis Martin Robt B. Wells John Martin Rukins Jelka James Mitchel Randall Goolsbe Robert Griffin Richard Varnell [Endorsed) Memorial of Sundry Inhabitants of Mississippi Territory - Settlers on Public Lands March 22. 1816 Refd to the Committee of the Whole House, on the Bill from the Senate "Relating to Settlers upon the public Lands." Lattimore C. 21. Com Whole on bill 9. on the subject" ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free Information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Files may be printed or copied for Personal use only. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and a copy of the consent sent to the appropriate archive file manager. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Sue Skay Abruscato ====================================================================