Thursday, February 16.
John C. Symmes.
Mr. Gallatin said, a report had been made upon the contract between John C. Symmes and his associates, and the United States, which it was of importance to pass into a law this session, as the object was four hundred thousand acres of land, which was worth about eight hundred thousand dollars.
The House accordingly resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the subject, when the report, which was very long, having been read, the committee agreed to the resolution reported, which was in the following words:
"Resolved, That a committee be appointed to bring in a bill to authorize the President of the United States to grant, in fee simple, to John C. Symmes and his associates, that part of a tract of land, the boundaries whereof are ascertained by a survey executed in conformity to the act of Congress, entitled 'An act for ascertaining the bounds of a tract of land purchased by J. C. Symmes,' and returned to the Treasury Department the 10th of January, 1794, which is not included within the bounds of a grant already made, on September 8, 1794, to the said J. C. Symmes and his associates; excepting and reserving out of the same the lots reserved by the original contract, entered into between the United States and the said Symmes and his associates; provided that the said Symmes and his associates shall previously, in conformity to the terms of the original contract, make the requisite payment for the tract to be granted to them, and for the 47,625 acres, part of the grant already made to them on the 30th September, 1794, for which they have not yet paid any consideration; and provided, also, that the township reserved for an Academy shall have been previously laid off and secured, according to the terms of the contract, and of the resolutions and law of Congress relative thereto."