Virginia Military Bounty Lands.
The House then proceeded to consider the report of the Committee of the Whole on the report of the select committee touching the claims of the officers and soldiers of the Virginia line of the Revolutionary army to military bounty lands.
The question was then taken to concur with the Committee of the whole House in their disagreement to the resolution recommended by the select committee, which is as follows:
Resolved, That provision should be made for securing to the officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary army of Virginia, on State establishment, in the land or sea service of the said State, the bounty lands which were promised to them, either by a law or resolution of the said Commonwealth, out of the lands not otherwise appropriated, and lying on the northwest side of the river Ohio, within the Virginia cession, to be of good quality, according to the true intent and meaning of the promises made on the part of Virginia, and that, if a sufficiency of good land within the meaning of the aforesaid engagement cannot there be found, that their bounties shall be satisfied out of any other public land of the United States, not heretofore otherwise appropriated:
And was determined in the affirmative—yeas 66, nays 41.
Friday, February 5.
Encouragement to Public and to Private Armed Privateers.
On motion of Mr. McKim,
Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of relinquishing, in favor of the officers and crews of the public armed ships of the United States, a greater portion of the value of prizes than they are now by law entitled to; and, also, to inquire into the expediency of providing further encouragement to equipping and employing private armed vessels of war against the ships and commerce of the enemy; and that the committee have leave to report by bill, or otherwise.