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REPORT

Of the Committee on the Public Lands, on the petition of Clement B. Penrose, with a bill for his relief.

DECEMBER 27, 1819.

Read, and ordered to be printed.

The Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the petition of Clement B. Penrose, praying compensation as one of the Commissioners for the final adjustment of Land Claims, in the Territory of Louisiana, now Missouri, have had the subject under consideration, and

REPORT:

That the same subject for which relief is now prayed, was referred the last session of Congress to a select committee; that the petition was then in the joint names of John B. C. Lucas and Clement B. Penrose; that the Select Committee had embodied in their report all the facts of the case, which the Committee of Public Lands have examined, and beg leave to adopt and refer to as a part of their report. The committee are satisfied that the petitioner is entitled to relief, and therefore report a bill.

REPORT of a Select Committee on the petition of J. B. C. Lucas and Clement B. Penrose.

DECEMBER 15, 1818.

The Select Committee, to whom was referred the petition of John B. C. Lucas and Clement B. Penrose, late land commissioners for the District of Louisiana, now Territory of Missouri,

REPORT:

That the petitioners were appointed commissioners for the District of Louisiana, under the act of Congress, entitled "An act for ascertaining and adjusting the titles and claims to lands within the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana," passed the 2d of March, 1805; that they entered on the duties of their office on the first day of December, 1805, and continued to execute and perform the duties appertaining to the office of land commissioners, until the 25th day of January, 1812; at which time they finally closed their business, as commissioners. That, during the time they continued to perform the duties of land commissioners, sundry acts of Congress were passed, limiting the time for transacting the business confided to them, and varying the mode and quantum of compensation; which your committee beg leave to recite and enumerate, to wit: The act passed the 2d of March, 1805, under which the said commissioners were appointed, gave them each $2,000, in full, for their services; that an act passed the 28th of February, 1806, changing the compensation of the commissioners in the Territory of Orleans and District of Louisiana, to six dollars per day and six dollars for every twenty miles necessarily travelled in the performance of their duties, under the said act; provided their respective compensations did not exceed $2,000. That an act was passed on the 3d of March, 1807, extending the time of giving notices to claimants, to the first of July, 1808; by which act, the petitioners, with the recorder of land titles, were constituted a board of revision; the principles of the former act being materially changed, and the duties much increased. The compensation allowed by this act, was at the rate of $2,000 per annum, from the 1st of July, 1807; "provided, that no more than eighteen months be thus allowed." That, at the expiration of the eighteen months,

the petitioners had not closed their business, but continued their duties and services, expecting that Congress, at December session, 1809, would make provision for their compensation, which was not done; they, however, still continued relying on the justice of Congress, as also in pursuance of a letter received from the Secretary of the Treasury, through the recorder, inviting them to continue their duties and trust to Congress for future remuneration. Your committee further state, that an act was passed the 3d of March, 1811, again varying their compensation in mode and amount, not only in the future, but, also, for the time past; viz: allowing the commissioners each 50 cents for each claim already confirmed or rejected, or that should be thereafter confirmed or rejected; having relation to the time when their salaries ceased under the act of the 3d of March, 1807, with a further sum of $500 when the business of their respective boards was finally closed; they, however, continued their services, and finally closed the business of their board in January, 1812, as before stated.

Your committee further state, that an act of Congress passed the 14th of May, 1812, for the relief of Thomas F. Redick, clerk to the board of commissioners of the territory of Louisiana, allowing him at the rate of $1,500 per annum, for his services as clerk to said board, from the commencement of his services, to close of the same. Your committee also further state, that, by an act of Congress passed the 29th of April, 1816, entitled "an act for settling the compensation of the commissioners, clerk, and translator, of the board for land claims in the eastern and western districts of the Territory of Orleans, now state of Louisiana," the said commissioners have been respectively allowed at the rate of $2,000 per annum, during the time they were employed in the discharge of their duties. Your committee being of opinion that the duties of the board of commissioners for the District of Louisiana were perfectly similar to those in the Territory of Orleans, and equally, if not more, burthensome and difficult to perform-embracing and extending to all the claims in the whole District of Louisiana, now Territory of Missouri, and possessing the same equity-therefore think the petitioners entitled to relief, and report a bill accordingly.