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from “The Territorial Papers of the United States” Volume VI, The Territory of Mississippi, 1809-1817 PETITION TO CONGRESS BY PURCHASERS OF PUBLIC LANDS EAST OF PEARL RIVER [No date, 1815] To the Honourable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress Assembled: the humble petition of certain purchasers of public lands east of Pearl River Respectfully Showeth. That when your petitioners made purchase of public lands,-they did believe that they purchased them under the simple condition of paying for them in certain instalments, and under the expectation that if they failed to make payment on the day appointed,-they would be liable, as in all similar contracts, to pay the interest on their instalments from the time they became due. Experience has sadly convinced your petitioners that the receivers of public monies, insist, on the part of the United States, not only upon the ordinary, simple, legal interest upon instalments not paid on the day,-but on a certain forfeiture or penalty, under the name of “back interest”, founded on the principle that on the failure of payment at the period appointed,-the government becomes entitled not only to interest from that time, but to interest from the very day of purchase;-thus raising a charge against the unfortunate purchaser,-not only of simple interest, but in some cases of even double or treble compound interest. Your petitioners can scarcely believe that this was ever the intention of the just and paternal government of the United States:-and they have a firm hope that the statement of the existing evil is alone sufficient to insure a remedy. Some of your petitioners had, perhaps, peculiar reason to deem the existing practice a severe one. They had purchased land, before they removed to the territory; and during the state of indian hostility it was impossible for an inhabitant of Georgia or Carolina to reach the land office in St Stephens with the instalment due:-and had they reached it; they would have found the doors of the office shut, and all kinds of civil business utterly suspended. Your petitioners therefore humbly hope that a law will pass for refunding what is called back interest, & forbidding its collection in future: and your petitioners as in duty bound &c Warham Easley Ellingtown Evans Lovelace Mott Drury Allen Darling Perry Henry Merrick William Landrum Jonah Mott Robert Pugh John Lowry Jas L. Phillips John Easley Edward Bazer John Dinan Elijah Pugh Jesse B Landrum Edward M. Fallin Mathew Hicks Armstead Hall William N Robison William Coate John Landrum [ R H Gilmer ] [ This and an illegible name that follows are marked out of the manuscript. ] Duncan Leach David Glass Nathan Perry Francis Perry Thos Goodwyn Jams Thompson Harris Tilman William Bradley John Bradley Senr John McGrew A. Kilpatrick David Smith William Perkins William Jones John Hogg Jno Deane Robt Caller L. Gilmore R. G. Haden G. R. Kennerly Alexr Shaw James Woods Russell Jones John Cox Jas Daffin Caleb Bazer John Braddley Josiah Wills John Gilmore Wm Thornton Wilson Perry Moses Hill Robert Dougals Duna D C Camble Joseph Holeman Abner Turner U. H. Dent Edward Evans John McFarlnd Wm Eveleigh Benjamin Hogg Gerrard W. Creagh Jas Lawson Jesse B Irvine Leonard Pearson Robert Phillips John Welch William Webb Jonas Spikes Matthew Brewer Samuel Hammond Jno Brown Joseph Kemp Jas Braden John McKinney Henry Franklin Hugh Cassity Vinson Harrison Richard Cole Rezin Pugh Amos Robinson |
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