Petition to Congress by Inhabitants of the Territory

21 Feb 1811

Donated by ©Jeana Gallagher

©Illinois Trails History and Genealogy
http://www.genealogytrails.com/ill/gallatin

The petition of the undersigned inhabitants of the East end of Illinois Territory Respectfully shewth that they have Saw two petitions signed by a number of in the inhabitants of this Territory addressed to your body the one in opesition to the other the first of these we object to for the reasons aduced by the second to the second we object for its being so contracted and Illiberal in asking only a faavour for the few that has been so fortunate as to have obtained permits from the Regesters of the Land Office. We your petitioners hymbly conceives that in our openions that would be unjust for there is in the territory a large number of setlers. Especially in this end of it that had not an oppertunity of obtaining permits none having been granted to any that was supposed to be within the boundry designed by Governor Harrison for the use of the United States saline Lick a boundry of atlest thirty miles long on the Ohio River and extendin about twenty miles from said river including more good land than can be shown in as much bounds in any other part of the Territory. We your petitioners hope that you in your wisdom will grant to each and every actual settler on the unsold public lands in the Territory, one quarter section of land including their improvements at the price fixed by Government of that may hereafter be fixed that is if they are able to comply with said terms if not let it be sold to him that will give the most for it, he paying the settler a reasonable recompence for his improvment. This will be doing equal justice to all and not grinding the face of the poor by making sale of their labour which is as muich theirs as any other spcious of property the holde. You have already granted and ordered a town to be lade of at Shawenee Town in said boundry above mentioned. We hope you will fix and establish a certain boundry for said Lick sufficient to supply the Lick with wood for ever and at the largest calculation three or four miles on each side of the Saline Creek beginning as far above the woorks as wll be thought necessary. Extending down to the mouth of said Creek which will be amply sufficant your petitioners further prayeth that you would grant to each man actually settled in the boundry lade off for a town one in and out lot nearest to their several improvements and also give them the privelege of moveing their houses and fences unto said lots the paying the price for said lots set by government as a number of them has made consitherable improvements and has laboured under many dificulyes and through them the place is become valuable and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray &c