| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1786
Congress assembled. Present as yesterday.
The Committee [consisting of Mr. John Cleves Symmes, Mr. Henry Lee, and Mr. Pierse Long] to whom was referred the letter from the Count de Beaufort to His Excellency soliciting the United States to make him a grant of lands within their territory, upon certain conditions therein stipulated, beg leave to report.
That in the opinion of your committee, proper attention ought to be paid to the contents of the letter from the Count de Beaufort, for the following reasons:
Page 69 | Page image
Your committee find themselves a lit fie embarrassed when they consider that the Count de Beaufort, believing (as they suppose) that the United States in their federal capacity are possessed of an extensive sea coast on the Atlantic, has calculated his plans upon commercial views, as well as on those of manufactures and agriculture; whereas in fact the United States have never been able to obtain the cession of one foot of sea coast, from the individual States. The interior navigable waters of the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi which spread themselves very extensively along the west and north boundaries of the United States, have no communication with the Atlantic ocean but through the dominions of his british majesty in Canada in the former instance, and through the territories belonging to his Catholic majesty at the Floridas in the latter. Therefore until by future treaties with these Crowns, the United States obtain the free navigation of those several rivers, the United States have it not in their power to encourage the maritime views of the Count de Beaufort.
Your committee are of the opinion that the United States have it in their power fully to accommodate the Count de Beaufort with a district of country equal to his wishes, as far as agriculture and manufactures are concerned, and within the latitudes to which he gives preference, but beg leave to submit, that the Ordinance of Congress of the 20th of May last, so circumscribes your committee that they do not find themselves at liberty to take into their consideration what particular parts of the federal lauds are best adapted to the plan of the Count de Beaufort, it being impossible without a violation of the Ordinance to appropriate any certain district (especially in the extent requested) to the purposes of the Count.
Your committee are led to beleive that the Count de Beaufort expects to obtain a patent from the United States of the district for which he sues, on a kind of feodal tenure, stipulating as an equivalent, to build houses and even a city, to introduce settlers, encourage the arts, establish manufactures, promote agriculture, &c, &c, and to effect much of this within a given period, and tho' your committee are fully sensible of the utility that would result to the United States from all these labours and improvements, yet the pressing necessities of the federal government are such, that if it was otherwise compatible with the genius and liberty of the citizens of the United States to countenance a tenure of this sort, their finances
Page 70 | Page image
will by no means admit of a disposition of any part of the federal lands but for an immediate compensation agreeably to the said Ordinance.
Your committee are therefore of opinion thatbe directed to transmit to the Count de Beaufort, copies of the articles of confederation and perpetual union of the United States, of the resolution of Congress of the 23d of April, 1784, and the ordinance of Congress of the 20th of May, 1785, and that he inform the Count de Beaufort that Congress will treat with' him in all respects upon the same footing as the citizens of the United States purchase and appropriate lands in the federal territory.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of John Cleves Symmes, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I, folio 253. According to indorsement it was read this day.]
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |