Page:Journal of the Sixth Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan.djvu/99

22.] Mr. Doty, from the committee on incorporations, to whom were referred petitions for the establishment of a bank at Ypsilanti, and a bank at Ann Arbor, in the county of Washtenaw, made a report adverse to the prayer of the petitioners. Laid on the table.

Mr. Doty, from the committee on incorporations, to whom was referred the petition of Stowell and Griswold, praying to be incorporated under the name of "The Detroit Museum," made a report adverse to the prayer of the petitioners, concluding with the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners ought not to be granted.

Mr. Millington, from the committee on enrolment, reported that the committee had examined and compared the "Act to provide for the election of a county assessor, and for other purposes," and had found the same to be correctly enrolled.

Mr. Martin, from the committee on the judiciary, reported the following memorial to Congress, which, on motion of Mr. Doty, was laid on the table, and ordered to be printed:

The Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, in behalf of sundry citizens of said Territory, who have claims against the United States, for property lost, captured, or destroyed, during the late war, respectfully represent:

That there are many worthy citizens of the Territory of Michigan, who not only made great sacrifices in the defence of the country, but suffered severe and heavy losses of property, captured or destroyed by the enemy during the late war; since, which time, they have sought relief from the government of the United States in vain.

The law of Congress, approved April 9th, 1816, entitled "An act to authorize the payment for property lost, captured or destroyed by the enemy, while in the military service of the United States, and for other purposes;" and the amendments to said act, approved March 3d, 1817, and March 3d, 1825, whatever might have been the intention of Congress, when passing the acts, have fallen far short of giving that relief to the suffering citizens of this Territory, to which, in the opinion of your memorialists they are so justly entitled.

The rules of construction in relation to testimony, marked out by the war department, have barred many of the claims of the citizens, seeking relief by virtue of the acts aforesaid.

That your honorable body may be informed of the nature and extent of the claims for which we ask relief, we have thought fit and proper to make the following statement of them, with