Autographs
1817 President James Madison Approved Congressional Act Regarding Procedure for the Sale of Public Lands
(JAMES MADISON)(1751-1836). 4th President of the United States (1809-1817), hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for being instrumental in the Drafting of the United States Constitution and as the Key Champion and Author of the United States Bill of Rights. Also, Secretarially Signed for both HENRY CLAY, Speaker of the House and JOHN GAILLARD, President of the Senate.
February 22, 1817-Dated Federal Period, (Secretarially Written) "Retained Draft" Manuscript Document Secretarially Signed, ("James Madison") as President, Congressional Act Regarding Procedures for the Sale of Public Lands, Approved by President James Madison plus; Secretarial Signed, ("H(enry) Clay) as Speaker of the House of Representatives & John Gaillard President of the Senate, Protempore," Fine.

This is an authentic Retained Secretarial Signed Copy of an official Congressional Act titled: "An Act providing for the division of certain quarter sections on future sales of the public Lands." Approved by President James Madison, February 22, 1817, and authorized by Henry Clay and John Gaillard, 1 page, measuring about 7.75" x 9.5", Quarto, Handwritten on "AMIES" watermarked wove period paper. This Document has been folded for transmittal, edge chip restored at upper right, some splitting along the top fold reinforced previously with old tape on its reverse leaving some staining show through, and more recently with proper archival fiber tape. Docket on its blank reverse side reads, in full: "Act of 22 Feby 1817 for the Division of certain Qtr (quarter) Sections." The Handwritten Draft Act reads, in part:



Headed: "An Act providing for the division of certain quarter Sections in future Sales of the public Lands. --- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the first day of September next, the Section designated by number two, five, twenty, twenty three, thirty and thirty three, in each and every township of the public lands, the Sale of which is now, or hereafter may be authorized by law, Shall be offered for Sale either in quarter Sections or half quarter Sections, at the option of the purchaser, and in every case of division of a quarter Section, the partition Shall be made by a line running due north and South, and in every other respect the Said Sections Shall be offered whether at public or private Sale on the Sam terms and conditions as have been, or may be by law provided for the Sale of the other public lands, of the United States. --- H. CLAY Speaker of the House of Representatives - JOHN GAILLARD President of the Senate Protempore --- February 22nd 1817 - approved - JAMES MADISON".



Overall, well written and easily readable in deep brown ink, being an extraordinary contemporary draft of President James Madison's Approved Congressional Act Regarding Procedures for the Sale of Public Lands. Exceedingly rare.
Henry Clay (1777-1852). Leader of the Whig party and five times an unsuccessful presidential candidate, he played a central role on the stage of national politics for over forty years. He was secretary of state under John Quincy Adams, Speaker of the House of Representatives longer than anyone else in the nineteenth century, and the most influential member of the Senate during its golden age.



John Gaillard (September 5, 1765 " February 26, 1826) was a U.S. Senator from South Carolina. Gaillard was born in St. Stephen's district, South Carolina, on September 5, 1765. He was of Huguenot descent. He was elected to the United States Senate in place of Pierce Butler, who resigned, and served from December 6, 1804 until his death in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 1826. During his tenure, Gaillard voted for the War of 1812. He served as President pro tempore of the Senate in the part of the 11th Congress and at least part of every Congress from the 13th to the 18th. He was also the "Acting Vice President", or next in line to the presidency, from November 25, 1814, two days after the death of Vice President Elbridge Gerry, to March 4, 1817