s militia, since the
militiaman had not only fought as bravely as the regular, but had also
furnished his own supplies. If such a donation was not made it was hoped
that a right of preemption would be given to the militia, or failing even
this, that they might be given the right, legally, to collect from anyone
entering their land, the value of their improvements.(228) In proof of the
fact stated in the memorial, that speculators had bought many French
claims, it may be noted that William Morrison had ninety-two of the claims
granted at Kaskaskia, his affirmed claims comprising more than eighteen
thousand acres, exclusive of a large number of claims measured in French
units, while John Edgar received a satisfactory report on claims
aggregating more than forty thousand acres, in addition to a number of
claims previously affirmed to him.(229)

A few days after preparing the above memorial, the legislature prepared an
address to Congress, in which reference was made to the arrangement made
between Congress and Ohio by the Act of April 30, 1802, granting to Ohio
two salt springs on condition that the state should agree not to tax such
public lands as should be sold within her borders, until after five years
from the date of sale. Illinois wished in similar fashion to gain control
of the salt springs on Saline creek. The Illinois delegate in Congress was
instructed that if the bargain could not be made, he should attempt to
secure an appropriation for opening a road from Shawneetown to the Saline
and thence to Kaskaskia. It was also desired that the Secretary of the
Treasury should authorize the designation of the college township reserved
by the Ordinance of 1787 and by the Act of 1804, and because "labor in
this Territory is abundant, and laborers at this time extremely scarce,"
it was hoped that slaves from Kentucky or elsewhere might be employed at
the salines for a period of not more than three years, after which they
should return to their masters.(230) Each prayer of this address was
granted. The enabling act and the Illinois constitution ceded the salt
springs to the state and agreed that public lands sold in Illinois should
be exempt from taxation for five years from date of sale; the Illinois
Constitution provided for the employment of slaves at the salt works; an
act provided for the location of the college township; and in 1816 the
making of the desired road was authorized, although at the beginning of
1818 the ro