You know, after letting it age a while, I think I finally understand what was going on.
The Territorial Legislature was NOT agreeing to provide relief itself - they were asking
the US government to be as generous as they were to Caracas, Venezuela.  I'm guessing
they did not have much of a budget of their own, and may not have had authority to give
land away.  I think the "general assembly" is the territorial legislature, and the "general
government" is the folks up in Washington.

I hope this helps.
 
Charlie

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Cover:

A resolution for the relief of the Inhabitants of the County of New Madrid

Resolution of the General Assembly of the Missouri Territory for the relief of the inhabitants of the County of New Madrid who have suffered by Earthquakes.

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12: Feby. 1814.

Ref’d to the Com’y on the Public Lands.

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20: Feby. 1814.

Bill reported and committed to a

Committee of the whole House on Monday next:

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13th 6

(600)

Signature: M H [illegible]

= = = =

[Text:]

A Resolution for the relief of the Inhabitants of the County of New Madrid

Whereas in the Catalogue of Miseries and [Af]flictions, with which it has pleased the supreme being of the universe, to visit the

Inhabitants of this earth, there are none more truly a[wful] and destructive than Earthquakes - Man’s wisdom can not foresee nor [...]

precaution guard against them - For whatever Sections [...] the habitable world, this wreck of matter, these convulsions of nature occur; they do

not fail profoundly to impress us with awe; and to in[ci]te our astonishment at their terrible effects - As members of the great human

Family, our deepest commiseration should not fail to be excited, and our hearts expanded with Charity for the relief of those whose lives are

saved from the general wreck - We ought never to forget that what was their fate Yesterday may be ours tomorrow - And Whereas it is Notorious

to this general assembly, that the Inhabitants of the late District - now County of New Madrid, in this Territory, have lately been visited with

several Calamities of this Kind, which have deluged larg[e] [p]ortions of their Country and involved in the greatest distress, many families, whilst others ha[ve]

been entirely ruined, whole districts of country have been a[nihi]lated and many valuable farms utterly destroyed - many of these our unfortunate felow=

=citizens are now wandering about without a home to g[.........] roof to shelter them from the pitiless Storms - And whereas the best light in which the

Calamities are viewed by the enlightened humane governme[nt] of the United States, has been conspicuously manifested, by their liberal distributions in [favor]

of the sufferers at [Carracas], this Plural Assembly can [not] therefore doubt but what it will be equally ready to extend relief to a portion of its own

Citizens, under Similar Circumstances - Be it therefore resolved by the General Assembly for the Territory of Missouri, that they do recommend the Inhabi=

=tants of the said County of New Madrid, who have thus suffered to the consideration of the National Legislature and that in the opinion of the said general Assembly

provisions ought to be made by law for granting to the Said Inhabitants relief, either out of the public land or in such other way as may seem meet

to the wisdom & liberality of the general government

St. Louis, January 12th, 1814 Geo Bullitt

William Clark Speaker of the House of Representatives

Governor of the Missouri Territory S. Hammond

President of the Legislative Counsel