Case ID: dallam_1/html/0621-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "HEMPHILL, Chief Justice.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

No. XXX.
    Clement E. Johns v. The Republic of Texas.
    (See .)
    
      Apeal from Red River County.
    
    
      
      .—Johns v. Republic of Texas, p. 621.
      Under Act of December 14, 1837 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 1, p. 1404), it was necessary to prove in court, the same facts which the statute required for the satisfaction of the Board of Land Commissioners. Land Commissioners v. Reily, Dal., 381; Republic v. Skidmore, Dal., 581; Land Commissioners v. Raguet, 2 T., 98. Claimants were required, prior to Act of February 2, 1848 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 3, p. 18), to prove same facts under sec. 11 of Act of February 4, 1841 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 2, p. 635). Tichner v. State, 2 T., 269; State v. Mason, 2 T., 315; Linn v. State, 2 T., 317. Laws to detect fraudulent land certificates are constitutional. Land Commissioners v. Reily, Dal., 381; Hosner v. De Young, 1 T., 764; Peck v. Moody, 23 T., 93; Sherwood v. Fleming, 25 T. Sup., 408; Durrett v. Crosby, 28 T., 687; League v. De Young, 11 How., 185. Act of November 29, 1871 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 7, p. 47), providing for survey and return of general land certificates, is constitutional. Snider v. I. & G. N. Ry. Co., 52 T., 306. Applicant to establish headright claim under Acts of December 14, 1837, and February 4, 1841, was required to prove both actual residence at date of declaration of independence and continued residence to time of making application to establish claim. Land Commissioners v. Walling, Dal., 524; Republic v. Skidmore, Dal., 581; State v. De Casinova, 1 T., 401; Grooms v. State, 1 T., 568; Republic v. Skidmore, 2 T., 261; Tichner v. State, 2 T., 269; Land Commissioners v. Riley, 3 T., 237; Paschal v. Perez, 7 T., 348; Jones v. Montes, 15 T., 351. So long as the title is imperfect or inchoate, the State may establish such regulations as it may deem necessary to perfect the title, and attach such terms as it may deem proper. It may even disavow. Land Commissioners v. Reily, Dal., 381; Land Commissioners v. Walling, Dal., 524; Hosner v. De Young. 1 T., 764; Jones v. Menard, 1 T., 771; Trimble v. Smithers, 1 T., 790; Land Commissioners v. Raguet, 2 T., 98; Norton v. Land Commissioner, 2 T., 357; League v. De Young, 2 T., 497; Kemper v. Victoria, 3 T., 135; Land Commissioners v. Riley, 3 T., 237; Smith v. State, 5 T., 397; Jones v. Borden, 5 T., 410; Warren v. Shuman, 5 T., 441; Land Commissioner v. Smith, 5 T., 471; Paschal v. Perez, 7 T., 348; Lewis v. Mixon, 11 T., 564; Hart v. Gibbons, 14 T., 213; Hamilton v. Avery, 20 T., 612; Peck v. Moody, 23 T., 93; Sherwood v. Fleming, 25 T. Supp., 408; Smith v. Taylor, 34 T., 589; Snider v. Methvin, 60 T., 487; Capp v. Terry, 75 T., 391; Jones v. Lee, 86 T., 25; Thompson v. Baker, 90 T., 163; League v. De Young, 11 How., 185. A colonist was not entitled to a grant as head of a family, unless his family was resident in Texas. Land Commissioners v. Ball, Dal., 366; Land Commissioners v. Reily, Dal., 381; Land Commissioners v. Walling, Dal., 524; Republic v. Skidmore, Dal., 581; Langford v. Republic, Dal., 588; Republic v. Inglish, Dal., 608; Grooms v. State, 1 T., 568; Republic v. Skidmore, 2 T., 261; Tichnor v. State, 2 T., 269; Lewis v. Ames, 44 T., 319, 345; Lott v. King, 79 T., 292; Hill v. Moore, 85 T., 335; Byrn v. Kleas, 15 T. C. A., 205; Union Beef Co. v. Thurman, 70 Fed. Rep., 965. An unmarried colonist, under twenty-one years of age, was not entitled to a headright grant. Lockhart v. Republic, 2 T., 127. But it will be presumed from the fact that a headright certificate was granted by the proper authority, that the grantee was the head of a family, and evidence is not admissible in a collateral proceeding to show that he was not married and that his family was not in Texas. Johnston v. Smith. 21 T., 722; Bowmer v. Hicks, 22 T., 155; Howard v. Colquhoun, 28 T., 134; Burkett v. Scarborough, 59 T., 495; Capp v. Terry, 75 T., 391; Boone v. Hulsey, 71 T., 176; Hill v. Moore, 85 T., 335; Byers v. Wallace, 87 T., 503. Grant is valid if the grantee in good faith intended to move his family to Texas. Repuplic v. Young, Dal., 464; State v. Skidmore, 5 T., 469; Russell v. Randolph, 11 T., 460. Titles issued by alcaldes and commissioners after closing of Land Office by Act of Consultation on November 13, 1835 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 1, p. 541), which took effect immediately on adoption, are null and void. Donaldson v. Dodd, 12 T., 381; Spier v. Laman, 27 T., 205; Parker v. Bains, 59 T., 15. If the title was actually issued before November 13, 1835, making out and delivering the testimonio shortly afterwards did not invalidate the title. Houston v. Blythe, 60 T., 506. Holders of orders for surveys and headright certificates, issued prior to November 13, 1835, could only establish their claims in the mode prescribed by Act of December 14, 1837 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 1, p. 1404), upon proof of facts enumerated in section 12. Land Commissioners v. Reily, Dal., 381; Land Commissioners v. Walling, Dal., 524; Republic v. Skidmore, Dal., 581; Republic v. Inglish, Dal., 608; Jones v. Menard, 1 T., 771; Trimble v. Smithers, 1 T., 790; Land Commissioners v. Raguet, 2 T., 98; Land Commissioners v. Riley, 3 T., 237; Capp v. Terry, 75 T., 391. All certificates returned by commissioners as genuine, but not recommended on account of want of oath required by section 12 of Act of December 14, 1837, were validated and directed to be patented by Act of January 19, 1841 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 2, p. 528). Whitehead v. Foley, 28 T., 1; Spofford v. Bennett, 55 T., 293. Under Act of February 5, 1840 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 2, p. 335), patents could only issue on certificate of recommendation from Board of Land Commissioners and holders of unrecommended land certificates had no standing in court without it. Norton v. Land Commissioner, 2 T., 357; Bracken v. Wells, 3 T., 88, 90; Kemper v. Victoria, 3 T., 135; Miller v. Brownson, 50 T., 583. All surveys supported by recommended certificates valid; without them, invalid. Warren v. Shuman, 5 T., 441; Scott v. Mather, 14 T., 235; Whitehead v. Foley, 28 T., 268. Headright certificate is not color of title, unless recommended. Horton v. Crawford, 10 T., 382; Whitehead v. Foley, 28 T., 268. Prohibition in Act of February 5, 1840, against surveys on unrecommended certificates after May 1, 1840, did not legalize surveys made either prior or subsequently on unrecommended certificates. Warren v. Shuman, 5 T., 441. It seems that surveys on genuine headright certificates are valid, though not recommended by commissioners. Howard v. Perry, 7 T., 259; Hart v. Gibbons, 14 T., 213. But under Act of January 29, 1840 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 2, p. 313), authority to issue patents on first class headright certificates, was based on recommendation. Miller v. Brownson, 50 T., 583. Under extension of time allowed by Constitution of 1845, a survey made on an unrecommended certificate prior to January 1, 1844, suit to establish claim could be maintained in 1847. Lewis v. Mixon, 11 T., 564; Hart v. Gibbons, 14 T., 213; Scott v. Mather, 14 T., 235. Under Act of February 7, 1860 (Gammel Laws of Texas, vol. 4, p. 1410), providing for re-examination of rejected warrants and certificates, a rejection made before limit of time fixed in section 11 is not void, the object of the statute being to give claimants ample time to prove their claims. Durrett v. Land Commissioner, 28 T., 687. Under Act of April 25, 1871 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 6, p. 962), holders of unlocated certificates were not required to locate them at any particular period between passage of law and January 1, 1875. Laws in force prior to Act of November 29, 1871 (Gammel’s Laws of Texas, vol. 7, p. 47), did not require certificate and field notes to be returned within twelve months after survey. Snider v. I. & G. N. Ry. Co., 52 T., 306; Snider v. Methvin, 60 T., 487. Under Revised Statutes 1895, secs. 4138 and 4145, survey must be made within twelve months after entry, and field notes returned within twelve months after survey. Von Rosenberg v. Cuellar, 80 T., 249.
    
   HEMPHILL, Chief Justice.

—The appellant instituted suit to obtain a certificate for one-third of a league of land, which he claimed to be due to one James W. Herron, the original vendor of the headright. Judgment was given for the Republic and the following bill of exceptions was filed:

“In this case the presiding judge charge the jury, that before the plaintiff can recover it is incumbent on him to prove that the original claimant, Herron, was a resident citizen of Texas at the time the application for a land certificate was made before the board of land commissioners; to which the plaintiff excepts and prays that this exception form a part of the record.”

We are of opinion that the judge of the court below in his charge to the jury did not err. The land law of 1837, in section 12, requires the purchaser of a headright to prove, among other matters, “that the person represented as entitled to a grant is actually a resident of the Republic at the time the application for the grant is made.” In the cases of Board of Land Commissioners v. James Reily, Assignee, and of The Same v. Jesse Walling, we have decided that this provision of the statute was not in conflict with the Constitution. The question of discrepancy between the two instruments has not perhaps yet been argued with the elaborate effort or been subject to the thorough investigation which its importance and the magnitude of the interests involved would seem to require. The principles laid down in the cases above cited, not having been impugned in argument, will not be re-examined. They are decisive of the exception taken in this case. We are of opinion that there was no error in the charge of the judge, and it is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that the appeal be dismissed.