Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-02-25

iisyed that The average irngtaoi me "Eioie
a,ay, without material ersoC, be etl,na'-
ed at 900 mics, and the contents OF me
territory, at & millions Of acres.
The only peftions OF that sait extent,
TO which the Iniian title has been ex-
s;nguilhed, are a tract or aoout one NIL
l;on ara half OF acres, extending along
the Nlidlliippi from the mouth q ihe II
ver Yazoo, louthwafdiy TO The SPanIlh
line and another tract at lealt equal IN
enr, and extending between The rivers
Palcagu!a AID Noble, or Tonoscc, more
than atty miles north OF thar llne.
The iettlements within thoIe two
tracts, which are ieparated from each O.
th-r, by wilderness Of 10 miles IN
breadth, from The whole population OF ne
Mimi}ippi territory.
The claims TO lands within thete bonn
daries, are derived either from the B1itiih
government Of Wet Florida, tron the
S3anifh government, occupancy and let
ii rncnt, or from The fate of Georgia.
The Btiufh governors of Welt Flori-
ia after Tie boundaries Of that province
had been extended as far north as the par
alIeI Of lat. which croaes the Mlldalppi,
ar The mouth Of The river Yazoo granted
LANDS ioutt Of that parallel, until the year
1871, when the province was conquered
by Spain.
A great portion Of the lands granted
10 that manner has iince been regraned
by the Spaniih government isyerai
TT e3s have cortinud the occupancy
Of the original grantees, or Of their re-
prelentatlves and feveral remain unoc-
cupicd, or are inhabited by lerfons who
ia, no other claim ba: that of poh- iilon.
1ae grants Of the Spanih government
appear TO have been confined 10 PeTtons
actually reGd;ng en- the lands bas they
were made ndIlcriminstely on every W.
occupied traa, whether the fame had
been preyioully granted by The Brittlh go
vcrnment or not :: nor did they dilcon-
| tinue making concelIions. even after Spain
had by the treaty Of October, 1875, re-
coenjzed the rights of the Uoiled States
to the whole territory north OF the GIT
degree Of north latitude.
Until the evacuation, which was de"
Iayed for near two yeats, had taken place,
grants were ifiucd, (omet:mes besrlng their
rsa! dates, and fomc:imes, as is a!iedged,
antedated.
On the 9TH February, I7s5, the fate
of Georgia paaed an act for The foTPoie
Of laying CUT the tract Of country, extend
ing along the FMifHfippi from the gift
degree of north latitude to the mouth OF
the river Yazoo, TO which the Indian IL
tie lad been exsingu;{hed, into a coun-
ty by the name Of Bourbon, and declared
that whenever a land Office ihould be
opened, there lhould be a right to prefer
ence relerved 10 the pofeaors Of lands
within that driGritt provided they &C
tually lived on and cultivated the iald
lands. That a6t was repealed on the lift
day Of February, 1888.
By the articles Of agreement ami cei-
fon between lie United States and Gcor-
gia, il is provided, thar the Pefions who
on the 9Th Oaober, 1895, tbeing the
date of the treaty with SPAIN were a3oal
iet,lers within thae territory, {haIlbe con
frmed in all the grants legally and fully
executed, prior TO that day, by the for
ner Britilh government Of Wet Florida,
or by the government of Spain, and in
all the claims which may be derived from
any actual faryey or fe,tiement made under
the act Of Georgia, commonly called the
Bourbon at.
The perfons in who favor that clauGe
was inherited, were at the requee of the
commilioners, invited by the governor
Of the Miiiaippi territory, TO exhibit
their clsims. This has been partially
done in that part of the terrlioiy which
lies CONTIGUOUS 20 the Miiijfippi claims.