The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-22

!defcription were ifiucd, although few have been
filed; warrants had, in many inffances, been
lobtained from the Spanifh government, accom-
panied with an actual fu-vey and settlement,
(which, agreeable to the Spaniih enIfomy, were
recognized as good titles, even before the pa
tents iilued..
Claimants in this ituation, were often not
anxious about obtaining patents, which could
at any time be obtained as matter of couric
Hence it happened, that the treaty caught ma
ny in the policfhon of thoie Incomplete rights
Some perfons thought it Advisable to obtain
patents from the Spaniih office, which contin,i-
Ell open after the treaty. But Others concciv-
ing fuch patents, as comforting no additional e.
curty, truaed entirely to the juilice and liberia
lity of the United States, to make valid in law,
what they couddered perfect equitable title.
I'd. "Where the warrants of furvey, as well as
the patents, were fubiequent to the treaty."
| OF this defcription, four or five only have
been returned, but others certainly exit
Some men in favour with the Spaniih officers,
and truiting to the temporary continuance of
the SPaniih courts and government. acquefced
! in by the people, and commifioner Ellicot and
lieutenant Pope, the only representatives of the
United States, then prefent, received titles for
lands, which were dated agrceably TO the true
time of obtaining them. The number of thefe
claims is uncertain, but iaid to be numerous.
Sd: "When warrants and patents were indeed
iubiequent to the treaty, butsbth sntedated,
| 10 as to make them appear previous to the
treaty."
| Although no Claims Of this kind have Ito nv
knowledge been filed, yet no doubt is enter
tanned here OF their exitence. They are report
cd TO be OF great extent, and are fuppofcd to CO.
yer much valuable land near the frttements.
5th. "Caims founded ON the third fe 6tion of
the Bourbon county act"
Many citizens, who fubfequent to 1875, have
fettled and improved vacant lands, fuppofe that
under this third fiction, they will be entitled to
a right Of preference, when land Office may Be-
opened. The Bourbon act was repealed by
Georgia in February, 1888, but from the little
intercourfe between that Fate and this territory,
tits probable the repeating law was but partial
ly known: and that fome citizens might have
made their improvements under the invitation
given them in the Bourbon act.
With refpe6t to the aggregate quantity of
land covered by claims under the Cd article of
compromiie, and of the like aggregate of other
CLAIMS" it is irnpofible for me to form accu- I
rate efimates; but from the beR lights can
procure, i do fuppoie there cannon be more
than three hundred and fifty thouiad acres on !
the Miiinippi, covered by claims iuit by falling
under the I'd article of the compromife. AS to ,
the extent of private claims on the Mobile, ! !!
can hazard no opinion until the returns from !
Warrington county are received. 1t, however, |
is underltood, that beiides large tract Of pine
barrens, there is foIne valuable lands which re-
main to be diipofed of by the United States.
In order that you may be more fully inform
ed as to the true fate Of land claims in this ter
litory, / have forwarded all the returns which !
have been made and received, carefully filed un- !
der their different clales :-among them you
E,- I'll ,-b
confdered, be comprehended under any of the |
descriptions you have enumerated
The titles, for inftance, by Spaniih warrants
OF iurvey and poGefion without patents may be J
viewed OF this kind. But permit me TO remark
that this fpecies of title is efteemed here, as We
ry ftrong, in m equitable point Of view and l
am well informed they were viewed rs legal I'M
der the Spanifh government, and by cd,tom the /,
proprietor was authorized to fell after three
years occupancy.
1t will not have efcaped your obfrrvation,
that great proportion of the prefent popuati- |
on in this territory is competed of citizens who
have formed settlements upon vacant lands.
The heads of families of this defcrip.ion, in I
the counties of Jefferfon, Adams, Wilkinion,
and Claiborne, exceed feven hundred, and their
wives and children amount TO near three thou
fand.
do iincerely hope that thefe citizens may be |
fecurcd in their improvements, and that the 60 |
vernment will fell out the vacant land in this |
ditrict upon moderate terms, and in fnall tracts,
to actual fettlers. If this policy is not obferv-
ed, much diitref; will attend many of the fet- :
tiers, and the certain effeet will be their leaving
the territory in difguf, to become fubjeGts in T
country where heretofore the mott Hattering in
yitatons have been offered to the poorer clafs
OF induitrious citizens, by beftowing on every
applicant, without price, portions OF the richeit
land, proportioncd to the extent of their fami- !
lies. III The prefent farms of thefe fetters
would then probably fall into the hands OF fpe- |
culators, either in this diitriet or from the u
nited States.
Thus we may loofe comfortable portion of
our prelent population, and the further increaCe
of our numbers be retarded, by the beft and
mof convenient fpots being monopoliztd by
men pohef1ing large tracts of unoecupied lands. !
The confeqsence would be, that this, the mott
daant and infant fettlement of the United
States, at prefcnt infulated and defencelefs, bv
the baniIhment of the poorer clafs of white CT
tizens, and the Introduction of few wealthy !,
characters, with large encreafe of negroes !
Description of inhabitants already formidable TO
our prefert population.
With ientiments of great refpea and efteern, ,
have the honor to be, fir,
Your moit obedieut humble fcryant,
WIN. c. c. CLAIBORNE.
I(s) have not received a return Of the claims
which have been given in Warrington county.
/rJ Claims have bseu Tlsd bx,,