The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-20
THE YAZOO EMPIRE.
TcoNTINvED.7

tnce catied through ieveral hands, and 70 far rs
has come within the knowledge the commit
6oners, the title derived from the grants appear
TO BIZ now held in the following manner:
The whole tract granted to the Georgia
Mffaippi company, was divided into Gxteen
hundred equal undivided flares and the pre-
6dent and directors OF the comparT, in lauua-
ry, 1896, fold the whole, with the exception of
100000 acres, reierved for citizens fubicripti-
ons, to certain individuals in Manachuietts,
who fyle themfelves the New-England Ni;lIif-
iiPpi company. The title has been conveyed
to truitees for the ufe of the company, which
conGlts of 2,276 equal flares.
1t is urged hy fuudry a.iociates flares Of
the original MiGifippi company, that they have
not been paid, and that they are fill entitled to
portion of the land.
The tract granted to the Upper Miffidippi
COMPANY appears to be divided into twelve G.
quail undivided flares, and to be unentangled by
militant claims.
The tract granted to the Tennefcc GONNA
ny, was, by the grantees, Matthias Maher and
Lachariah Coke. divided into 400 equal flares.
Several hundred thoufand acres are, befides,
claimed under deeds, igned by T.. Coke alone,
and which appear to be excuiivey Of the
flores which he held. The greater part OF the
original flores are held by truitees, for the u:c
of the proprietors.
The Georgia company coniitted of ten flares,
exclufvely of number of fub-fhares and of mo-
ney flares, which have been either purchafcd
in by the company, or afforded in the payment
of certain tracts fold by them. That company,
however, TO longer exits, having fold the grea-
ter part of the territory by metes aud bounds !;
and surrendered the remainder to the fate of
Georgia. Inftead, therefore of beirg held by
truitees, or in undivided flares, the lands orr
giaaliy aligned TO that company, are claimed by
feverai individuals, each claiming difin6 tracts
In their own name. There is number of
militant claims in that part of the tract which
lies between the Alabam and TombiSbee ri
vcrs, fouth of the parallel SO 90 of north lati-
tude.
On the 18th day of February, 1896, the legif-
lsture of Georgia pafIed an act, o. declaring
the act CT the 9TH January, 1875, above meuti-
oned, null and void, as having been obtained
by fraud and corruption directing all records
OF grants or conveyauces relating TO the fae,
to be expunged and forbidding the recording,
thereafter, of any fucb conveyances OF contracts.
The document Q) contains the evidence on
which the Legislature acted.
BY the articles of agreement of the Georgia
company, and fchedule thereunto annexed
bearing date 1T and 10th January, 1895, copy
of which e.. No 9) was tranimitted to the COM
ETliilioners atnongf other documents by the at
tornes Of Hugh Rofe and Valentine Jones, two
pofed of comfortable quantity OF the lands
they intended to purchafe, to divers perfons
[whcfc names, with the amount in dollars paid
~ each, ap pear in the fchedule) for the purpofc
o. rafting fund to effect the purGhale of the
lands and that they had alto found it nee>G7lt'y
TO dtributc 70 variety of citizens OF the fate,
Certain flo-!hares, or quantities of land, in or
der that the beneit ihould be as generally diff
fufed as poiliblc. By the form of the fub-fhare
.L 81, IL IL
! certain quantity Of land, without making any
immediate payment, brt on paying within fe-
zen months what was fuppofed the original
purcbafe money: viz. two cents and third of
4 cent PER acre.
A companion of thc ichcdule annexed TO the
articles, and which is declared TO be part of
the agreement, With the yeas and nays on the
paflagc ofthe al, authorizing the iale, (E) flows
that all the members, both in the tsnate and
houfe, who voted in favour of the law, were,
with one Gn9le exception, (Rcbert Watkins,
whole name does not appear interefted in, and
parties to tie purchafe.
The articles OF agreement, and III of afoci-
sseS OF the ieTneffiite company, winch nave
been voluntarily furnirle6 by one of the truf-
tees, ihows that anumter of the members of
the legislature were allc inteTehcd in that COM
pany.
1t s alto proper to Rate, that all the deeds given
by the companies, which have been exhibited
to the commissioners, as well as all the flbfe-
quent deeds, with only two or three exceptions,
not only give fpecia, iDftead of general war
rantee, but have alto Gpecial covenant in the
following words
&" And laitly it is conYenanted and expressly
g agreed and anderltood, by and between the
e parties, to theie Prefents, that neither the
&c gramtors aforefaid nor their heirs, executors,
sc or administrators, fhall be held TO any fur
Their, or other warrantec, than is herein before
expreaed, nor liable to the refupdng of any
money, in coniequcnce of any defect in their
title, from the Rate of Georgia, if any lucb
there ihould hereafter appear to be-"
The att Of Georgia, of the 18th February,
1896, as we'll a. levera fublequent acts, had
made proviion for the repayment of the mo-
ney, depofited as The confederation Of the pur-
chafe and the document co., nlows that
3lO,6o5 dollars and fifteen cents, have been
withdrawn uudtrthoi laws. The commiGion-
ers have not been able TO procure the evidence
on which tRofe fums were paid il is, however.
underaood, that fuppofng the title from Ccor-
gia TO have been valid, not more than FIVE or
FIX millions Of acres have been fairly iIirender-
I'd by the parties, who have received that mo-
ncy.
h great majority Of thofc pcrf1rs who chin
the lands not surrendered, have iigned the pro-
petitions Of coupromife, hcreunto annexed,
~ by which they Offer 70 rcltn7uiih their
Claims provided that the United States man