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

Acaus
IN. Grants to perfons who Were actual fettlers
/, w'thn the coded territory the 2Tth OSto-
&, Der, 1885, legally and fully executed, prior
| to that day by the former Britiih government;
o. Wef Floridl.
| The packet marked (A.) contains all the
claims of this deicription which have been a.
led.
Cd. Grants to perions who were actual fet-
| tiers within the coded territory, on tie 27th
October, 1885, legally andf,iy executed. pri-
orto that day by the government of Spain.
| Thefe fpecies OF titles are numerous. The
packet marked (B.) contains all which have been
| filed.
Sd. Claims of perfons who were fcttlers within
| the territory on the G7th of October, 1895,
derived from actual furvcys or fettlemcnts
made under the law Of Georgia PAT; ID Fcbru-
arv7, 1885, commonly called the Bourbon
| act.
The packet &C. contains claims of this clafs
which have been lied. Few of thofc claimants
ailedge to have made actual furveys; il would
have been unfafe TO have done 70 during the
exieence of the Spaniih government. But
they rely upon the settlements, which they
formed bya verbal per'niiion from the exiting
government, and the invitation held out BY the
|
| Among the titles recognized in the agreement.
OF compromiie with Georgia, there will arife
4 few which claih, viz. " lands claimed by diff
ierent perfons under Brtiih and Spaniih titles,
who were both fetters in the territory, on the
9th October, l795."-This will be found to
have been occafoned by one or two caufes -
" The Britfh proprietor did either not refdc
IN the territory, or being preiept, had not
complied with the conditions of his patent
at the time of regranting by the Spaniih govern
meut.
! have endeavoured to inform myfelf as to
the manner in which grants were made and COM
! plrted. under both the Britiih and Spanilh GO
! vernmcnts.
Under the Britiih government, grants were
!fometirnes idued By the king himfelf, but more
! frequently by his representative, the governor
| OF Wet Florida. The former title was con-
fcrred for fome Ggnal iervices rendered by an
individual tive latter title, which was the
mott ufual, was obtained in the following mar
ner. The applicant for land prciented petit
on TO the governor and Council of Wet Flori-
da, and upon the petition being granted, an
order from the governor to the furveyor gene.
raj OF the province was made, which was cal
led the warrant OF iurvey: when the iiiryey was
completed, and returned to the fecrctary's of
nee, and the patent ianed, it frequently hap
pened that by delay in the office, occs6oncd
by various circumstances, and in fome innan-
ces, by reafon OF the Spanih conqueit of Flo,-
da, thofs perfons who had obtained warrants,
and paid the price of furveying and never ac-
quired complete patent. have procured
copy Of Britifh patent, which is herewith en-
clofed, marked CA, l.)
The manner OF obtaining titles under the Spa
Nth soveInRlent, was fimilar to the Taft mode
OF Britiih grant. The Applicant for land, appi-.
ed by petition to the Spaniih governor general
Of Louihana, or the governor at Natchez. If
the petition was granted, an order in writing was
given to the furveyor general (Which was called
tie warranty to furyey and put the petitioner in
poheiion of a certain quantity of land (Which
was namcd.)
On the return of the furvey to the Office of
the fecretary for the province of Louifana, at
Orleans, formal patent with the plat and GER
tIhcatc of furvey prehxcd was if1ucd and ligned
by the governor general of the province of Lou
iflana. In THE cafe alto delay, in the interme-
date fteps fometimes prevented perfon. who
had procured warrants of furvey, and were in
complete pofiefiion of the land, from obtaining
perfect patents. A copy of petition, warrant
of furvey, and Spaniff patent, is herewith en-
cloied, marked( "a, e.)
will now proceed to notice our claims not
recognized in the agreement of compromife.
but concerning which you requea informat-
on.
1T "With refped to the claim grounded on
the alledged grants of Georgia, fubiequent
to the Bourbon act"
l cannot learn that any tract of land is now
occupied by any of thofe purchafers, or by
perions claiming under them. A copy of an o.
rigina letter upon the fubied of the Georgia
fale, dated at Bottom, October #, 1899, fgned
by feverai perfons filling themfelves &c agents
forthe proPrietors Of Georgia lands" addreifed
to fomc respectable citizen in this territory, to-
sether with copy of the anfwer which was re-
turned thereto, are herewith enclofed, marked
"a 5 and a ~
I'd. Z" Claims, if any, derived under the
French government previous to the peace of
1863"
No title ari6ng from this fource, has been E.
led, and have it from authority, that no claim
on the part of the ancient French proprietors
ever appeared, during the exifencs of the Bri-
tiih or Spaniih government in this territory.
" The frequent contefts between the French
and the Natchez aborigines caufed the former
to abandon their agricultural pofIefIions in this
quarter of Louiiiana, long before the peace OF
1853"
Sd. Claims derived underthe Britifh and Spa
NTH governments, previous to the treaty of
1875, unaccompanied by actual fettlcment at
the date Of the treaty"
No claims ofthis defcription have been fled !;
nor is it probable there are many fuch of Spa
nfh origin. But it is matter of great notori-