The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-06
ihe following valuable Reports have
lately appeared in the National
lntelligcncer.
REPORT
REPORT
Fr5feHtea on the 26fb Of CANARY to the Houf IF
Repre/intatiq,es.

| nc committee to whom was referred on the
Zo.h OF January, the petition of William Dun
bar, OF the Miffiippi territory of the IJn;ted
States and to whom was re-comritted ~,
.ne third OF February laf, the petition oftbe
Mayor Aldermen and afiiftants of the Civ of
Natchez, IN the faid Miififiippi territory, TO-
gether with the report of ielecf committee
thereon, -'''ee
REPORT
That 1t appears there are in the CITY Of Nat
cneG' TWO lotS with building which is ufed at
Pfeieht Tor public purpofes and there is ada.
cent 10 the CITY, within the prefcribed limits of
ooul tWenty-three acres, which lots and land are
az Pfeient out OF regular poffefiion by any one.
& form the object off hefe petitions. The civ
CLAIMS Doth the land and the lots, without exbi-
bitlhg any regular evidence of title to either
while William Dunbar, claims the former mon
opanlil grant. Thefe contending claims do
not In the opinion of the committee, come reeI,-
larry under the cognizance of the board of com
Gl'nioherS e1ta6ilihed by an act of Congrefs for
,eltieiig certain enumerated descriptions of
aha,c "a in the Miiiiippi territory of the u
pear to be the fame which, being deemed ,,nap.
ProPnated and confdered as having pafred. or
oecn reltored 10 the United States by the treaty.
OF triendihip, sc. with Spain, in Di,rfi,ance ~
which the place was relinquifhed 10 them. were
by The 18th feciion of an act paCTed If the Isf
lelhon OF Consrets, entituled {" An a6t reo,,Ia-
tltig the grants of land, and providing for the
oiipoial OF the lands ofthe United States fouth
OF the tate OF Iennefiee" directed if truly the
properly OF me United States, to be located
ror the uie of JefFerfon College. Theft fmaII
pieces ofland confttute part Of a large tr,ff
which had been granted many wears before tbe
treaty, to an individual, by patent from the Spa
MN government, OF which tract, after il lad
oeen improved, and had paiIed through the
ndi'dS or ieVeral different proprietors, a con-
huerdols portion was repurchaicd by the 90
vernment OF the diftri6t, for the purpofe of cree
ting public buildings, and of eflabljihing the
town OF NatcieZ which was accordingly laid
oil thereon. The whole of this land is now in
'he poheihon OF individuals, either as town lots
or out lots, except the two town lots nov, in
queltion, with three others of incon6dersble
value, according TO the petition of the civ !.
OF coure not fit for fllch purpofe as the erec-
ZION OF public buildings, and perhaps fraction
OF 4 fourth alto unfit, and the out piece of land
GAINED by William Dunbar. His claim refs
upon grant OF governor Gayofo, dated the 10Th
Ut April 1877. The application upon which
inc grant was made, treats the land in ouenion
rs The private property of the king ofSpsin, and
denies 1t to be part of the public domain, while
thc grant HlCit, although It does not abandon
this after view, firivcs, does alo an explana-
tory communication from the claimant to the
former committee, 20 blend Herewith for1e pri-
vac right in The governor bimfelf. which creates
much con'uion in the view of the foundation
OF the claim. But this lat ground not being
Imported by any mention Of title on the part
OF the governor, in his private capacity, and be.
ing absolutely incompatible with the Others, the
committee have no heftation in pafing it over
with reiPe6t to the other ground Of claim that
This piece ofland was the private property of the