The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-01-18
CVoIumE 2.

| "'' pi"'e tnat hlaniteN inlntice viii be done
20 numerous claimants, hould proof be r,guir-
ca mat the lads were actually inhabited and
| cultivated on the lst day Of OHoher, 1900. nv
MN IN whole favour the warrant ifIue,., ,r ~
Tome perion for his ute. L. the form of rh,.fe
conceihins or warrants of turveY, little .,ir,v
IS oicoverablc. They nate that the roads and
ieVeeS, where they are neceiiary, are to- lie
made within year, that the land is to be L tiled
oetore the expiration of three wears, and Is not
| 10 DC ahensd. until the conditions are perform
ei: Upon the NOT ftria contribution or this
,ntrument, it is clear that the holder of il is all
lowed three years to fettle his lard. and that
TINS PERIOD cannot be abridged without al, act
or manifet iniuttce. In, all inlfanccs. where
me orders OF furvey are not dated more than
.nree years anterior to the lat day of Oahber.
500, this provihon of the att, womb ooe.ate
TO the great injury of the honrt Claim int. Your
memoriaIias beg leave to be in,'ulsedfin t..neat.
'"e that the SpanIih government never returned
'neir grants on account of the non performance
OF the conditions, uDlefs the party c!aia,inp had
e''nceo lone diipoii.ion to abandon he laad,
or 10 emIgrate from the province. ItSmay.be
proper a'io to obierve, that in many ir tances.
where lands had been long fett!sd, and every
condition religi@uily perfor red, the PROPRIETOR
had either irt'lcd on fome other tract, which he
hao acquired by purchatr, or owed to the
bounty of government, and had perrin, nd bic
former acqui6tion to remain ON the 1st sav Of
October, unInhabited and uncu;tivatrd, Geiihs
oy hifnieit, or by any perfon for his u.e. II
would feem fuperhnous TO obferve on u ini,t.
ticc or retuhng 20 confirm claim und, ih,d.
circumstances, for want of refidcnce and f ,ul.
tivatloa and yet fich is the a4ual Gate of mn.
merous claims within the territory of Orleans.
YoHr memorabilia therefore pray, that &, ,nury,
OF the act, as requires actual reGdencel or he
land, and cultivation, may he difpenf6 witt.
and the commxlioners in confirming titlAs. FIN
he guided by the tenor of the title p.Deie. and
the laws & ufages of the government flon, s,hirb
the claims are derived.
Your memoriaii1s have alfo difovereJ ,,,i,s
extreme regret, that no provifon is ,ns6e for
recording and confirming any incomplete tit,ts
under S2anh warrants, dated fuhft quent ko he
hrtt day of October, 1900, and p-ior 70 Il. ne.
rod at which their territory was f,rrente ned 10
the French republic. II is a fact we'll ltr,oyyn
to your henourabe BODY, that after the tre,,y
of st. l'dephonf',, the Spanfh auth arit;,. Is c1r
t'nued in poiIefiion of This terri Org, exercicd
their ufua acts Of fovereignty, aad wy,p fun.
eoied by her fuhie6ts TO enjoy their forn1er I'm.
limited right of granting away the foil. IEnce
proceeded that confidence which a!Iurcd ativep-
turers TO this country. induced them tn a.ccp.
turveYs of land, to enter into po(clionk and
faithfully 20 perform the ufnsl conditions. THAT
regard tor equity, which prevails in the ordna.
ry tribunals of the u S. would, il is fuppofed.
pretcrihe confirmation of titles cornrdenced
under tuch circumstances; and your me norial.
its hope that fome proviion will BE made. bv
which claimants under Spanif titles da.et fince
the firit day of October, 1900, frali be cbn6rm-
ed in tn cir rights.
Your memorialiffs deem II facrea dbtv.
which they owe TO themfelves and to their ton.
ttiuents, to aPprife your honorable boiv.J tt,e
IN coniequence Of repeated cafi,llties by fire.
and owing To the lofs Of papers and records.
coniequent upon the frequent political than,
ees, to which this country has been fub;se,ed.
the title papers of numerous claims haya Leer
loft or entirely detroyed. It is fame conr,atiI
on under this misfortune, that the claimants
who have fnffercd mott in the lors of nanrrs
are generally thofr who have remained ing in
peaceat!e pot; ftion, and who will be ALE f.,
prove An acknowledged right, not dif1Iited f,r
a iucceilion of years. Equitv, howeSer, and
lut regard for the peculiar fitnation of thoC.
who have been thus deprived Of the Evidence
of their rights, would ftetn tor.cuire tAat fome
tpecihc pIoviiion ihould be Made for their re.
lief
From Rejecting on the extent of The dfrias,
of the difficulty oftraveling through, then, AMI
recolletting that the fame individuals NAV ne.
ceiiarily have buhnefs, as parties or witneGts
at each OF the boards, your memoriali9s are in.
duced to believe that the time allowed at ore.
tent for Registering, will he too fhort, and there,
fore pray that it may be extended.
In many parts of this territory, but ps,ticn.
Iarly in the large and populous counties of Or.
tacapas and Opeoufas, the inhabitants have
generally iettled upon bayons or rivers, where
the foil is extremely fertile, but where there ia
not a Efficiency of timbef for the purpofps of
fuel, and agricultural conyenences. Im,pe-
dately behind thcfe lands the prairies or natsrsI
meadows commence, and continue to different
extents Of from one to twenty. and even ;bi,ty
miles. Theft prairies are denitute of timber.
and terminate in marches, or cyprefs fwamps.
The timber growing on thefe marches, has been
the only fuurce from which the f.ttlers have
fupplied themfelves, and the Spahili authori.
ties here convinced Of the Importance of refs.ry-
ing 'heT, as 2 common for The NE of the IN
habitants, rcfuled 10 grant them to individuals.
The fwamps at this moment belong to the u
nited States, and fegete penalties are ANNEXED
to the offence Of cutting timber upon them.
Without a continuance of the induigent per-
milton TO ufe the timber on thrfr fwanps, the
inhabitants i.uated near the prairies will be
compelled to abandon their hahitations Your
rnemor'alitts therefore pray, that the citizens Of
this territory Gtuated as aforefdid, may be M.
lowed the ufe Of the nearet cyprtE fwamps
rt bot rat