The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-11-14
Gbe Gslan5rer.
RICHMOND, l4tb NoYEMBER.

Burr has never intended a military expedition,
for the difmemberment Of the Union, and in
our !aa paper we fuggeaed in the form of a
query, that thefe preparations were Intended
for the mere pacific purpofe of Fitting diff
trict of country near Natchtoches, formerly
granted to Baron Bafrop by the court OF Mad
rid. 1t is unneceiiLry for ourjelveJ To engage
in any extenlive Development of this fnfpcion !;
as the author of the following ingenious COM
MUNICATION has faid eve ry thing, that we
could have politely furuilhed the fubett.
We G,all therefore be contented with merely
adopting the explanations of the author as our
own; and will requef our readers to obferve
how completely the deign afcribed to Col.
Burr, accounts for all the rumours which have
been circulated this fuhjeet, and how com
pletely they all concur in giving tlaujf6iiity to
this leading idea.
This fame explanation feems to us TO point
out the fource Of another report, which has
been circulated in Alexandria and Warrington |;
that our Cabinet had been four dayS engaged in
ierret deliberations on this iubie6t. IF fuch f.
cret deliberations have really exitcd, the fug-
geltion that we have made will merely change
their object. It will not be, as has been faid,
whether meafures ihould be taken TO prevent
IN infurrection in the Wet, or to arreit Col
Burr; but whether the Executive has not the
power, and whether that power (l,ouid not be
ton, Whole Object is to make forcble or ie-
gal fettlement on the land Oft the U. S. in Louifi
ana. 1t is believed that the fettlcment, which
Col. Burr is fuppoied to have in contemplation,
is really Msgal in its object. For what other .ilc
has Col. Burr to the land which ne means to
letiIe, than what Baron Baarop can confer !?
But it is believed, that Baron B. himfelf has
never complied with the contract, under which
be claims it.
If then Col. Burr has formed this illegal de-
Ggn, which he may have been pieafed to de-
nominate " an honorable and laudablc under
taking - and if the executive have the pro-
per power to pre4,rnt its completion this is
the precife moment for exerting it. ObRa
principals, is not leis the maxim OF all provien
governments, than fevery free people. Should
the preieut illegal iettlement be palTed over
with implniiy, then the greater part Of LouliA
ma will be devoured by ;qua,ters who have not
the inlal!et pretenons TO 4 title, or by thofe
numberleis fpccuia;ors, who claim alnoft with
out the lhadow of title under the Spsnih
government. Perhaps there never exifted fuch
variety of claims to land without the neceGa-
ry titles, or 70 many titles obtained under more
irregular and fraudulent means. 1t was the
method which the Spaniih government adopted
for making titles to land, that has produced
many of thoic fraudulent claims. Thefe ways
are defcribed in the following extracts from
Mr.. JeHerion's LOuihana documents. Dre!ented
to Coaersis during the FELTON, of 1902:
" The lands are held in fome initances by
grants from the crown, but molly from the CO.
onal government. Perhaps not one quarter
part OF the lands granted in Louifana are held
by complete titles and of the remainder con
fGerable part depends upon written permit
iion of a commandant. Not fnSli propcrt-
on is held by occupancy with 2 l;nge verbai
J -,ar Cf he off IN
practice has always been countenanced by the
Span.:, goyernment, in order that poor men,
when they found themieves little at cafe,
might at thei, own convenency apply for and
obtain complete titles. In the mean time fiich
Imperfect rights were fuGcred by the govern
ment TO deic end by Inheritance, and even to
be transferred by private contract. Whenr re-
QUITE, they have been feized by judicial au-
thorty, and fold for the payment of debts"
Is Until within few years, the governor of
Upper Louiliana was authorized to make fur
veys of any extent. In the exercift OF this diff
cretionary power, fome abufes were commit,
ted; few fmall monopolies were created. A
bout three years ago, he was reftriGled in this
branch OF his duty fince which he has been
only authorized 10 make furveys to emigrants in
the following manner Two hundred acres for
each man and wife, fifty acres for each child,
and twenty acres for each fave. Hence the
quantity of land allowed to fettlers depended
on the number in each family ; and for this
quantity of land they paid no more than the
cxpenie of iurvey. Thefe furveys were neceAa
ry to entitle the ftttlers to grants AMI the 90
vernon, and after him the intendant at New-Or.
leans, was alone authorized to execute grants
on the receipt Of the fnryeys from the frttlers' y
To thefe irregular modes of comforting land,
are owing many of the imperfect and fraudulent
titles, which exifed before the &C qui6tion of
Louiliana. But that very att produced nezv
c!ais of fraudulent claims. The colonial 60
vernment Of Spin, even after the expiration
of IFS power, atlumed the right OF giving titles.
Patents were fgned, becauie they were ante
dated patents were given to the favorites of
the attendant; & through the influence of cor
rupton, patents were granted for the mott
extenhgc tracts, at mott inadequate price
If, therefore, the United States would cruib
this hoft of vampires, who are now ready to
fwarm over the foil Of Louiliana, il is neceiIa-
ny to cppofe the very hrft Entertainments
which are attempted To be made. But this
reafon becomes infinitely tronger, as a mere
queiton ofpolicy, when it applies to fuch an
inteiIoper IS Col. Burr. That man is poIt fed
Of military talents of too exalted cah Of an
intriguing difpoiiion too difficult to- be de.
tettcd; Of ipirlt of ambition too fiery and
inexting uiihabe /; for him to be permitted to
eitab!iih kind of independent colony ia the
wilds OF LouiIana. Let us recolIect too the
very critical htustion ofthe territory which our
futyfcOuR have Gx ed m, che cf,;eIl 81 49,.