Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-08-14
RICHMOND, AUGUST IL
FRENCH SETTLERS ON THE ToAiBaG-
BY AND TRINITY.

The United States have made over TO French
iImlgrants on three separate occasions, GER
tain portions of the public lauds ...l. by the
act OF March 5, i795, OFF 600 acres to The inha-
bitaats and actull settlers of the town of Gal
hopolls, oa the Ohio river-on condition that
no grantee shonld hold of the land unless
lie made settlement within five years, and
continued il for five years tberea.ter2 Nv
the act OF May L. 1902 vestins ia John James
Datour aud associates, four lions of the pnb-
lie lands, between the Great Miami and the
Indian boundary line, at the rate sftwo dollars
per acre, payable on the Ist Jan. 1914 but in
August 1913, further time of five years was
allowed them for payisg the purchase money
The preamble of the law states, tie object
of tlIs grant, - TO encourage the introduction
and to promote the culture of the vine, within
the territory of the United States northwest of
the river Ohio :; bat no specific provisions are
made for carrying this object into effect The
third donation is within the recollection of lis
all IL was, when yielding TO sympathy for the
late distressed and distinguished eiuiprants
from France, lie Febvre Desnoueties. Ial;e.
mand and Others, and when actuated at the
same time by wish TO benefit our own country
by their exertioHs To transplant the vine and
the olive 10 the South of the United States
that Congress, passed an act OH the Sd March.
1917, to cede TO tie late emigrantS from France
who have associated together Tor the purpose
OF forming settlement IN the y. States Z" any
iour contiguous townships, each miles square
OF vacant public lands" IN the Alabama al the
rate OF two dollars AN acre, o be made payable
fourteen years after the conclusion OF the con.
tract. The act does not itself stipulate ANY
precise coHd tons for the luifment OF the cor-
tract-but deyolves tie duty upon the secreia.
~ OF ihe treasury OF Stipultting" for SUCH con-
dhiOnS OF settlement. aud cHticdliOa NJ tie zinc
md otIIeI vegetable prodactiJHS as may to him Az
pear reasonable and on tie fnIhlncnt of such
conditions shall tie issuing of grants, for the
idHds, he made to depend"
Other acts have been passed for making over
TO other individuals some of the public lands
but these are tive only cases we find on the sta.
tute book, IN which grants have been made to
companies Ut Frenctimcu. OF these cases, tie
last Is the most striking and impOrtant.--It is
understood, that permission was given them to
inspect tie Alabama lands, witna view TO make
their own selection that they actually select.
ed some of the finest lands both Tor soil aud
situation; aud that the very lands, which are
TO cost them only twO dollars, are worth from
twenty to sixty dollars pes acre-It is stated
by newspaper on the spot and in various
other channels, thattheSe lands, IS INCH had been
assigned them by the most delicate generOsitV
have ~ many cases become the subjects of the
most meTceuary speculation; HAT many Of the
enigrants havesold Oat at handsome price 81
some of them at aH enormous profit and Niles
Register does not hesitate 10 Stateas areport
that one mans gains hy this speculation are
estimated at tIom $500 900 10 a million" The
public do not know, what steps the Secretary
of the treasury has taken what are the coudi.
tions he has exacted what proportion of the
lands - 10 be put into cultivation OF the vine the
olive, &c. and wlIattIne I've has ailO W ed for the
culiivatiOn-buti u is very Obvious that unless
he has been rigid in these respect, the door
IoI Ifdud may nave been thrown open and
lhe generosity OF the government completely a.
bused by Interpretation Ofharpies These civ
CumsiauceS make IL the imperiOus duty OF the
next Congress 10 look into the matter 10 c all
Tor the contract, TO require information Of the
steps pufsosd for ia iulhlmeat-snd II fraud