Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1846-07-18

TIM TloUmA GRArr CbAfM.-Iiie ut.
I~tentien and time Of the u. s.. Senate has
been much lnten up during the session with
b discussion oftbe "Iloima Grant Claim"
Az our readers may like to know something
more Ufthis claim than It's mere name, and
as many Of them may be- personally inter
ested in the issue, we copy the following
account Of it lfotn a letter in the Journal Of
Commerce e.
This was mn original Spanish grant of
land, on the Mississippi and Amite rivers
III Louisiana, made in .1777, confirmed by
Spain, and examined and confirmed by the
old board Of commissioners, in 1912, and
ordered BY Congress to be patented in
lsi4. Notwithstanding his, the lands,
were IL part entered as public lands, under
Commissioner Graham These entries
were next pronounced illegal by Attorney
General Legare.
The late presi dent Tyler and Secretary
Bibb undertook to carry the law into effect,
aud Issued patents for the lands to the clgi.
mants. They did this on full investigation,
but the president did not act even upon the
result ofhis own investigation and that of
the Secretary Of the Treasury. He request.
ed two eminent lawyers, we'll versed in
lands laws, (Senators McDunie and ~fluger,l
to examine the subjects. They did so, and
reported their opinion, which was, that the
patents ought to be Issued. Their opinion,
appears in the @enate documents on this
subject. The parties who had lands in
these tracts, sought remuneration and
their money was refunded by the secreta.
sy OF the Treasury, In every tasB. The law
Of Louisiana protects improvements Of set.
tIers, aud after Ten years of u]ndisturbed
possession, gives titles. Therefore, no pos
sible injury has been done to any parties by
carrying into effect the law Of 1914, and
issuing the patentst. Nvtwithsta nding this,
Congress still allows the subject 10 be agi.
tated, session after session, In both houses,
to the great consumption ofthe public time
and prejudice of tho public interests. Sc.
nat0r Johnson If Louisiana. oie ofthe most
persevering men IN the world, has devoted
himself with success 10 the task Originating
the subject and disturbing the decision, as
did Mr.. Cave Johnson ii the other House.
Senator Johnson has, by his unwearied
eEertions, procured the passngo Of u ~reBolu-
ton, by the senate directing an inquiry by
the Attorney General into the validity of.
the patents. The subject is, to set them a.
side, ! presume, IN s0tne WY.
II follows from this attempt, that patents
to lands are good for nothing, so long AZ
any body Is disposed TO question them, and
Ihat there is no means of quoting land ii.
lies.
The Hounas controversy has, ut various
lines, elected some feeling, and II has even
had a bearing on some very important po.
.itieal changes, to my knowledge. 1t has
been the means of eztinguishing solne pu.
bic men, and of promoting the success Of
Senator Johnson, in the course ofthe late
proceedings IN the Senate on this subject,
asked whether he was personally IN.
crested the matter. Ii Seems That it had
,een reported that he was THIS Interested.
Johnson, Ia m explanation before
he Senate, has vindicated himself from
imputation Of Interested motives. lie
that his iutapst IN u part # tie
loumas tract il not Affected r. lie PIT
and that the bill h. cUabfu tn
would have confirmed its tile to SIX
hundred aud forty acres; but that IN opposi.
ion to his Interest," he resisted that bill.