The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-05-21
-1;to~ If tha S.u,th Western.

inst, does Gas | conceivc) great injustice I
; Mr. Chas. S. McKeown, who is charged VIII
d tile homicide Of Mr.. Ralph Forshee;, late 9
Bossier parish, La. After assuming that tn
o deed was Fan outrageous murder" your cor
respondent admits .'that it is not known VIVA
caused the difficulty or brought II about =,
Mr.. Mckeown is a young gentleman OF hig'
standing, and has always, both as prvat
. citizen and as member of the Palmetto regi
! ment, borne character above reproach, ant
-. asks only that he may have a fair and impair
tial hearing before jury of his countrymen
and that the public mind may not be undul.
prcjudced against him by mere suppostlon
: and one-sided views.
Without thinking it proper to give state
ment of the facts of the case through the public
press, Mr. McKcown feels every confidence il
his ability to vindicate his innocence before the
proper tribunal. Z.
May 18th, 1856.
PUBLIC LANDs.-We are indebted TO Mr.
, Thos A. Hendricks, commissioner of the gen
eral land Office, Washington, for copy of the
following circular, issued by him to the differ
ent land Offices, and which may prove interest
ing to some of our readers:
Gentlemen: To secure the rights of bona fde
settlers, by obtaining from them the proof ne
cessary to warrant the speedy issue OF patents,
and thus shield them from the efforts of specu-
latlon to set aside such entries, on the ground
of non compliance with hepurposes of the law,
you were directed by this Office, in the circu-
lar of January esd, 1856, to call upon pur-
chasers, who made entries for settlement and
cultvatlon,'' to produce proof of settlement,
DC, within two months from the date of notice.
The time for presenting the proof was thus
limited to hasten its production, the office re-
serving to itself the right to extend the period,
at the demand of parties interested, within any
reasonable limits.
AS the benefits of the act were desi gned to
be for 'actual settlers only" as declared by
the attorney general in his opinion of the 28th
of July, 1855, it is proper to fix the time with
in which proof'of the settlement shall be pre-
sented, but it is the opinion of the secretary of
the interior and the commissioner of the general
land office, that it should be fixed upon most
liberal principles, and that the time heretofore
allowed is too short, and that one year should
be allowed, thus asslmlatlng the period tothat
prescribed in the presumption act of 841 , in re-
laton to lands subject to private entry.
Therefore you are hereby directed
1st. In all exciting entries for settlement
and cultivation" to allow the parties one year
from the first of June next, for the production
of the required proof of actual settlement, &C.
3D. In all entries thereafter, (that is after
the lst of June, one year from the date Of en-
try is hereby allowed for the production of the
requisite proof.
Sd. Where entries have been made, the pur-
chaser not intending to occupy the land in per-
son, under the misconception of the law, upon
filing an affidavit to that effect, you will allow
them to hold the land at S IS per acre, re-.
curing them to pay up the difference between
that price and the sum already paid under the
graduation act For the additional payment the
receiver must issue supplemental receipt, Civ
ing a half number it, in the regular series.-I
The transaction must be reported in the month
y abstracts of the ':regster and received and
the receiver must, of course, charge himself
with such additional payments in his quarterly
accounts.
4th. In case of the death of a purchaser be-
fore perecting his rights, on proof to the salts
faction of the tederalland office of the bona fide
intention of The deceased to fulfil the require
ments Of the law, his claim shall be confirmed
to his heirs or legal representative
5th. If minor is the head of a family lis
entry is valid. If not the head of family, it
Is invalid. Opinion Of the attorney general,
July 25, 1869 -.|-- '"'
In the case, however, of a purchaser, whose
entry is invalid by reason of his minority at the
time, but who afterwards reaches his majority,
and has identified himself with the premises by
actual settlement and cultivation, the land may
be secured to him by producing proof of such
actual settlement and cultivation. u.s.
9th. Where an entry is made for the use of
an adjoining farm it is required that an afli-
davt shall be filed; designating the original
farm SO ii may appear that the entry forms,
with the said farm compact BODY of land.
This is all the proof required in this class of
cases. ,fN@9*is&1 81 IT
18th. When the validity of entries may be T,
and the sale made void, no prefer
enee right will be given to the contestant to en- Il
Ter the land thus vacated, unless it.shall APP
pear that he had light under the law, as an
actual settler thereon, at the date of the Illegal
entry. .' .s3'7| FL'5' p. ~ s''-9s=' s@9"'
Where entries are made By spectators in VIC
alton of the law, are set aside, the land cover
ID thereby will be laid open,' after proper no.
ice, to actual settlers. IA" LIZ
-
NEW GRANADA.-The steamship Empire CT
y, at New Orleans, brings advices from Pana-
ma to the 9Th inst. She brings nothing of i'm /
oortance. The o. S.. ship St. Marys was in '
oort, and her commander was engaged in in t
the late outrages upon the Ameri- -,
ANS. The governor had returned the cannons I I
o the railroad company. It is thought at As t
'inwall that the natives originated the distur-
'ance for the purpose of plumber, many of them !;
having been thrown out of employment by the f
Of the railway, who had formerly re i
eiyed considerable amounts for Transporting /
passengers across the sthmus by canoes and !
mules, and many Of (which class are. now. mere a
,ushiangers, who only await suitable oppor- q
unity to plumber, They can only be held in I'll
heck by the fear ofimmediate punishment; and Q
t is believed that it will be necessary for the i
United States to station a large naval force at =
Panama, to ensure safety to the Americans. c