Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1858-06-26
A VERY IMPORTANT NATTER TO
LAND OWNERS.

Z -
y 70 the Hon. j. P Benjamin says the
Comet, are we indebted for a copy of his
report on the memorial of the city Of
New Orleans, asking confirmation Of the
title of one-half of certain lands devised
by the late John McDonough to that city,
as tenant in common with the city of
Baltimore. The report vas accompa
ined with a bill, which we shall obtain at
an early moment and lay before our
readers. The interests of land owners
in the Florida parishes r deeply In
yolyed in this movement. We copy two
or three of the opening paragraphs of
the report: Dnf Etas .@- af
The lands represented in the memorial
are situated in that part Of the State OF
LouisianaEwhich lies east Of the Missis-
sippi and Iberiville rivers, and the lakes
Maurepas and Pontchatrain, and are
known as the Florida parishes of Louis
lana.
These parishes were not within the
present State of Louisiana, when it was
admitted into the Union, but were cut
off from the adjacent territory occupied
by the United States" otherwise known
as West Florida, and added to Louisiana
by act of Congress passed l4th April,
1912. W.. =3o@*s9
The original title to 223, 333 acres of
the lands described in the memorial was
derived from the King of Spain by pur-
chase from and payment made to Don
Juan Ventura Morales, Governor Gen
eral of Louisiana and West Florida, in
the months of October and November,
1903.
The title to 2,l00 acres was derived
from a settlement right in favor of Philip
Robinson, acknowledged by the Spanish
authorities to be a valid claim in 1904.
The title to / ,420 acres was derived from
grant made by the Spanish authorities
on the 5th of March 1908. f&s 574a'a
The titles thus set forth by the memoir
ialists are unquestionably valid, if, at
the date when they were acquired, it
was within the power of the Spanish
Government to make sales or grants of
land within the territory in which the
lands claimed are situated and this ques-
ton, it is believed, is now, for the first
time, presented for a decision by Con-
gress since the treaty with Spain of the
22d February, 1919, by which the Flori-
das were acquired. ~
The following is a copy Of the bill, be-
fore reference to which accompanied the
report: g
#-a @ s4 A BILL af5 s4 ga
To confirm certain land claims in the
Florida parishes, Louisiana to the city
of New Orleans and others.
Be 1T enacted By the Senate and House
of r. presemtatires of the limited States of
America IN Congress assembled, That the
city of New Orleans be, and is hereby,
confirmed in it's title to the one undiyid-
ed half part Of the several tracts of
land following to wit:
LIST, Nineteen thousand arpents of
land sold to Don Louis de Clonet and
Don Alexander de Clonet by Don Juan
Ventura Morales, Governor General of
Louisiana and West Florida, on the 18th
and 10th of Nomber, eighteen hundred
and three
End, One hundred and twenty thousand
arpents of land sold to Don Veronimo la
Chipaella by Don Juan Tentura Morales,
Governor General of Louisiana and
West Florida, on the fifth and seventh of
October, 1903
Sd, Thirteen thousand three hundred
and thirty three arpents of land. being
the one-third part of a tract of forty
thousand acres of land, sold to Don Juan
Delassize by Don Juan Ventura Morales,
Governor General of Louisiana and
West Florida, on the sixteenth Of May,
1904. 80 ,a4s
4th, Twenty-one hundred acres of land
described in the acknowledgement made
in favor of Philip Robinson BY Don
Thomas Estevan, commandant at the
port of Galveston, on the Goth Of Janua-
ry. 1904.
5th, Fourteen hundred and twenty
acres of land being the unconfirmed re-
mainder of o tract of twenty-seyen hun
dred acres of land granted by Don
Thomas Estevan, then commandant Of
the Amite district, to John McDonough
and Sheppard Brown, on the 4th Of
| March, 1906.
SEC. 2. And Be Il further enacted, That
Joseph Keynes be and be Is hereby con.
frmed in his title to q certain tract Of
land in the parish Of East Feliciana, and
State of Louisiana. containing about
forty thousand arpents; which tract was
sold to his late father Joseph Keynes,
senior, on his application dated nine.