New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-06-18

. Communicated
Tho Houmas. Grant.

The HOumNs, Grant.
III Editors Crescent Having recently heard that the claiman
of the Houmas Grant Of land in Lousana s that
opposition to Its confirmation we'll the eorts used
causing the patents afterwards issued portions wit
ont authority Of law, be cancelled whilst was msmb
Of the Senate Of the United States 1874 prompted
interested motives deem proper state through your
spectacle Journal and to show. that this who'll
without the slightest foundation The ground
Is attempted to establish this assertion, that
of land Of $40 the river Amte which,
alleged, weuld DO effected BY the confirmation Of gran
This allegation, however, shall show, wholly unsu,
ported In the rst place. the lands own which were
quired BY purchase from the person whom they had bee
confirmed, under claim derived from the Spanish Cover
ent is believed to be dignity Houmas claim
but II within the boundaries Of the Grant at ALL
within that portion alleged be claimed by William Conwa,
Now the terms in which Conway claim presented to tn
Commissioners, in his notice, follows william Cor
way claims tract land situated in county Of Acania at
place called the Houmas the left the Mississpp
river containing twenty-five and half arpens in front, witt
an opening towards the Of sixty degrees forty minutes
the upper line running north degrees fifteen minutes
three hundred and lower line di
rected north seventy measuring four hundred
and hfyhve apents bounded the upper side BY DAME
land and on the lower by Simon Maurian" It will b.
perceived therefore, thatif line point on the IN
per side line OF the claim Conway distance
arpents from the Mississippi river point on the lower side
line 455 arpen from the river my claim which fronts on II,
ANNE about miles from Lake Maurpas opposite Bayou
BArbary would be in the such line ten mile.
seventeen miles in thu portion Of the Houma
Grant valid the written of the
General of the United States The question had
referred BY Congress- All of which may by reference
to the survey of the Conway claim the Office of the
aenefa At Donaldsonvie in the Registers in New Or
leans and at Washington in the General Land Oc. Rpt n
that the bill opposed directed issued
present Claimants for which
and covered among Others tract which Tia,
ue yet docs not follow that contained provisions .d
70 my interests This bill found pending Senate
Oh inc tinted states when sock there 1884, II
entitled bill to provide for of Land Claim.
in the States Of Louisiana Mississippi Arksusss and for
being copy Of two other which had bseu
vousy introduced in the OF and
pending there The object bills seemed to be
10 conn., m the Houmas claim, explicit terms bnt nv A,
rsctng patents be favor Of the
ever In conformity to the grant, conformity to the
Of claim presented by William Conway but in conformity tn
survey made at the instance Of claimants which had b.n
proved by the Surveyor General the United States bu
which had been disapprored BY the General Land Office The
boundaries Of that Conway tract
cerned folows The lower line runs to Bavor Ad
just below the mouth of New River which empe. into
bayou both making considerable nsvgable stream thus
meanderng said stream passing by the of Blind River
which empties into it. to Lake Maupas: thence
me lake to the month Of the River Ame distance of at
10 the Mississippi River and thence up the River
10 me upper line OF said survey, distance Judging from
me survey OF wenhv miles, containing 100 7se acre.
Of land For proof these statements reference Ia
M me SAID bill contains the following comprehensive pro
vision Sec And be It further enacted etc That n.tsr,
M issue ior all claims to land in Louisiana confirmed or rec
commended for confirmation by any Of the Boards of Commit;
sones acting under the laws Congress- approved o M "a
aay Oh march, IL the 2 day Of April 1906 and of the I'd
Gay OF March, 1907 for claims confirmed nv acts If
plova on the 18th day of April 1874 or on the 18th Apr
OF any subsequent law of Congress- the surveys
which have been made approved by the s,rr,,o c,
~ with the confirmation, returned to the Register
oisrct IN which said claims situated or to the
commissioner OF the General Land Of6cen The Honmas
aJc o.,.
Of the Board of Commissioners under ono NJ ~. ,.
e red TO- and would have been confirmed BY this hill nod q
oiaeins' 1t IS believed, from the appearance of the
without an exact calculation, upwards of IS 600 acres
more than was claimed by William Conway in his notcs h
SIDES the large quantity of contained in the ~
t~o claimants beyond the limits recognized AZ valid h
Oh Inc orney General Of the United States befe
TO- ana tor which they had obtained the patents which
were Cancelled BY the of this Crcnt
he u s. for the circuit including Louisiana II Roh.
afterwards appointed member of Board dissented
M .ne siu cecision in favor of the Houmas claim which
iaet only to recommendation for Board had
no power by law TO confirm claim beyond
All the other claims included the Report Of Comni,.;o
uhoer league square, believed by them be valid
" once eonnrmed except the claim of J. Forian which
onanea upwards oil league square, confirmed by eue
nal act OF Congress- approved 9th July 1884, Bu had this
I'LL, which am charged with opposing and which did IN
ose and which Congress rejected law would not
ave nvaildated titls the land held on the Am;,a
natSe was derived through vendor the Spanish
a Honrpaa
ia m but not superior to the Houma when thus con
med might have been interested that case in supno
fathet IMAM in opposing the Houms claim for the poy
tne Dill .sy recognized and confirmed all such
aims as mine included within the limits of the survey which
set forth. authorizing claimants of the uopmas
the same quantity of land thus on publc
urveyed lands in the State Louisiana The allepstiop ~
eng influenced by Interested motives opposing the confirm
oh OF Inc Houmas grant, and in opposing the paen
favor Of the claimants for portions of the ca
ne conway tract and twelve fifteen above nv tract on
no e' ana not conflicting with it in any respect is there.
ore repeat. without the slightest foundation
The claimants Of the Houmas are many and noerf,
ome OF whom and the ancestors Others had long been
esonsi and political friends and towards whole of them
zen entertained respect and friendship and would have
e nueh pleasure to have supported their claim could
nave done SO consistently with believed to s nv dntv
y acting did fulfilled the painful Int nnavoa.hIa d,
evolving on me- without regard to other considerations
grant, to the extent Of eighty arpens in eptb
oeese 10 % wand and although tho for back land
vague and Indefinite and although the original t,I
epers relied on were not produced under the i'm
mat papers pupong to be true comics
.he originals, were genuine and believing also that the
gran. mad been made in the spirit iberaity was Of
ONION that the United States acting the claim .hond
the same liberal policy and either refer it to The
decision or conne it to considerable extent back far be
s PRESCRIBED by the report of the Attorney Gene
Tue oneu sates and expressed this opinion the At.
rney General before and after had written his onn.on
not concur with him in limiting the grant back to
ough bis opinion apparently supported by strong
s Yet never did believe the Houmas grant valid to thu
yer Amite STILL as the claimants urged their right that
NJ. concurred with the different Attorney Generals of the
states and with the different Secretaries the Treasury
ID Commissioners of the Land Office to whom the ,ueaon
on REFERRED he opinion of Mr. Secretary Bhb who had is
cd the p'tens excepted in believing that The question of
ns IN this case should be decided by and in con-
ty to this view, Congress- Immediately the lection of
bill referred to- passed ACT supported rsvivn
Old law, making applicable louisiana under the prov
OF which, claims in Missouri been tried and sst
ny Inc courts thus providing for the adjustment of the
DUMAS grant and al other suspended grants in Louisiana
authorizing the claimants of the Houmas o,ant ons
other claimants of suspended grants in Louisiana to
atn'e proceedings in the of the Urited States
Try the validity of their titles The whole whom believe
a'eu themselves oil The provisions of this law, except
claimants OF the Houmas grant, and have had their
settled by decisions of the Supreme Court of The United
ties long since.
hs law as stated at the me out Of The Sena.e WINS
mat was then required for the adjustment land claims in
uiSiana 49, o ="