The Feliciana Democrat., 1859-05-07
ADDRESS OF
CERTAIN SETTLERS ON THE HOl'MAS GRANT
In the Parishes Of Ascension and lbcirllr Lat

The undersigned having been delegated hy certain
settlers on the so-cnlcd lIoumaa Grant in the State
of Louisiana, to present your honorahl bodies Their
memorial. already before You setting forth wctghty
| gr cvanco of which they have been made the victim
! hy legislation on your part beg leave 10 make thr
! following representations:
! In order that you may fully estimate the cnornity
Of the wrong that has been inflicted upon the commu
nifty we represent facts are only necessary 10 he men
toned.
1t is well known to many of You. that there is ~,
extensive tract Of land in Louisiana. designated ~
the lloumas Grant the title To which has been in dis
pu,e more than half century.
On this disputed tract are settled some five hundred
farmers, the heads of families who have brrn In po.
session, In some instances, rs long forty years:
These settlers went upon thr lands in good faith
knowing the su.ealcd :" grant to lie fraudulent and
void. and have remained in possession. relying upon
the legal and equitable action Of Congress aud the
Judicial tribunals in declaring the giant uullity.
aud in confirming them in their possession. ns sci
tiers upon land which has ever been righfuy part
of the public domain Of the United States.
The representatives of the pretended grantees have
pcrsiNcntlv sought. for more than iity years to Oh
tain from the Government title to thc Lands and
until recently. have utterly failed 10 accomplish their
ends. pnicnl was however, issued to The grantees
on the 22d August 1871.
10 1916, Congress passed IN act authorizing suit
TO bc brought o test the validity oi tn patent 30 II.
sued. The clear intent and meaning Of hs net WA
to restore the lands o The mas. OF the public ,loinfiu
should the courts decide the patent ~ hp Invalid
We Shall presently scc how Cungrps. lms been d,pti
we'd OF its equitable aud patriotic design hy tht sub
scqurn snrrrpiiiou- Introduction into tlr body ol I'LL
act ostcn>ihly designed for another purpose. ot
clause or Secton thilreiy foreign ltom ihr ol"ci,
aud intent nl such act
In pursuance Of thr net uf 1876 uit was brough
in the Circuit court. sitting nt New Orleans. whereby
the validity Of the patent N question, wa- put ii
issue.
ln lsjG. at the November term # said conrt Mr
justice Campbell prpWltNp III Wa. 1HrIr Al tlut
patent issued to Daniel Clark or h+ legal reprr-cn-
iativeS for thc land, IN tls erit Wa issued" with
out authority q Ia" nad therefor" iuopctntyo ard
o' , ~ Wa %'H,I.H ','t w., pa'tl b' "eiF t'd ~
W w ''n J. 'oe .'.'' M''',p ,"H'! da!s M'"r ~
W. ~ 'ne ~ ~ " \" ~" ~,
~ WIZ mus o' i~'e''1 v 'l'i We court aehhs ~
'hnl',y oi nffs'' l'""o""s'''h 'h' E"l !" he
y nv ~ - "'u nu'lnf'
~, T., ~ ,", s'"'', ''i '1nh %
themselves aeSIrNfd " lhc "rr,'.o iAf l@" 'h'
,iGnt l :" sech leh''d5 hf npp"l % ING supreme
n"na ., ""l u" "lil, ~ Va '"N,h me Htl W.,
,n,rei"rr f@ WttRh ad ih' ilu3ihas c!Hh stood
nv,II. i we t"II,rF, nnarf w auction q Congress
n nu ~ 'nc iaHS'n y, "' u" court HAd"d ga maud
i1 INK ,i '',' ~ X, Mimi =" ''.a'
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,i, or he ,',.s '"'''I '',lis owner
mp - 'H tgny,gg "..@an" "chs' "hieh may be gt.
NAV have lad - ,ha " NJ 'o.n,s "ntn
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sist ,y : mnr,i, ~ ~ ~" 'nli ~
parsh Of Ascd,son H." r,,, ~ o,au ,' !" w.,
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