The register., 1860-04-05

oA suS EOtu 4cVOi hiAANu runway
filed, with the Register, his claim to "a portion
of the lands so bought or granted to Maurice
Conway in IVA and 1777, and the records of
his titles is preceded by fgurative plan OF
the tract claimed, drawn by Barthelemy Lafon, |
a deputy q. S. Surveyor, showing front on
the Mississippi, and side lines extending back |
below to Lake Maurepas, and above to the
Amite river. About the same time Daniel
Clark and John W. Scott and William Donal-
son, who also claimed under the Maurice Con-
way purchase and grant, presented their claims
to other portions OF the land, with fronts on
the mississippi, and side lines opening to the
rear aud extending to the 1berville or Amite
rivers All these claims, with the testimony
and titles sustaining them. are Of record in the
Land Office in this city, as is also the book con-
tanning the minutes of the proceedings of the
Commissioners. an examination of which show
ed that on Monday. the Sd day of March, 1906, |
the Board-all its members being present-con-
sidered The claim No. l25. being that of Will
liam Conway, and its fiuding is thus recorded:
"No. 1875. William Conway claims another
tract of1and situated in the county of Acadia
at the place called the Houmas, on the left
bank Of the Mississippi, containing twenty-five
and a half arpents in front, with an opening
toward the rear Of sixty degrees forty five min
utes, the upper line running north nine degrees
fifteen minutes east, three hundred and fifty -one
arpents, and the lower line directed north, sew
enty degrees east, and measuring four hundred
and ffty-ive arpcnts, bounded on the upper
side by Daniel Ciark's land, and on the lower
by land Of Simon Laveau. 1tappcaring to the
Board, from patent or complete title exhibit
cd, that seventeen .arpents OF front were. to-
sether with greater quantity, granted by the
Spanish Government to Maurice Conway, 2lst
June, l777, and it appearing that the five and
4 half arpents OF the front remaining of the
land aforesaid were purchased by Pierre Bart
at the public sale of the estate CT the late Joa
chin Mire alias Bclony, on the 7th day Of De-
ccmbrr, l7ss. and it further appearing t1 the
Board from the several Instruments of convey
ance offered in testimony, that the two tracts
of land aforesaid have been conveyed to the
present claimant. the Board do hereby confirm
| his claim aforesaid"
| The claim cf Daniel Clark, No. l27, was con-
sidercd the same day and confrmed-the side
lines running back to Amite river; and the
survey offered in evidence having been made
in 1875 by Lafon, under the orders of Governor
Claiborne. then exercising all the powers for
merly held by the Governors General of the
Colony. And on Monday, 10th March. 1906,
the claim of Scott and Donaldson, No 1873, un-
der survey made in 1904. by order Of the
same authority. was also considered and con-
tirmed by the Board, aN the members being oga,,
present.. 1uNeuCll CaSC ueClSIOu WIS ullanl-
nous which fact it becomes the more proper
to state, because it has frequently been asserted
and On one occasion. at least. has been admit
ted in II pleading. that the confirmation was
made by ouly majority OF the Board, and tina,
Thomas Boiling Robertson was then a member
and dissentcd. The truth is, that he was not
member of the Board at all until the 26th day
OF May. 1908, one OF the members, j. W. Cur
Icy. having died on the Sd Of March preceding.
/
SO far as the Board of Commissioners were con-
ccrned, between the United States and claim
ants, MOI e than two years before Mr.. Robertson
ever sat in the Board and wlen according to
the terms Of the act of Congress under which it
had been named, the report of its decisions in
the cases before it should have been before
Congress for its action. But the Board seems
to have gone on in the investigation Of claims
brought before it, not only of the character spe-
Gifted in the act Of 1906. but also to those in
cludcd within the provisions of another act Of
1907, and no report was made for several years
afterwards nor was Congress made acquainted
with its decisions until the report made by Mr..
Gallatin, the Secretary of the Treasury, OIL the
9th OF January, 1872 nor was any action by
Congress on the report or any of the cases EN-
braced in it, had until two years afterwards
when, on the 18th OF April, 1914. an act was
passed for the final adjustment Of land titles in
the State Of Louisiana and Territory of Mis-
souri, And on the 18th of Aprl. 1914. another
concerning certificates of confirmation of claims
to lands in the State ol Louisiana was also pass
ed. Time rolled on, and meanwhile the lands
included within the Houmas Grant became
yearly Of greater value to their owners. thouph
no final adjustment OF the matter was made by
the officers of the General Land Office. or the
Secretary of the Treasury at Washington City.
But by the provisions of the act of March 3l.
1911, all lands in this State which were the
subject of private Claims were reserved from
sale or entry provision of law which to this
day remains unrcpealed, and under which there
has been vast and almost incr, dible amount
Of discussion as the records Of that Bureau will
show.
All settlers, therefore, upon any portion of
the lands included within the alleged limits of
the Houmas claim, confirmed as above stated.
III lsU6, have been from the beginning and
still are trcspassers. either as against the United
|States--if the Spanish grant should be held to
haze been iuyalld, Or not TO have covered the
area contirufed by the Board--or as against the
representatives CT the original purchasers and
grantee. il the concession was complete and
valid, and the boundaries are really AS claimed
by those parties. These settlers, and the spe-
culalors by whom they are said in many instan-
ccs to be backed, are thus without legal right.
and as the existence OF the claims and Of their
confirmation by the Commissioners have been
notorioussthroughou the whole region, they
Il a..