New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-25
sP4NISH LAND GRANT CLAIMS.

JUDGMENTS RECOVERED AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
BY FRAUDULENT CLAIMANTs-BILL PROVIDING
FOR THEIR PAYMENT IN GOVERNMENT LAND
PATENTS-MILIIONs OF ACRES INVOLVED.
lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, May 1S.-A bin is now pending
before the House Committee Private Land Claims 10
Further extend the provisions OF the act entitled An
Act for the final adjustment of private land claims in the
Florida Louisiana, and Missouri and FOR other
purposes" Information has been received from New
Orleans that this BILL far refers To Louisiana,
intended OF the largest land on record
Many persons will remember seeing on maps Of that
State large land represented covered by un
confirmed pr land CLAIMS" The unconrmed title to
these lands supposed rest grants made before
UhtedlStates obtained possession OF the Territory
After the cession OF the Province OF Louisiana" to
France by Spain IN 1902 the Spanish local officers who
continued 20 reside at Baton Rouge made great num-
Der OF grants OF land to their favortes for
nominal Of money, not taking care in some cases
even exclude the tracts thus granted land that
had already to settlers Some Of these grants
were made under ciTcums tances and upon conditions
that would have made void under the Spanish
Government, lad that power still retained dominion
over the territory. For these very large class
of these unconhrmed claims recognized by the
United States Government for nearly half a century.
Ii 1860 an act was passed Ostensiby for the final adj
justment Of the claims the validity Of which gen
which did not in reality, exclude from adjudication
those which originated as described above. This act
was renewed and extended by supplemental acts OF
March 3 1867 and Jan. TO- 1872, and VIII now remain in
force until June 1873. Under the provisions OF these
acts and especially under that Of March . 1867 suits
have been brought against the United States for the
confirmation Of millions OF acres Of these Old fraudulent
Spanish grants not with view OF getting possession OF
the land they originally covered, but FOR the purpose Of
obtaining instead certificates Of location or land scrip
which may be located any Government land within
the borders OF the United States These suits have been
brought in Judge Dures COurj in NewOrleans, and in
every case argued before him he has rendered decree
against the United States awarding the scrip, and
some OF these claims for large tracts OF land,
the aggre gate II this operation Is not stopped WILL 10
believed be- millions Of The suits brought by
lawyers some of them of doubtful character, and
only authority they the legal representatives, OF
the original grantees consists Of their pdre ai
aays II has already ascertained and proved that
some OF these owned by other persons than
those named Judge Durells DEGREES, and this fact
makes highly probable that many OF them prose-
cuted by lawyers without the knowledge OF the heirs
legal successors of the original grantees and for their
own benefit
Having obtained a decree these people next under
took to get patents for the aud When they applied
the General Land Ofi;e, Commissioner DrummODd de-
cded that the scrip might be delivered the attorney
and coud holder but that the patent
for the land must issue 10 the OF the original
grantee his heirs and that assignment transfer
Of the scrip would not warrant him to make out the
patent TO any person This decision has thus
saved the United States since the scrip under it is OF
comparatively little value 10 the holders and is there
fore not negotiable unless the assignee can obtain
patent FOR the land be selects 10 his own name The
three important points Of this that can, without
doubt, he established are these:
First: The original Spanish grant a great num-
Der OF the fraudulent and void.
Second TIE Spanish grantee Ia majority OF the
sold of, during his lifetime, the land IN parcels u actual
settlers. :. - - - II n
IhiTai b. attorney evidence but his own am
daVlG that he represents the grantee or his me-
in Court gets decree confirming the Old grant; takes
In place Land scrip ht be located any where
the public domain, and to Congress for
order 70 the Commissioner Of the General Land Office
issue the patent the land. when selected directly
10 MIN or u any one holding scrip Tnis would leave
the United states without any written evidence that the
original grantee his heirs ever received benefit
from the grant knew that 1t had been confirmed
The third section OF the D WA!cA eDOdlts tA!s order
il ~ follows;
SIC 8. That whenever in any case prosecuted under
the aforesaid acts OF Congress Of jane ~ 1869, March
p 1861 aud June TO- 1872 the validity of the claim has
been recognized by and the court has decreed
that the plaintiff plaintiffs OF are entitled TO enter
certain NUMBER OF acres upon the pubic lands OF Inc
United States subject TO private entry or 20 receive GER
tcaes OF location for 50 much OF the land the title To
which has been established as Mas been disposed on Dy
the United states, certificates OF location shall be
issued be located provided for In the sixth section
Of the aforesaid OF Congress OF June ~ 1850 and
said certificates Of location scrip, shall be subdvided
according the request OF the CLAIMANT aud as nearly
a. practicable In conformity with the legal surveys OF
the public lands of the United states, shall be de
veTed the General Land O1ce on the receipt OF the
partes recovering the Judgment or their gal repress
tatves shall be Transferable b. delivery aud the
holder thereof shall be entitled TO enter lands with said
scrip ~ his own name, and TO receive patent Tor the
said lands IN his the said iocaiors own name.
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