National Republican., 1875-07-22
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, 1876
TEE vALLIKRE ESTATE.

TEE vALLIKRE ESTATE.
An Old spsnish Grant, Covering Lands in
Missouri and Arkansas to the Value Of
$4,000, ,o0o, Being Prosecuted.
An interesting suit against the United States
has been begun In the United States Court 10 the
westsrn district Of Missouri by the heirs OF Don
Joseph valliere, Q captain Of . Spanish regiment
stationed st the pestof Afkansas In 1873. The
suit 10 for six millionsof acres Of land In Arkansas
and Missouri, worth sl6 900, and the complaint
has been recently served on the United states
district attorney In st. Louis BY Counsellor VIM.
II. Duryes, OF Brooklyn, the solicitor for the
plaintiffs. A LA AfLss
In 1852 La Sale descended the Mississippi river
as one OF It's earliest explorers and claimed all Of
the country drained BY the rivers that sweled the
Father Of Waters In behalf Of his native country,
France. The right OF discovery, when reduced 10
possession, was recognized BY the law OF nations
% right Of ownership, and BY the settling Of tho
French IN the newly y-discovsred country In 1900,
all Of the country extending along the Mississippi
river, % far as the British possessions, became
French province, which was called Louisiana. In
l7e2 the French eeded TO Spain all Of the territory
west ofthe Mississippi river, including the Island
Of New Orleans, and retained the provinces Of
East and West Florida, which embraced all Of
the land east Of the river; but in l7sl Spain OBJ
tanned possession Of this tract and all OF the vast
country was governed BY o vceroy or governor
general, who was vested BY the King Of Spain
with the power Of making concessions Of the royal
lands to his subjects, to promote agriculture, and
also as reward for meritorious services rendered
by the officers Of the Kings army.
CAPTAIN vALLIERE's GRANT.
In 1873 Baron de Carondelet, who was Governor
General, received o petition from Captain Don
Joseph Vslliere, captain Of one Of the station
ary regiments In the province asking for q tract
of land along the White river, in the district of
Arkansas. As was the custom with the Spanish
Governors in the cesslon Of lands to subjects, an
order of survey was sent to Don Carlos Trudeau,
the royal and private surveyor OF the province, to
survey the lands Of the grantee. This original
order, dated June IL, 1913, has been found In one
Of the musty old tones in the New Orleans land
ONCE, under the title of "Regster de los Pfimeros
Decretos de concession to TERRA" The order is as
follows:
Al Captain DIN Joseph valliere en- ell Distrito
eli Rio Blanco extendiendo desde los Rio Norte
Grande, cibalos, hasta el origien de dicho Rio
BlancO die1 leguas en- F5Ciundidsd; ida 4 ,ov,.
Under this order Charles Trudsau, the surveyor
general, surveyed q tract of land, beginning at
the junction Of the White river with the great
North Fork, in the upper part Of Arkansas, and
extending ten Spanish leagues, or about forty
miles, on each bank OF the White river,
winding up through the southern part OF Mis-
souri,, and then extending to the west and south
west, ending at the source of the extrems west
erly branch Of the White river in the western
part Of Arkansas. The tract is made up OF
Six MILLIONS OF ACRES,
and on the map Of to-day takes in Ozark, Doug
las, Stone, Barry, Christian and fancy counties
in Missouri, and about a dozen counties In Ar
kansas, making tract eighty miles wide and
lso miles I long; The report Of Charles Trudsau
was MED In October, 1873, in the Surveyor Gen.
erals office in New Orleans, accompanied By
map. representing the tract from the junction
Of the Rio Norte Grande and the Rio Ut6olos, ex-
tending westward along the Rio Blanco in.
cluding large part Of the Rio Tosque. Don
Joseph Valliere received the grant Of SIX millions
Of The largest iOs ne real f'es estate tn
ever owned by royal subject. His heirs, who
ever they were at that time, II they knew any
the land theirs. In four years after Valliere's
death the land was rc-ceded back to France and
France IN December Of the same year, 1908, ceded
States for and In consideration of 900 900. The
1ntendsnt OF Louisiana under the order of the
the lands to France, had control Of the provinces
sent the records to Havana, and they were stored
among the royal archives.
HOW THE RECORD WAS FOUND.
Nearly forty years after the death Of Don
Joseph Valliere, gentleman, who was able 70
read Spanish, while searching the records 10 the
Land Office and Surveyor Generals ofice In New
land in Don Joseph Joseph VaIilers's % name. am It that s
time the United States gave the warrants at sL25
an acre. and at this estimate the heirs Of the old
descendants Of vaiiiere, and told them Of their
vast possession. In lsl Achilles Godin, James
ssS pSd1s podSs @9s
Ysus!ne' Harriet Yaugins, Francis IsiiIsre and
heirs Of Don Joseph valiiere, gave q deed 70
John Wilson, OF Missouri, for an undivided half
o. ths land. Wilson Is s.id to 6s N OaIlfCrnis,
heirs in prosecuting the claims. The claimants
are residents Of Arkansas, and are nearly all Of
iuteIy ignorant Of their ancestry. Mr.. Duryes,
in taking hold of their claims, found both the
pended the whole value Of the claim, which un-
der the new appraisal OF the unentered lands Of
the Governmentznamely, $3.50 an acre
THE VALIDITY OF THE CLAIM ESTABLISHED.
All the old parchments and records in the New
Orleans land once were searched, but In vain At
length It was traced to the royal archives in
Mr.. Duryes with an authenticated copy OF the
original and hnal grant of the land to Captain
yalliere. After describing the tract of land as
reported in Trudeau's- survey, the grant con-
"In consequence of the power which has been
servs,j grant in his royal name to tie said bon
fantry Of Louisiana, the said portion described
his legitimate SUCCESSORS, as property belonging
to him. Ell BARON DE CARoHDKLEI.
= "Done In New Orleans, Dec. ., 1897
The original grant was written IN the Gov
ernor's book, as was the custom, the grantee
holding Q copy as bis deed.
THE CONTESTED LANDS. .
One third Of the contested lands have been
ow1ed by private citizens for seventy years,
under the grant from the United States. Four
miliious Of acres are still unentered. The inhab-
itated part Is filed with towns, intersected by
railroads, built up in villages and laid out In
farms. If the heirs were wealthy enough they
might begin proceedings to dispossess the inhab-
itants Of six counties in Missouri and other coun-
ties in Arkansas, but the proceedings have been
begun to recover land warrants or patents by
which the claimants may enter the same amount
of land anywhere else in the public domain. Un-
der act passed In 1S60 claimants to land grants
If successful, have q right to choose the same
amount OF land as they claim from other spots, or
take land warrants, on which they may speculate
as on bonds. There are about forty claimants
who have thus far been recorded, and others are
expected. The claim is looked upon as perfectly
valid, and the lawyer for the plaintiffs will hold
that by the provisions Of the treaty In the cesson
Of the province from France TO the United States
IN 1903, the grant of Capt. Don Joseph Valliere
was fully protected and secured to him, well as
by the laws Of nations. The case VIII be tried In
Jefferson City, NO., In September.