The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-10-13

On the 2Ist of June, IVY, Governor
Galvez, reciting the possession given
by Andry to Conway of all the va
cant land, behind or in the rear of
the fory arpens, de TODD la terra
GGeaRte y dietrds 0 q 10 esptada de los
gaa4anta primeros,l issued the usual
patent, in which he grants to the
said !" Maurice Conway the said land
behind or in the rear of the forty ar
pens which are contained in his plan
tation, situated in the district of La
Fourche, by ninety-siX in the front
on the river, following the same di-
rectioDs as those" (aL referido Don
Haria3icio COnWay Ia cjtidG terra
det'aS al Cabo de los quarantG ar
panes que coRtieRe su habitacion en- el
Distfifo de La FouFche Sobre nouenta
u Seis de frente rio, SegaiendO la misma
direction que CORE aQueItoS.l (Ioombs
Report, 3. Senate Document 45, p. 81
On these original titles it is that the
Houmas claimants. found their pre-
tensions to the fee simple of 100000
acres OF valuable land, as a timber
privilege for a front concession of
1000 acres. (Toombs' Report, 81
Andry's proceedings were regular.
Had the order of survey called speciti
ca1ly for back concession of 2, 40,
AZ, 80, or 81 arpens, or for depth that
together with the front concession,
would make depth of a half league,
which is ~ arpens, or a depth of a
league, which is "a arpens, Meaard
q. Massey, VII HoWard, BID or a
depth of league and a halt, which
is l26 arpens his proceedings in the
field would have been the same. The
fact that Andry measured only 2 ar
pens deep on the side lines of the
back concession, does not of itself re-
strict the claim to that depth, nor is
it any index whatever to the depth
which Andry intended to assign to
that concession. Andry did not de-
sisn to indicate the depth of the con-
cession by his survey, or by his GER
tificate. He designed that the am
biguity patent on the face of his sur
vey and certificate, should be ex-
planned by the plat which the Hou-
mas claimants, to defeat this design,
have suppressed. Those elaimai is
bave loved darkness better than
light but truth fears nothing but
concealment.
BY the treaty of San Ildefonso, of
the lst of October, 1900, Spain retro
ceded Louisiana to France, and by
the treaty of Paris, of the 30th Of
April, 1908, France coded the prov
ince to the United States. (AmericdR
State papers. Public lands, Y, 276,
277.) On the Goth of December, 1903,
the United States received the for
NAL delivery of the province. lib.
ii, 81 Soon afterwards, William
Donaldson, in behalf of himself, VIM.
Marenner and Patrick Canway, as
joint owners of the front and back
concessions, applied to William c. C.
Claiborne, Governor of Mississippi
territory and of Louisiana, to issue
an ORDER Of survey to William Maren-
2,er or some other person, for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the outlines
and boundaries of the said land.n
(Sendte Document As, p. 20.) Upon
this petition the Governor ordered as
follows
The proprietors of land adjoining the
tract within mentioned are requested to
show their respective boundaries, and the
Commandment of the district, if necessary,
will extend to the surveyor his protection.
WILLIAM G. G.. CLAIBORNE.
lib. p. 2I.l
This instrument maybe called a
request to the proprietors contigu-
Gus to the Houmas Claim, or an order
to the Commandant of the district
but it is rot addressed to Marenntr,
nor to any other persons save the
Commandant and the proprietors con
tiguous to the Houmas Claim, nor
does it appoint surveyor, nor order
II survey. However, on the 2Sth of
December, 1904, under color of this
anomalous decree, Lafon executed a
plat aud certificate in favor of Dom
aldson and Scott, holding under
Maurice Conway, f"r the upper por-
ton of the Houmas title, assigning to
that portion on front the Mississippi
river of 20 arpens, depth on the up
per line of 1904 arpens, adepth on the
lower line of $50 arpens, pnd an open
ing towards the rear of 36t degrees.
Lafom eertiiies that his plat conforms
TO measurements made by himself on
Bayou Manchac in 1903, aud to sur
veys made by William Marenner on
the 9th of June, the 18th of August,
aud the 3D. December, 1904 fSeaate
Document 45, d. Ia
On. the 25th Of September, 1907,
Lafon, under colDr of the same de-
cree, executed plat aud certificate
in favor of Daniel Clark, holding I'M
der Maurice Conway, for the middle
portion of the Houmas title, assigning
TO that portion front on the Missis-
sippi river of 20 arpens, a depth on
the upper line of $50 arpens, depth
on the lower line psi arpens, and an
opening towards rear of % degrees.
Lafon certiiies that his plat conforms
To measurements made by himself ON
Amite river in November, 1904, and
to surveys made BY William Maren-
On tile both of February, 1906, La