The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-09-22

Peculiar conditisns Attashed 70 Grsnfs o,
der the Colonial Chatter.

der the Colonial Chatter.
The colony Of -Georgia was estab.
hshed in 1888 under charter from the
King of Great Britain, and during the
first twenty years of its existence al
grants of Land were made by the trus'
., tees under this charter. These grant,
were limited to tracts not exceeding
five hundred acres and coupled with
many conditions. that to. the present
generation seem extremely harsh and
NOT, entirely free from absurdity. Foi
example, the grants were limited te
the male heirs of the grantees. This
object of this seemingly unfair reguia.
ton was TO preserve the military
strength of the province, as femal,
heir might be unmarried and thus with
draw from the garrison the portiot
which should belong to a soldier. MOI
were the grantees at first allowed te
sell their grants, because this privilege
being permitted, the lands which should
be apportioned among many might be
come centered in few. On failure o.
male heirs the land at once reverted te
the trustees, to be again granted tt
such persons as the Common Council
should think most advantageous TO the
colony. The rules. however, contained
atleast one element of justice, as the
widows of grantees dying without issue
were. during their lives, entitled to the
enjoyment of the house and one-hall
the improved lands which their joint
Iabors had created; and special regard
was had for daughters presumably
those with husbands) of those who haC
made improvements upon their lots.
1t was also provided that the lanC
granted should be cultivated, planted
cleared. improved. or fenced within ten
years from date of the grant, else such
grant should be void and the land sc
unimproved should revert to the
trustees.
Another condition attached to the
earlier grants was that each person
should plant one hundred white null
berry trees. The projectors of the future
great State of Georgia regarded the
cultivation of silk as the foundation OF
her future wealth.
AS the years rolled by it became
more and more apparent that the silk
worm would prove failure, hence that
industry ceased to be fostered by the
the colonist One large trust lot in the
present city of Savannah was set apart
for the ''filature lot" whereupon wa:
erected a huge wooden structure, speci-
ally appropriated to the promotion OF
silk culture. This lot is now cvoered
by a range of brick tenements.
In the earlier period of her history
the known Georgia" so far as the
records disclose, was confined to the
low lands along the coast and the
banks of the Savannah River. The
deeds all describe the land as in the
province" of Georgia, and in the dis
tricts of Savannah, Ebenezer, OgeeJ
chez, etc. After the termination of
the charter, in 1853 or Whereabouts. all
grants emanated from the Crown, and.
were tested by the Governor General
and mmander-in-C Chief for the time
being. The records render notorious
the fact that each of these Governors
took care to Feather his own nest" as
large tracts of the most valuable lands
in the province were set aside to them.
In 1853 the charter of the colony ex-
pired. but two years prior to that date
the trustees deemed it expedient to sur
render their trust, which, after various
negotiations. was accomplished in 1852.
Their last meeting was held on June
% of that year, when they executed a
formal deed of surrender to the crown.
The records of deeds, mortgages,
wills, ETC.; which are now preserved in
the offices of clerks of Superior Courts
and ordinaries, were, during the col
onial era, kept in an Office which was
the equivalent TO that of Secretary Of
State to-day. The records are now in
the Capitol, and are in an excellent
state of preservation. They cover the
entire period from 1884 to the organ
Ration of the State GoVernment.-Ak
Eanta Constitution. 49,. 3D.. q