The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-08-09
HOUMA LAND LITIGATION.
Another Step in the Troubles Over
some Old Indian Lands in
louisiana.

L0u1s1aHa.
After quiet of several years the
Houma land grant has again come to
the front to occupy the attention of
the United States courts. Probably
no public lands in the country have
given the United States more trouble
than those of the Houma Indians.
There have been more lawsuits over
them, conspiracies, riots and disturb
ances than over any other part of the
federal domain. The question has fire.
quently figured in local politics and
more than once has obtruded itself on
congvess. The Houma Indians occu-
pied a considerable part of south Louis
| lana when the French landed there.
| There was a Houma village on the
present site of New Orleans. The Indi-
| ans were quiet and peaceable; they
gave the whites no trouble. In conse-
| quence the whites had a great deal of
| trouble themselves. The Indians were
gradually crowded out of all the fer
tile lands they owned, and took refuge
| in the swamps on both sides of the
Ante river in Livingston and Ascension
parishes.
| In 1929 the tribe became totally eX-
| tinct and the lands were thrown open
by the government to settlement. 1t
was found however, that there were
old French and Spanish claims to them
for the Spanish piled their claims
three or four thick on every acre of
| T A. -
tempt was made to GUST the squatters
in Livingston parish, but they proved
a rather lawless lot, and as everybody
in that section was a squatter the mat
ter was finally settled by perfecting
their titles.
| There was the same trouble in Assem-
sion parish The government opened
the land to public settlement in 1899,
and again in 1885. Quite number Of
entries were made in the latter year,
but when those who had entered the
land attempted to take possession of
their property they found it already
occupied by squatters, both white and
black, who had held it for several gen.
erations without the slightest title.
This brought up the old Livingston
trouble. The squatters refused to
leave, and threatened to resent any at
tempt at dispossession. After much
parleying a compromise was finally
reached whereby the squatters agreed
to pay a certain sum of money, either
in lump or in installment, provided
they were left in their possession.
But again in 1897 the United States
land office threw these lands open to
entry for the third time and many
entries were made. The occupants of
the lands. squatters and others, began
new mode of war. They declared
that they were being pestered by land
spectators, that the entries were
fraudulent and not in good faith and
intended to milk and fleece them; and
they organized a committee known as
the Land Investigating Committee of
Ascension parish" to investigate the
matter and see who were the men in
etrumental in getting up these land
entries. The committee devoted much
time and attention to this matter and
reported that the entry scheme was
being worked from New Orleans, lands
being fraudulently entered there, COM
polling the occupants of these lands to
buy them from those who got titles
through the United States land office.
The squatters and other occupants
, of the public lands in dispute, who con-
stitute large part of the population
of the eastern half of Ascension, be.
q lieve that by this criminal proceeding
. and the conviction of the men making
S these entries, they have put an enc
2 to the troubles from which they have
$ suffered so long and which have com
/ PEELED them to organize again and
1 again to keep their farms. They have
e made it too hot, they say, for the lane
A spectators. But if congress or the
United States land office could interfere
: and prevent further trouble and dis
q putting of titles in the Houma lane
4 grant it would prevent great deal o.
i'll feeling. smooth down politics an(
: prevent litigation over a question tina
] has been before the courts for nearly
70 years.