The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-06-17
The Rights of Settlers Demanded.
Bentley, La, June IL, 1911.
l}ifor CoIc,y Chronicle.

attention of our Senators and Con- |
gressmen to the matter of unsettled |
claims of settlers on the New Orleans |
Pacific Railway land grant, or Back
bone Land Grant. and Mr.. BlaDch-
ard is asked to explain the terms of
the agreement in terms the ordinary |
layman can understand. This we
think would he the proper thing to
be done Mt this time, as Mr.. Blanch- |
ard was our Congressman at the
time the agreement was made. |
However, We do not believe our Con-
gressmen and Senators could make
STATEMENTS that would be any plain
er than the Act of February s, 1887. |
1t is clear to any unbiased mind that
it was the intention of the agreement
as well as the Act of 1887, 20 clear
up all disputes as to the rights OF
both the railroad and those who had
settled on any of the lands in the
limits of the grant.
Inasmuch as the Act of 1887 was
an act to declare forfeiture of lands
granted tn the New Orleans, Baton
Rouge & Vicksburg Railway Co.. to
confirm titles to certain lands and
for other purposes, all lands east OF
the Mississippi river were restored to
the public domain OF the United
States, and all lands in the limit OF
the grant of 1871, and west OF the
Mississippi river were granted, con-
vryed and confirmed to the New Or
leans Pacific Railway Co.
The act provided that all lands Oc-
cupied by actual settlers at the date
of the filing of the map OF location,
which WAS Oct 81, 1881, and Nov.
1882, and had remained on same
until February 8. 1887. the date OF
the Act, be deemed excepted from
said grant, and shall be subject to
entry under the public land laws of
the United States.
Section 4 of the Act reads: That
it shall be the duty of the Secretary
of the Interior, in issuing patents
for the hands conveyed herein to es-
ablish such rules and regulations ms
to enable all persons who on the first
day of December. 1884, were in actual
occupancy of any of the lands to
which the New Orleans Pacific Rail-
way Co. is entitled under the provis-
ions of this act, and who are of the
description of persons entitled to
make homestead or presumption Ell
tries on public lands under the gen
eral land laws of the United States.
to secure titles to the lands SO held
by them, not to exceed in quantity
one quarter section and not less than
one sixteenth OF a section.
We find in Section 6 of the Act the
following: That the patents for the
land conveyed herein thnt have al
ready been issued to said company
he. and the same is hereby confirmed;
but the Secretary of the Interior is
hereby authorized and instructed to
apply the provisions of the second,
third, fourth and fifth sections of
this Act to any of said lands in all
their rights under the said sections
of this Act
Now, this looks very plain, does it
not? 1t wonld seem from the read
ing of the above that We have the
law plain enough.
The fact in this case is, one of our
congressman has directed the writer
to gentleman in Shreveport known
as the United States District Attor-
ney. as being the proper party to
have those suits now pending in our
United States District Court decided
or gotten off the docket. As stated
stated last week, it would seem that
ID years is time enough to have
case decided, when 80 many poor
people are directly Interested. This
writer believes that our present Dis
trict Attorney has promised to have
some Of these cases decided this sum-
mer. He has not been in office very
long, and no doubt will call the case
for decision some time soon, there
by fulfilling his promise in letter
to one of the parties directly interest
ed, as well as to discharge his duties
as representative of the govern
ment, and a protector of the peoples
rights. '
Should this matter continue as it