Sinking fund, annual report of the Commissioners of the Slaves, &c. carried away by the British, proceedings of Survey of the waters of North Carolina and Virginia, - Vol. No. Page. 4 79 5 83 6 121 8 126 9 152 6 122 8 125 8 141 8 142 9 163 Seamen in the several districts of the United States, - Slave ships, Constitution, &c. rights of certain persons T. 3 28 4 60 8 136 Treaty with Colombia-see Colombia. Treaty with Cherokee Indians-see Indians. Tonnage of the United States, annual statement of the Throg's Point, Long Island Sound, in relation to the Tygart's Valley River-see Armory - Tea case, Philadelphia-fraud upon the revenue-sec Treaty with the Creeks at the Indian Springs, and of Virginia, copy act of Legislature of-incorporate Chesa- Vaccinating soldiers-see Army. Virginia, survey of the waters of, with a view to inter- nal improvement W. War Department, on the various branches of the public service resorting from the-(President's message) 5 81 8 125 1 1 9 1st SESSION. TREAS. DEPT. REPORT OF THE REGISTER AND RECEIVER OF The Land District South of Red River, IN LOUISIANA, Upon the Land Claims SITUATED BETWEEN THE RIO HONDO AND THE SABINE, JANUARY 13, 1826. Printed by order of the House of Representatives, WASHINGTON : PRINTED BY GALES & SEATON. SOUTH WESTERN LAND DISTRICT, State of Louisiana, Opelousas, Nov. 1st, 1824. To the Hon. Wм. H. CRAWFORD, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. The Register and Receiver of the South Western Land District, in obedience to the act of Congress, entitled An Act providing for the execution of the titles to land in that part of the state of Louisiana situated between the Rio Hondo and the Sabine river." approved March 3d, 1823, and to the act supplementary thereto, approved May 26, 1824, respectfully report: That, pursuant to the above recited acts, and for the purpose of carrying the same into effect, they did, after having given suitable notice to claimants of the time and place of their meeting, and the object thereof, repair to the town of Natchitoches, and held their session therein so long as was thought necessary for the performance of the duties in said acts prescribed. The first object of the Board was to ascertain, from the best sources within their reach, the laws and customs of the Spanish province of Texas, as regards the granting of lands, &c., the extent of the late neutral territory, together with other information necessary to a satisfactory discharge of the duties imposed upon us: for which purpose, in default of every kind of authentic or public data, we were compelled to have recourse to the knowledge of individuals of respectability, who, from their situation or pursuits, were deemed best capable of throwing lights upon those points of inquiry. Samuel Davenport, José Maria Mora, José Flores Gregorio Mora, José Bernado Guitriez, and Juan Cortes, all of the parish of Natchitoches, to the following interrogation under oath, before the Board declared as follows: To the first, viz: "Were you acquainted with the organization of the government of the province of Texas, the powers and jurisdiction of its officers, and its laws, regulations, and customs, previous to the 20th of December, 1803, relative to grants of land, or the alienation of the public domain ?” Answer of Samuel Davenport:-"I resided at Nacogdoches, in the province of Texas, early in 1798, where I lived until 1813; enjoyed all the rights and privileges of citizenship; became early acquainted with the internal organization of that government, and the powers of its officers, regulations, and laws, relative to the granting of lands belonging to the royal domain.” Answer of José M. Mora:-"I was born, and have resided within, the jurisdiction of Nacogdoches, province of Texas." Answer of José Flores:-"I was, at divers times, procurador of the Comun, &c. and have put several claimants in possession under the decrees of the Lieutenant Governors and Commandants." Answer of Gregorio Mora:- That he was employed as procurador in Nacogdoches, and knows the powers of the Commandants and Lieutenant Governors, for the granting of lands within that jurisdiction; is an inhabitant of the Adais, and was born in Nacogdoches." Answer of José Bernado Guitrie:-"I am a Creole of the province of New St. Andre, one of the internal provinces of Mexico, and resided in the city of Revilla, until the year 1811; that I am well acquainted with the laws and regulations that are in force, in that province, for the granting and disposing of vacant lands, and that they are the same as recognized in the province of Texas, from the titles and grants I have seen.' Answer of John Cortes:-"I have no knowledge of the proceedings of the government of Texas, relative to grants of land previous to the 20th of December, 1803," To the second interrogatory, viz: "Did the Lieutenant Governors and Commandants of Nacogdoches, each, possess the power of granting lands within their jurisdiction-If so, was there no limitation in the exercise of that right?" Answer of S. Davenport:—" The Lieutenant Governors and Commandants possess the power to grant lands in their jurisdiction; were not limited by superior authority, to specific quantities in the exercise of that right; and were only instructed to proportion their grants to the property, force, stock, and merit of the individual asking grants. The Procurador del Comun was the officer appointed to make inquiry; put the petitioner in possession of the land prayed for, and executed the Lieutenant Governor's and Commandant's orders relative to the premises. It was not uncommon to grant large and extensive tracts of land for vacharies, and stock ranges, not only in the province of Texas. but in all the Las Provinces Internas."the raising of stock of every description being the only pursuit of the inhabitants of that country." Answer of José M. Mora:- It is to my knowledge, that the Commandants and Lieutenant Governors, commanding within the jurisdiction of Nacogdoches, had the power to grant lands as far back as the year 1792, at which time a commissioner, having special orders came with instructions and rules, for the granting of lands, which rules and instructions were deposited among the public records. and governed the Commandants of Nacogdoches, and Lieutenant Governors. in their grants since that time. Before the year 1792, the Commandants of Nacogdoches gave only permits to settle for the purpose of cultivation, or for raising stock. without any other title to the property, which he was not authorized to give. The Commandants and Lieutenant Governors of Nacogdoches were not, to my knowledge, limited, in the granting of lands, to any specific quantity, but it was their duty to proportion the extent of the grants to the circumstances of the individuals claiming them, and to that |