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have been actually surveyed prior to the twenty-seventh day of October, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, or in case the same shall appear to be otherwise fraudulent or illegal, the grant, warrant or order of survey, granted by the Spanish government, as aforesaid, by virtue of which such tract or tracts of land may be claimed, shall be, and the same is hereby declared null and void, to all intents and purposes, and shall not be read in evidence against any claim or certificate of pre-emption derived from the United States.

Parole evidence lawful for supporting or invalidating grants.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful, in the trial of such suit or action, for either party to introduce parole evidence for the purpose of supporting or invalidating the grant, warrant or order of survey as aforesaid; and the judgment, sentence or decree of the said highest court of law or equity, in the cases aforesaid, shall be final and conclusive between the parties, and may be plead in bar to any subsequent suit or action brought in the same or any other court, for the recovery of the same land or any part thereof.

Abraham Ellis confirmed in his title to a tract of land.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That Abraham Ellis be, and he is hereby confirmed in a tract of land granted by the British government of West Florida to Stephen Jordan, containing the quantity of two hundred acres, lying and being on the waters of Boyd’s creek, according to the metes and bounds of said tract of land set forth in the plat thereof made by the surveyor-general of said province of West Florida; and that the amount of money which the said Ellis may have been compelled to pay to the receiver of public monies west of Pearl river, in the Mississippi territory, for said tract of land, be refunded to him by the receiver aforesaid.

Daniel Harregal also confirmed in his title.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That Daniel Harregal be and he is hereby confirmed in his title in fee simple to the tract of land whereon he resides, containing the quantity of five hundred and fifty acres, agreeably to a plat thereof filed with the register of the land-office, west of Pearl river, in the Mississippi territory.

Approved, February 28, 1809.

Statute ⅠⅠ.



Feb. 28, 1809.

Chap. XXIII.An Act for the relief of certain Alibama and Wyandott Indians.

President to cause a tract of land in the Orleans territory to be laid off for the Alibama Indians.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to cause to be surveyed and designated by proper metes and bounds, a tract of land, not exceeding two thousand five hundred acres, out of any lands of the United States, lying in the territory of Orleans, and west of the river Mississippi, and by lease vest the said tract of land in a certain tribe of Alibama Indians and their descendants, for the term of fifty years: Provided nevertheless,Proviso. that it shall not be lawful for the said tribe of Indians to transfer or assign their interest in the said land, and every such transfer, or assignment, shall be null and void: And provided also,Proviso. that if the said tribe of Indians shall remove from the said tract of land, their interest in, and to, the same shall thenceforth cease and determine.

Secretary of the Treasury to cause two tracts of land in Michigan to be laid off for the Wyandotts.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That there shall be designated, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, two tracts of land in the Michigan territory, one including the village called Brown’s town, and the other the village called Maguaga in the possession of the Wyandott tribe of Indians, containing in the whole not more than five thousand acres; which two tracts of land shall be reserved for the use of the said Wyandotts, and their descendants, and be secured to them in the same manner, and on the same terms and conditions as is provided in relation to the Alibama Indians, by the first section of this act.

Approved, February 28, 1809.