Tameling v. United States Freehold and Emigration Company

by David Davis

United States Supreme Court

93 U.S. 644

Tameling  v.  United States Freehold and Emigration Company

ERROR to the Supreme Court of the Territory of Colorado.

This is an action by the defendant in error against Tameling, to recover possession of one hundred and sixty acres of land in the County of Costilla and Territory of Colorado. The tract is situate within the exterior boundaries of a larger one, known as the 'Costilla estate,' which was severed from the 'Sangre de Cristo grant.' The latter is known and designated as 'claim No. 14 of Charles Beaubien,' in the letter of the Secretary of the Interior to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, bearing date Feb. 11, 1857. With that claim were transmitted copies of the grant, order of prefect's court, notice of claim, deed of administrator, testimony, and report.

The case was sbmitted to the District Court on the following agreed statement of facts:--

The piece or parcel of land described in the plaintiff's declaration, and for the possession of which the plaintiff brings this suit, is now, and at the time of the commencement of this suit was, situate, lying, and being in the County of Costilla, in the Territory of Colorado, and, at the time of the commencement of this suit, and for a long time prior thereto, was in the actual possession of the said defendant, who, before the commencement of said suit, has made valuable improvements thereon.

The said piece or parcel of land is within the exterior boundaries of and forms a part of a larger tract or parcel of land claimed by the plaintiff in fee-simple, and known as the 'Costilla estate,' which said estate is bounded as follows, viz.: 'Beginning at a point one league below the confluence of the Rio Costilla and the Rio del Norte; thence up the Rio del Norte, on the eastern bank thereof, to its confluence with the Rio Culebra; thence easterly, following the southern bank of the Rio Culebra, to a point at or near the junction of the Rio Seco with the Rio Culebra; thence easterly to the Culebra Peaks; thence southerly to the boundary of the lands of Miranda and Beaubien, and to a point at or near the road to Maxwell's thence westerly, following the mountain-ranges and along the boundary of the lands of Miranda and Beaubien, to a point about one league south of the Rio Costilla; and thence westerly to the place of beginning: containing by estimation five hundred thousand acres, or thereabouts.'

The said Costilla estate prior to the commencement of this suit formed a part and parcel of a yet larger tract or parcel of land, known as the 'Sangre de Cristo grant;' from said grant the said estate was segregated by the conveyance thereof by Martin Coates Fisher to the plaintiff, which said conveyance is hereinafter referred to; and which said grant, as an entirety (including said Costilla estate), is described as follows: 'Beginning at a point one Spanish league below the confluence of the Rio de Costilla and the Rio del Norte; thence up the Rio del Norte on the eastern bank thereof, to a point one league above the mouth of the Rio Trinchara; thence north-east to a point; thence along said mountain, south-east to a point established on the top of said mountain; thence south to the boun dary of the lands of Miranda and Beaubien; thence along said boundary to a point about one league south of the Rio de Cos tilla; and thence west to the place of beginning.'

The said Costilla estate is included in the Sangre de Cristo grant, whether reference be had to the description thereof given in the judicial certificate of possession, or in the petition of Charles Beaubien herein set forth.

The said Sangre de Cristo grant is known and designated as 'Claim No. 14 of Charles Beaubien' in the letter of the Secretary of the Interior of the United States, transmitting a transcript of the claim of the said Beaubien to said grant, to the Hon. N. P. Banks, Speaker of the House of Representatives, said letter bearing date Feb. 11, 1857, and which said letter, and all of the documents pertaining to said Sangre de Cristo grant therein referred to, are in the words and figures following, viz.:--

'DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Feb. 11, 1857.

'SIR,-I have the honor to transmit herewith for the action of Congress, contemplated by the eighth section of the act of 22d of July, 1854, the transcript of the land-claims in New Mexico, designed for the House of Representatives, as per letter from the Commissioner of the General Land-Office of the 10th instant, a copy of which is enclosed.

'Similar documents, submitted by the commissioner in the same letter for the Senate of the United States, have been appropriately disposed of.

'With great respect, your obedient servant,

'R. McCLELLAND, Secretary.

'HON. N. P. BANKS,

'Speaker of the House of Representatives.'

'GENERAL LAND-OFFICE, Feb. 10, 1857.

'SIR,-I have the honor to submit to the department the following documents, transmitted to this office by the surveyor-general of New Mexico, with his letter dated 31st December, 1856, to wit:--

'Claim No. 14, of Charles Beaubien. Transcript for the House of Representatives, embracing copies of grant (original), translation of grant, order of prefect's court, notice of claim, deed of administrator, testimony, and report.

'Also, § milar documents for the United States Senate, with the exception of another transcript of the original grant, which has not been received from the surveyor-general.

'Claim No. 29, Casa Colorado. Transcript for the House of Representatives, embracing copies of grant (original), translation of grant, notice, testimony, and report.

'Also, similar documents for the United States Senate, with the exception of another copy of original grant which has not been received from the surveyor-general.

'Claim No. 32, of Hugh Stevenson et als. Transcript for the House of Representatives, embracing copies of grant (original), translation of grant, testimony, map of the Bracito tract of land, deed of Francisco Gracia y San Juan to Hugh Stevenson et al., deed of Hugh Stevenson et al. to Francisco Gracia y San Juan, notice, brief, and report.

'Also, similar documents for the United States Senate, with the exception of other original copies of grant and map of the Bracito tract of land, which have not been received from the surveyor-general.

'The foregoing three claims have been examined and approved by the surveyor-general of New Mexico, who, in transmitting the above-mentioned copies of the documents, requested that the same may be submitted to Congress at their present session for their action upon the claims, and they are therefore accordingly herewith submitted for that purpose.

'With great respect, your obedient servant,

'THOMAS A HENDRICKS, Commissioner.

'HON. R. McCLELLAND,

'Secretary of the Interior.' 'Claim No. 14, of Charles Beaubien. 'Seal fourth. [SEAL.] Two rials.

'For the years one thousand eight hundred and forty-two and forty-three.

'Most Excellent Governor Don MANUEL ARMIJO:--

'Louis Lee, a naturalized citizen and resident of the first demarcation of Taos, and Narciso Beaubien, a citizen, and also a resident of the above-named place, appear before your Excellency in the manner and form best provided by law and most convenient to us, and state that, desiring to encourage the agriculture of the country, and place it in a flourishing condition, and being restricted with lands wherewith to accomplish said purpose, we have seen and examined with great care that embraced within the Costilla, Culebra, and Trincheras Rivers, including the Rito of the Indians and the Sangre de Cristo to its junction with the Del Norte River, and finding in it the qualities of fruitfulness, fertile lands for cultivation, and abundance of pasture and water, and all that is required for its settlement, and the raising of horned and woollen cattle, and being satisfied with it, and knowing that it is public land, we have not hesitated to apply to your Excellency, praying you, as an act of justice, to grant to us the possession of a tract of land to each one within the afore-mentioned boundaries, promising to commence the settlement of the same within the time prescribed by law, until the colony shall be established and permanently fixed, provided your Excellency be pleased to grant it to us. Such is the offer we make, and swear it is not done in malice.

'LOUIS LEE.

'NARCISO BEAUBIEN.

'SANTE F E, Dec. 27, 1843.'

'SANTA F E, Dec. 30, 1843.

'Referred to the prefect, in order that, if the land petitioned for be not otherwise disposed of, he cause the possession referred to by the petitioners to be given.

'ARMIJO. [RUBRIC.]

'DONACIA NO VIGIL [RUBRIC], Acting Secretary."RIO ARRIBA, Jan. 7, 1844.

'The justice of the peace to whose jurisdiction belongs the land petitioned for, which, I believe, should be the third demarcation, having before him the superior decree of the most excellent governor of the 30th of December last, will proceed to the land and place the petitioners in possession, provided it is not to the injury of third parties.

'ARCHULETA. [RUBRIC.]'

'TO DON MIGUEL SANCHEZ, Justice of the Peace of the Third Demarcation:--

'The undersigned, Mexican citizens and residents of this precinct, in the most approved anner provided by law, appear before you, and state that the public land contained in the foregoing statement having been granted to us by the government of the department, as will be seen by the superior decree entered on the margin, and lacking the certificate of possession which will insure to us our legal title thereto, and prevent any one from disturbing us, we pray you to consider us as having presented ourselves, after which we will enlarge this for such ends as our rights may require. Therefore, we pray you to grant our request, justice being what we ask for. We swear that it is not done in malice, and in whatever may be necessary, &c.

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