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Show 92 EMIGRANT'S GUIDE. ,• . claim is important from its great extent, as is another upon both banks of Ouachitta, a short distance below Bayou Sian!, granted also by the Spanish go\'ernment to the marquis of Maison Rouge, the titles and quality of the soil of both are inserted in this treatise. The informatien given, respecting the land contained in these grants, are taken from actual observation made by the author on the spot. The documents respecting the titles are extracted from the collection made and published by the United States' government, pursuant to an act of.congress passed April 27th, 1810. The papers respecting these lands exhibit one ·of the few instances where the administrators of the government of Spain departed from the regular mode of granting land in Louisiana.~ lf the conditions upon which these grants were made had been acted upon to the utmost extent of the power of the claimants, or the wishes of the Spanish government, it is difficu !t to determille how far the nature of the country would facilitate or op p o~e the production of flour. \'Vheat of good quality has been raised on Ouachitta within the limits of these grants; but admitting that it might be made in large quantity, there is no doubt but cotton will •:mable the planter on these lands to purchase flour cheaper than tt can be made upon their own fa rms. So much speculati.o~ has been made re!i!pecting these gr:mts, and S? v~gue ~re ~he opm!ons .of lbe public on the subject, tlaat their entne mserL10n ts made m this treatise, in ord ~ r to enable the emigrant, or Jand purchasers, to form their own conclusions on certain grounds. Papers respecting Grand Maison's claz'm on Washz'ta. .we,. Francis Lewis Hector, baron de Carondelet, knight of Malta, bnga~J~r general of the royal ~rmies 'of his catholic ltlajesty, military and CIVJI g?vernor of ~he provmc~s of Louisiana and West Florida ; Don F~anc1s Rendou,. mt~ndant' o~ the army, and. deputy superintend ~ ant. of .be royal domams .m _the .sa1d provinces ; Don Joseph de 0 rue, Kmght of the royal and <hstmgmshed order of Charles Third, principai accountant for the royal chests of this army, exercising the functions of. fiscal of th~ royal d~mains,-~eclare, that we agree and contract WI~~ the semor m~rqm~ d~ Ma1~on Rouge, an emigrant French kmoht, who has. arn.ved m thts capital from the United States, to pro~ pos.e to us to brmg mto these provinces thirty families, who are al~o ~mrgrants, a1~d who are. to descend the Ohio, for the purpose of forrnm~ an est.abltshm~nt .w•th them on the lands bordering upon the Wastuta? dcstgned prmc1pally for the culture of wheat and the erection of mills for manu~acturing flour, under the following 'conditions: 1st. We offer, m the name of his catholic majesty, whom God preserv. c, to pay out of the royal treasury two hundred dol1ars to every famJly composed of two white .persons, fit for agriculture or for the arts useful and D~cessary to this establishment, as housP. or ship carpen~ ers, blacksmiths, and locksmiths · and four hundred to those ~av~ng four labourers ; and in the sam~ way, one hundred to those la~mg no. more than one useful Iabo~r ~ or ar!·ificer, as before de~ scnbed, w1th his family. • See pngc 5. EMIGRANT'S GUIDE. 93 2d. At the same time we promise, under the auspices of our sovereign monarch, to assist them forward fr?m New Madrid to Wishita, with a skilful guide, and the provisions necessary for them, till their arrival at their place of destination. 3d. The expenses of transportation of their baggage and implements of labour, which shalJ come by sea to this capital, shall be paid on account of the royal domains ; and they shall be taken oa the same acC<\ unt from this place to Wishita, provided that the weight shall not exceed three thousand pounds for each family. 4th. There shall be granted to every family containing two white persons fit for agriculture, ten arpens of land, extending back forty arpens, and increasing in the sat"ne proportion, to those which shall contain a greater number of white cultivators. 5th. Lastly, it shall be permitted to the families to bring or to cause to come with them, European servants, who shall bind themselves to their service for six or more years, un~er the express condition, that if they have families, they shall have a right, after their term of service is expired, to receive grants of land, proportioned in the same manner to their numbers. Thus we promise, as we have here stated ; and that it may come to the knowledge of those families who propose to transport themselves hither,. we sign the present contract, with the aforesaid senior marquis de Maijon Rouge, to whom, that it may be made plain, a cert ified copy shall be furnished·. New Orleans, the seventeenth of March, l 795. The BARON DE CARONDELET, FRANCJS RENDOU, JOSEPH DE ORUE, The MARQUIS DE MAISON ROUG~ . Having laid before the king what you have made known in y our letter of the .25th of April last, No. 44, relative to the contract enter ed into with the marquis of Maison Rouge, for the establishment on the Vv ashita, of the thirty families of farmers destined to cultivate wheat, for the supply of these provinces, his Ul::ljesty, considering the allvantages which it promises, compared with the preceding, has been plea~ed to approve .it in all its parts. By his royal direction, I commumcate it to you for your information. God preserve you many y ears. Madrid, 14th July, 1795. GARDOQUI. To the Intenuant of Louisiana. JVe'W Orleans, Nov. I~th, 1795. To be transmitted to the principal office of accounts (Contaduria) of t?e army and ~oyal domains, for their information, and two certified cop1es to be provideu for this secretary's office. RENDOU. . Don Gilbert Leonard, treasurer of the army, exercis.ing the func~ t1.o?s of royal accountant, and Don 1\:Ianuel 9ouzales Armires, exerc ~smg those of treasurer, par interior, of the royal chests of this provmce of Louisiana. .~ e certify, that the twq foregoing copies are conformable to the or•gmals, which remain in the archives of the ministry of the roya l ? |
