Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

cultures. J'ai vu au milieu d'immenses Forêts, des Familles languissant dans l'indigence et l'oisiveté.........mon cœur en a été vivement navré.

Dans les Villages et les Villes que j'ai traversés, je vous ai, moimême, mes Compatriotes, fait connaître que la République, en vous ouvrant son sein, se disposait à vous traiter avec libéralité et bienfésance; je vous ai fait connaître que les Terres merveilleuses sur lesquelles le Créateur vous avait placés, et qui ne se trouvaient pas légalement possédées, étaient naturellement la garantie de ce que vous pourriez devenir Propriétaires, et fixer, par ce moyen, le bonheur et la félicité de vos Familles; je vous ai annoncé que vous pouviez, avec confiance, vous livrer à la culture de ces Terres et les couvrir de ces plantes précieuses, telles que le caffier, le cacaotier, la canne à sucre, le cotonnier et le tabac, avec tous les vivres qui doivent vous assurer une nourriture abondante; je vous ai enfin dit que dès que j'aurai acquis la preuve que vous auriez fait des Etablissemens utiles à vous, à vos Enfans et à l'Etat, je vous donnerai, au nom de la Nation, pour vous et votre Postérité, en toute propriété et pour toujours, la concession des Terres mises en valeur. Il n'appartient donc maintenant qu'à votre volonté d'éloigner de vos demeures les inquiétudes et les chagrins, que donne le manque de la certitude de posséder perpétuellement la Terre que l'on arrose de ses sueurs et que l'on embellit de ses momens de loisir.

J'ai également annoncé aux Officiers, Civils et Militaires, aux Fonctionnaires Publics, que la Loi leur accordait des Propriétés de Terres pour eux et leurs ayant-causes, à titre de Donations Nationales, et pour constater les services qu'ils ont rendus à la Patrie; je n'attends pour faire expédier les titres de ces concessions que les demandes de ceux qui y ont droit, et l'assurance que les Terres demandées sont disponibles, étant reconnues la propriété de l'Etat.

Les Commandans des Arrondissemens et des Communes, dans toutes les Parties de l'Est, ont déjà reçu mes instructions pour permettre de faire des Etablissemens convenables, de même de les encourager par tous les moyens en leur pouvoir; ils ont été autorisés à délivrer des Certificats à ceux qui les réclameront, après que les travaux auront été constatés, afin que ceux qui les auraient faits se présentent à moi pour obtenir les titres irrévocables de la propriété qu'ils désireraient avoir.

Je renouvelle par la présente Proclamation, aux susdits Commandans d'Arrondissemens et de Communes, les mêmes Instructions, en leur enjoignant de donner à l'accomplissement de ces dispositions toute leur sollicitude.

Haïtiens! La religion qui nous unit tous, vous apprend que c'est outrager le Créateur que de vivre dans l'indolence et la paresse. Vos

Oppresseurs vous ont entretenus dans ces vices pour mieux vous subjuger. Ils vous ont ensuite calomniés, en cherchant à faire croire que la vie oisive était dans votre naturel; vos Frères et vos Libérateurs, vous rendent justice; ils ont la conviction que si vous n'avez pas mieux fait, c'est parce que votre énergie était étouffée, et que vous étiez tenus dans la stupeur. Maintenant que tout est dissipé, prouvez par votre amour au travail, par votre empressement d'assurer un avenir heureux à vos Enfans, que vous êtes dignes de la bonté du Tout-Puissant; que les Détracteurs d'Haïti qui parcourent nos campagnes, pour chercher à connaître les moindres défauts, les plus petits torts, soient confondus par leurs propres observations; qu'ils ne voient désormais dans les lieux que l'avarice et l'orgueil avaient réservés pour la pature du bétail, gardés par de malheureuses Créatures humaines, que l'on tenait ou dans l'esclavage ou dans l'avilissement, que des habitations productives de denrées pour l'entretien d'un commerce lucratif, où régnera l'aisance et où l'on trouvera les commodités qui prolongent la vie humaine; que partout les chétives cabanes soient remplacées par des lieux propres à la conservation de la santé et à l'augmentation de la population; que les produits de l'agriculture mettent enfin les Pères de Familles à même de donner à leurs Enfans P'éducation convenable, pour jouir et conserver tous les précieux dons de la Liberté et de l'Indépendance.

Haïtiens, mes Concitoyens, le sort a voulu que je me trouvasse dans la position d'être considéré ici-bas comme votre Père; écoutezmoi comme tel; soyez confians et vous serez heureux; ma sollicitude est de vous faire changer d'état, empressez-vous à vous mettre dans la civilisation, à l'unisson de vos Frères de l'Occident de l'Ile, et comme eux vous serez bientôt fiers et invincibles.

La présente Proclamation sera publiée et affichée partout où besoin sera; elle sera en outre lue, dans les deux langues, pendant 3 mois consécutifs, dans toutes les Eglises de la partie de l'Est, à l'issue des grand' Messes, les jours de Dimanches et Fêtes.

Les Autorités, Civiles et Militaires, tiendront la main à ce que toutes ces dispositions soient exécutées, et les Commandans d'Arrondissemens sont particulièrement chargés de veiller à la susdite exécution.

Donné au Palais National du Port-au-Prince, le 15 Juin, 1892, An 19 de l'Indépendance.

Par le Président:

Le Secrétaire Général,
B. INGINAC.

BOYER.

ACT of the Congress of The United States" for ascertaining Claims and Titles to Land within the Territories of Florida," ceded to The United States under the Treaty with Spain, of 1819.—8th May, 1822.

BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that for the purpose of ascertaining the Claims and Titles to Lands within the Territory of Florida, as acquired by the Treaty of the 22d of February, 1819, there shall be appointed, by the President of The United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, 3 Commissioners, who shall receive, as compensation for the duties enjoined by the provisions of this Act, 2,000 dollars each, to be paid quarterly, from the Treasury; who shall open an Office for the adjudication of Claims, at Pensacola, in the Territory of West Florida, and St. Augustine, in East Florida, under the rules, regulations, and conditions, hereinafter prescribed.

SEC. II. And be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of said Commissioners to appoint a suitable and well qualified Secretary, who shall record, in a well bound book, all and every their acts and proceedings, the Claims admitted, with those rejected, and the reason of their admission or rejection. He shall receive, as a compensation for his services, 1,250 dollars, to be paid quarterly, from the Treasury. He shall be acquainted with the Spanish language; and, before entering on a discharge of the duties of his office, shall take and subscribe an oath, before some Authority competent to administer it, that he will well and truly and faithfully discharge the duties assigned him, and translate all Papers that may be required of him by the Commissioners.

III. And be it further enacted, that said Commissioners, previously to entering on a discharge of the duties assigned them, shall, before the Judge of the Territorial Court at Pensacola, or some other Authority in his absence, competent to administer it, take an oath faithfully to discharge the duties of their offices, and shall commence and hold their Sessions on or before the first Monday of July next, at Pensacola, and on the first Monday of January thereafter, at St. Augustine, for the ascertaining and determining of all Claims to Land within the said Territories; notice of which shall be given, by said Commissioners, in some Newspaper printed at each place, or, if there be no Newspaper, at the most publick places in said Cities, respectively, of the time at which their Sessions will commence, requiring all Persons to bring forward their Claims, with evidence necessary to support them. The Session at St. Augustine shall terminate on the 30th of June, 1823, when said Commissioners shall forward to the Secretary of the Treasury, to be submitted to Congress, a detail of all they have done, and deliver over to the Surveyor all the Archives, Documents, and Papers, that may be in their possession.

IV. And be it further enacted, that every Person, or the heirs or Representatives of such Persons, claiming title to Lands under any patent, grant, concession, or order of survey, dated previous to the 24th day of January, 1818, which were valid under the Spanish Government, or by the Law of Nations, and which are not rejected by the Treaty ceding the Territory of East and West Florida to The United States, shall file, before the Commissioners, his, her, or their Claim, setting forth, particularly, its situation, and boundaries, if to be ascertained, with the deraignment of title, where they are not the Grantees, or original Claimants; which shall be recorded by the Secretary, and who, for his said services, shall be entitled to demand from the Claimants, 10 cents for each 100 words contained in said papers, so recorded; he shall be entitled to 25 cents for each subpœna issued: Provided, that if the amount so received shall exceed 1,250 dollars, which is hereby declared the compensation for his services, the excess shall be reported to the Commissioners, and be subject to their dispo sition, and said Commissioners shall proceed to examine and determine on the validity of said patents, grants, concessions, and orders of survey, agreeably to the Laws and Ordinances heretofore existing of the Governments making the grants respectively, having due regard, in all Spanish Claims, to the conditions and stipulations contained in the VIIIth Article of a Treaty concluded at Washington, between His Catholick Majesty and The United States, on the 22d of February, 1819; but any Claim not filed previous to the 31st day of May, 1823, shall be deemed and held to be void and of none effect. Provided nevertheless, And be it further enacted, that in all Claims submitted to the decision of the Commissioners, where the same Land, or any part thereof, is claimed by titles emanating both from the British and Spanish Governments, the Commissioners shall not decide the same, but shall report all such cases, with an abstract of the evidence, to the Secretary of the Treasury.

V. And be it further enacted, that the Commissioners shall have power to inquire into the justice and validity of the Claims filed with them; and shall be, and are hereby, authorized to administer oaths, to compel the attendance of Witnesses, by subpœnas issued by the Secretary, and the adduction of such testimony as may be wanted; they shall have access to all Papers and Records of a publick nature, relative to any land titles within said Provinces, and to make transcripts thereof. They shall examine into Claims arising under patents, grants, concessions, and orders of survey, where the survey has been actually made previous to the 24th January, 1818, whether they are founded upon conditions, and how far those conditions have been complied with; and if derived from the British Government, how far they have been considered valid under the Spanish Government; and if satisfied that said Claims be correct and valid, shall give confirmation

to them: Provided, that such confirmation shall only operate as a release of any interest which The United States may have, and shall not be considered as affecting the rights of third Persons: and provided that they shall not have power to confirm any Claim or part thereof where the amount claimed is undefined in quantity, or shall exceed 1000 acres; but in all such cases shall report the testimony, with their opinions, to the Secretary of the Treasury, to be laid before Congress for their determination. Every Witness attending under any process from the Commissioners shall be allowed 1 dollar a day, and 1 dollar for every 20 miles travel; to be paid by the party summoning him: Provided nevertheless, that the Commissioners shall not act on, or take into consideration, any British grant, patent, warrant, or order of survey, but those which are bonafide claimed and owned by Citizens of The United States, and which have never been compensated for by the British Government.

VI. And be it further enacted, that there shall be appointed, by the President of The United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a Surveyor, who shall possess the power and authority, and receive the same salary, as by Law appertains to the Surveyor south of the State of Tennessee; but his duties shall not commence until the Commissioners shall have examined and decided upon the Claims in West Florida, who shall thereupon furnish the Surveyor with a list of those admitted, and he shall thereupon proceed to survey the Country, taking care to have surveyed, and marked, and laid down upon a general plan, to be kept in his office, the metes and bounds of the Claims so admitted; causing the same to be surveyed at the expense of the Claimants, the price whereof shall be the same as is paid for surveying the publick Lands; but no Surveyor shall charge for any line except such as may be actually run, nor for any line not necessary to be run. He shall appoint a suitable number of Deputies, and shall fix and determine their fees: Provided, that the whole cost of survey shall not exceed 4 dollars a mile: and provided also, that none other than township lines shall be run where the Land is deemed fit for cultivation; said Surveyor shall reside at such place as the President of The United States may direct, and shall keep his office there, and may charge the following fees, viz: for recording the plat and surveys of private Claims made by any of his Deputies, 25 cents for each mile contained in the boundary of such survey, and 25 cents for any Copy certified from the books of his office.

PHILIP P. BARBOUR, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN GAILLARD, President of the Senate, pro tempore.

Washington, May 8th, 1822.-Approved.

JAMES MONROE.

« AnteriorContinuar »