Marsh v. Brooks (49 U.S. 223)

THIS case was brought up, by writ of error, from the Supreme Court of Iowa. It was a proceeding in the nature of an ejectment, to recover 640 acres on the right bank of the Mississippi River. The suit was brought by the heirs of Reddick against one Kilbourn, who was the tenant in possession. By agreement of counsel filed after the suit was brought, it was admitted that the defendants in error were the heirs of Thomas F. Reddick, and the plaintiffs in error were substituted in the place of Kilbourn.

The facts were these:

On the 4th of August, 1824, a treaty was made between the United States and the Sac and Fox Indians, by the first article of which the Indians ceded to the United States the lands described as follows, viz.:-'Within the limits of the state of Missouri, which are situated, lying, and being between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and a line running from the Missouri at the entrance of Kansas River north one hundred miles to the northwest corner of the state of Missouri, and from thence east to the Mississippi. It being understood, that the small tract of land lying between the rivers Des Moines and the Mississippi, and the section of the above line between the Mississippi and Des Moines, is intended for the use of the half-breeds belonging to the Sac and Fox nations, they holding it, however, by the same title and in the same manner that other Indian titles are held.'

On the 30th June, 1834, Congress passed an act (4 Stat. at L., 740,) entitled, 'An act relinquishing the half-breed lands.' It relinquished all the right, title, and interest which might accrue to the United States in the above reservation, and vested the land between the rivers Des Moines and Mississippi, above mentioned, in the half-breeds of the Sac and Fox tribes of Indians, who were, at the passage of the act, entitled by the Indian title to the same, with full power and authority to transfer their portions thereof, by sale, devise, or descent, according to the laws of the state of Missouri.

Both of these documents covered the land in dispute.

On the 1st of July, 1836, Congress passed an act, (6 Stat. at L., 661,) relinquishing to the heirs of Thomas F. Reddick all the right, title, claim, and interest which the United States had to a certain tract of land (understood to be the land in dispute), with the following proviso:--

'Provided, nevertheless, if said lands shall be taken by any older or better claim not emanating from the United States, the government will not be in any wise responsible for any remuneration to said heirs; and, provided, also, that, should said tract of land be included in any reservation heretofore made, under treaty with any Indian tribe, that the said heirs be, and they hereby are, authorized to locate the same quantity in legal sub-divisions on any unappropriated land of the United States in said territory, subject to entry at private sale.'

On the 7th of February, 1839, a patent was issued by the United States to Thomas F. Reddick, for the land in controversy, which contained the following recital, viz.:-- 'The United States of America, to all to whom these presents shall come, greeting:

'Know ye, that Thomas F. Reddick, assignee of the estate of Joseph Robidoux, assignee of Louis Honore Tesson, has deposited in the General Land Office, a certificate numbered one thousand one hundred and fifty-seven, of the recorder of land titles at St. Louis, Missouri, whereby it appears that, in pursuance of the several acts of Congress for the adjustment of titles and claims to lands, the said Thomas F. Reddick, assignee of the estate of Joseph Robidoux, assignee of Louis Honore Tesson, has been confirmed in his claim to a tract of land containing six hundred and forty acres, bounded and described as follows, to wit,' &c., &c.

On the 10th of July, 1839, the defendants in error brought a writ of right (a proceeding recognized by the statutes of Iowa, in the nature of an ejectment) against the tenant in possession under Marsh, Lee, and Delavan. After sundry proceedings, which it is not necessary to state, the cause came on for trial at September term, 1843, of the District Court, when the jury, under the instructions of the court, found a verdict for the plaintiffs.

A bill of exceptions was taken, which set out the evidence offered by the parties respectively, as follows, viz.:--

The plaintiffs offered in evidence the above patent; proved that the land claimed was included within it; the heirship of the plaintiffs; and that the defendant was in possession when the suit was brought, and then vested.

The defendants, in order to prove an outstanding title, offered in evidence,--

1. The treaty of 1824.

2. The Act of Congress of June 30, 1834.

3. The Act of Congress of July 1, 1836.

And also offered parol testimony to prove that the northern line of said half-breed reservation was an actually marked line, in accordance with said plat, and called by the neighborhood, along and on each side of said line, the half-breed line; and thereupon prayed the court to instruct the jury as follows, to wit:-- Refused.

1st. That if the jury believe, from the evidence, that the land described in the patent lies within the reservation for the Sac and Fox half-breeds, then the plaintiffs are not entitled to recover under said patent, as authorized by the said act of 1st of July, 1836. Given.

2d. That under the report of the recorder of land titles, dated February 2d, 1816, offered by plaintiffs in evidence, plaintiffs are not entitled to recover, unless the same has been confirmed by an act of Congress. Given.

3d. That the true construction of the act of 29th of April, 1816, does not confirm the plaintiffs' title to the land sued for in this action, if the Indian title was not then extinguished in said land. Given.

4th. That the treaty of 1824, with the Sac and Fox Indians, is a recognition by the United States of the Indian title to the land in controversy at the date of said treaty of 1824. Refused.

5th. That if the jury believe, from the evidence, that the land described in the patent lies within the reservation for the Sac and Fox half-breeds, then the plaintiffs are not entitled to recover under said patent. Given.

6th. That if the jury find for the plaintiffs, and that said plaintiffs are entitled to damages from defendants for withholding or using or injuring their property, the jury shall then set off the value of any permanent improvements defendants may have made on said land, at their fair value, against said damages. Refused.

7th. That the plaintiffs cannot recover in this action, unless they show conclusively that the land in controversy is not within the Sac and Fox half-breed reservation. Given.

8th. Instruct the jury, that, when it is proved that the land claimed by Reddick's heirs was within the bounds of the map given in evidence in this case, as a survey of the half-breed tract, and that it has proved that such a line does exist, and is recognized by persons residing on each side of the line as the true north line of said tract, that no reputation or opinion of the citizens residing south of said line, or north of said line, that said line is incorrect, would be evidence to impeach the correctness of the line on the map, and proved to actually exist. Given.

9th. That if the jury believe that Honore Tesson had no marked or known boundaries, which included the land in controversy, the jury must find for the defendant.

The first, fifth, and seventh of which instructions the court refused to give to the jury; to which refusal and opinion of the court the defendants, by their counsel, except, and pray that this their bill of exceptions may be signed, sealed, and made a part of the record.

CHARLES MASON, Judge. [SEAL.]