Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 8.djvu/285

 TREATY WITH SPAIN. 1819. 273 ('I.')tA1\'SLA’1‘l01l’.) Don Antonio Pcrcel, Knight Pensioner of the Royal and distinguished order of Charles 3d, of the Council of State, and Secretary of State and of Despatch of the Ultmmarine government, &e. I certify that, under date of the ninth of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, royal letters patent of the same tenor were sent by the Inte Council of the Indies to the Governor Captain General of the Island of Cuba and its dependencies, to the Intendant of the Army and Royal business of the Havana and its district, and to the Governor of the Flcridas, that each should do his utmost, in his particular department, to give eH`ect to the grant made to Don Pedro de Vargas, of various lands situated in the Fioridns, of the following tenor: THE KING. My Governor and Captain General of the Island of Cuba and its dependencies: Under date of the twenty-fifth of January last, Don Pedro de Vargas manifested to me as follows: ·· Sire: Don Pedro de Vargas, Knight of the Royal Order of Alcaintarn, Treasurer General of the Royal House and patrimony of your Majesty, with the most profound respect, at your royal feet, exposes-—That there is u quantity of vacant and unpeopled land in the territory of the F1oridas,and desiring that, if your Majesty shall deign to reward his passable services, and the proofs which he has given of his loyalty, it may be without the least burthen on the public treasury, or in prejudice of any third person, as may be done at present by some lands of that country, he besecches your Majesty that, by an effect of your sovereign goodness, you would deign to grant him the property of the land which lies comprised within the following limits: that is to say; from the mouth of the river Perdido, and its bay in the Gulf of Mexico, following the sea coast, to ascend by the bay of Buen Socorro, and of Mobile, continuing by the river Mobile, till it touches the northern line of the United States, and descending by that in a right line to the source of the river Perdido, and following the river Mobile in its lower part, and the bay of that name, returns by the sen coast towards the west; comprehending all the creeks, entries, and islands, adjacent, which may belong to Spain at the present time, till it reache the west line of the United States, then, returning by their northern line, comprehending all the waste lands which belong, or may belong, to Spain, and are in dispute or reclamation with the United States, according to the tenor of the treaties, and, also, all the waste land not ceded to any other individual, which is between the river Hijuelos, in East Florida, and the river St. Lucia, drawing a line from the source of one river to the source of the other, and jbllcwing by the mast of the Gu}/' of Mexico, from the mouth of the Hijuelos to the point of Tancha, and doubling this, by the coast of the Gulf of Florida, to the mouth of the river Saint Lucia, with the islands and keys adjacent." Considering the contents of this exposition, and attending to the merit of the individual, and his accredited zeal for my royal service; as also to the advantages to result to the state from penpling the said countries, I have thought proper to accede to the favor which he solicits, in ns fm- as it be not opposed to the laws of these my kingdoms, and communicated it to my Council of the Indies, for its accomplishment, in u royal order of the second of February last. Consequently, I command and charge you, by this my royal cedula, that, conforming to the laws which regulate in these affairs, and without prejudice to third persons, that you efhcaciousiy aid the execution of the uuid grant, taking all the measures which may conduce to its due effect, as also to the augmentation of the population, agriculture, and commerce of the aforesaid possessions, giving account, from time to time, of the progress made, for this is my will; and that due notice shall be taken of this ceduia, in the office of the Accountant General of the Indies. Dated at the Palace, the ninth of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. I, THE KING. By command of the King, our Lord: Es-mwnr Vanns;. I cnniirm this exempliiicution, at Madrid, the Efteenth of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty. (Signed) ANTONIO PORCEL. Don Evaristo Perez de Castro, Knight of the Order of Charles 3d, of the Council of Slate, und Secretary of Despatch of State, &c. I certify that the foregoing signature of his Excellency, Don Antonio Porccl,Secretary of Despatch of the Ultra.-Murine Government, is that which he is accustomed to put to all his writings. And, for the proper purposcs,I give the present certificate, signed by my hand, and sealed with my seal of arms, at Madrid, the twenty-first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty. (Signed) EVARISTO PEREZ DE CASTRO. VOL. vu:. 35