Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

29th CONGRESS,

1st Session. S. 208. (Pri.)

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

June 19, 1846.

Mr. Woodbridge, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, submitted a report, (No. 399,) accompanied by the following bill; which was read, and passed to a second reading.

A BILL

For the relief of Shadrach Gillet and others.

Whereas Shadrach Gillet and George Clark, of Wayne county, in the State of Michigan, and those from whom they have deduced their claim and possession, have, from a very early period, used, occupied, and possessed the certain shoal or small island in the Straits of Detroit, hereinafter mentioned, as a fishery:

Whereas the said shoal or small island is so far covered with the water of said straits as to render it unfit for permanent residence and unfit for tillage, and therefore would neither be confirmed to the occupants in virtue of the laws for confirming private land claims, upon proof of long-continued residence thereon, and cultivation, &c., nor secured by purchase under any existing laws giving rights of pre-emption:

And whereas it is just, and accords with the policy of former laws relating to private land claims in Michigan, that the said Shadrach and George be confirmed in their said possession and claim: therefore—

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5 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That
there be granted, released, and confirmed unto said Shadrach
Gillet and George Clark, and their respective heirs and assigns,
as tenants in common, ^(for & in consideration of the sum of one dollar & twenty five cents
per acre for the land hereinafter described, the same to be paid
within six months after the passing of this act to the Receiver
of the Land office at Detroit Michigan, for the benefit
of the United States,)^ so much of that certain shoal and tract

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30 of land, partly covered by water, and situated in the Straits of
Detroit, known and called by the name of Grassy island, as is
by the said Shadrach and George possessed, occupied, and used
as and for a fishing ground; the same being a fraction bounded
on the east and west sides thereof by the navigable water of the
said straits, and purporting to be comprised within the limits of
section twenty-one of township three south, and range eleven
east, and contains, according to the surveys and computations in
the General Land Office remaining, eighty acres and thirty-
seven hundredths of an acre, and that a patent issue therefor
accordingly: Provided, nevertheless, That nothing in this act
contained, nor in the said patent, shall be so construed as to con-
vey, assure, or purport to convey to the said Shadrach and
George any other or better title to the premises than such as
the United States now has thereto; nor shall the same be so
construed as to comprehend, or purport to comprehend within
the said conveyance to said Shadrach and George, any part of
section number sixteen, within which section sixteen the north-
erly part of said Grassy island purports to be; nor shall the
same be so construed as to encroach upon any part of said island
heretofore and now in the occupancy and possession of Simon Rous-
sou, (alias Simon Rousseau,) hereinafter mentioned, not to deter-
mine precisely the boundary line between the possessions of the
said Shadrach and George on the said island, and those of the
said Simon.

1 Sec. 2. And whereas the said Simon Roussou (alias Simon

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26 Rousseau) has in like manner and for many years peaceable used,
occupied, and possessed, as a fishing ground, the lower part of
the same shoal or small island, the same being in like manner
unfit for tillage and for a permanent residence; therefore, Be it
further enacted, That there be granted, released, and confirmed
to said Simon Roussou, (alias Simon Rousseau,) his heirs and as-
signs, ^(for & in consideration of the sum of one dollar twenty five cents per acre for the land hereinafter described, the same to be paid within six months after the passing of this act to the Receiver of the Land office at Detroit, Michigan for the benefit of the United States)^ so much of said shoal and piece of land herein above de-
scribed, and partly covered by the water of said Straits of Detroit,
as is occupied and possessed as aforesaid by said Simon, below
the tract occupied by said Shadrach and George, and, as appears
by the surveys, maps, and computations remaining in the General
Land Office, contains fifteen acres and forty hundredths of an
acre, being on the lower point of “Grassy island,” so called,
bounded on the east, west, and south by the navigable waters of
the Detroit, and constitutes a fraction lying within the limits of
section twenty-eight, of township three south, and range eleven
east, and that a patent issue therefor accordingly: Provided,
nevertheless, That nothing in this act contained, nor in the said
patent, shall be so construed as to convey, assure, or purport to
convey to the said Simon any other or better title to the prem-
ises than such as the United States now have thereto; nor shall
the same be so construed as to comprehend, or purport to com-
prehend, within the conveyance to said Simon, any part of said
island or shoal heretofore or now in the occupancy or possession
of said Shadrach and George, in the first section of this act

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31 mentioned, nor in anywise encroach upon the tract in said first
section of this act intended to be confirmed to said Shadrach and
George; nor to indicate and establish the precise boundary be-
tween their respective claims and possessions upon said shoal
or small island.

[ docketing ]
140

[ docketing ]
A Bill
for the relief of Shadrach Gillet and others.

[ docketing ]
Com. on Pub. Land

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13.
14 R

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R. M^cClelland

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H R 140
(Report N^o 496)
January 31, 1848
M^r M^cClelland from the Com on leave, introduced the following bill, which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Public lands.

[ docketing ]
Reno[?]le[?] a[?] at Mr Hamilton’s

[ docketing ]
April 18. 1848
Reported back, and on motion the Committee discharged from the further consideration thereof.

[ docketing ]
A Bill
for the relief of Shadrach Gillet and others.

1 2 3 4 5	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be granted, released, and confirmed unto said Shadrach Gillet and George Clark, and their respective heirs and assigns, as tenants in common, ^(for & in consideration of the sum of one dollar & twenty five cents per acre for the land hereinafter described, the same to be paid within six months after the passing of this act to the Receiver of the Land office at Detroit Michigan, for the benefit of the United States,)^ so much of that certain shoal and tract
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6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30	of land, partly covered by water, and situated in the Straits of Detroit, known and called by the name of Grassy island, as is by the said Shadrach and George possessed, occupied, and used as and for a fishing ground; the same being a fraction bounded on the east and west sides thereof by the navigable water of the said straits, and purporting to be comprised within the limits of section twenty-one of township three south, and range eleven east, and contains, according to the surveys and computations in the General Land Office remaining, eighty acres and thirty- seven hundredths of an acre, and that a patent issue therefor accordingly: Provided, nevertheless, That nothing in this act contained, nor in the said patent, shall be so construed as to con- vey, assure, or purport to convey to the said Shadrach and George any other or better title to the premises than such as the United States now has thereto; nor shall the same be so construed as to comprehend, or purport to comprehend within the said conveyance to said Shadrach and George, any part of section number sixteen, within which section sixteen the north- erly part of said Grassy island purports to be; nor shall the same be so construed as to encroach upon any part of said island heretofore and now in the occupancy and possession of Simon Rous- sou, (alias Simon Rousseau,) hereinafter mentioned, not to deter- mine precisely the boundary line between the possessions of the said Shadrach and George on the said island, and those of the said Simon.
1	Sec. 2. And whereas the said Simon Roussou (alias Simon
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2 3 4 5 6 7 89 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26	Rousseau) has in like manner and for many years peaceable used, occupied, and possessed, as a fishing ground, the lower part of the same shoal or small island, the same being in like manner unfit for tillage and for a permanent residence; therefore, Be it further enacted, That there be granted, released, and confirmed to said Simon Roussou, (alias Simon Rousseau,) his heirs and as- signs, ^(for & in consideration of the sum of one dollar twenty five cents per acre for the land hereinafter described, the same to be paid within six months after the passing of this act to the Receiver of the Land office at Detroit, Michigan for the benefit of the United States)^ so much of said shoal and piece of land herein above de- scribed, and partly covered by the water of said Straits of Detroit, as is occupied and possessed as aforesaid by said Simon, below the tract occupied by said Shadrach and George, and, as appears by the surveys, maps, and computations remaining in the General Land Office, contains fifteen acres and forty hundredths of an acre, being on the lower point of “Grassy island,” so called, bounded on the east, west, and south by the navigable waters of the Detroit, and constitutes a fraction lying within the limits of section twenty-eight, of township three south, and range eleven east, and that a patent issue therefor accordingly: Provided, nevertheless, That nothing in this act contained, nor in the said patent, shall be so construed as to convey, assure, or purport to convey to the said Simon any other or better title to the prem- ises than such as the United States now have thereto; nor shall the same be so construed as to comprehend, or purport to com- prehend, within the conveyance to said Simon, any part of said island or shoal heretofore or now in the occupancy or possession of said Shadrach and George, in the first section of this act
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27 28 29 30 31	mentioned, nor in anywise encroach upon the tract in said first section of this act intended to be confirmed to said Shadrach and George; nor to indicate and establish the precise boundary be- tween their respective claims and possessions upon said shoal or small island.