Attorney General v. Thomas
Attorney General v. Thomas
Opinion of the Court
An information was filed in this case to vacate a patent which had been issued to Riohard S. Thomas for lands afterwards conveyed by him to the respondent Irvin. The lands were of that class known as “indemnity lands,” which had been granted by the general government to the state to indemnify the state for swamp lands to which it was entitled under the legislation of congress, bat which had become lost to it in consequence of being taken with script or land warrants issued by federal authority. The lands were not swamp lands in fact, and one question that
Irvin claims to be a bona fide purchaser. To prove this he makes a witness of Thomas, whose testimony shows beyond a question, that he at least did not buy in good faith; but that with full knowledge that the lands were not in market he bought them by collusion with the deputy commissioner of the state land office, whose inducement to the transaction was, that while he received cash from Thomas, he could turn in to the state, swamp-land script, which was greatly depreciated. Thomas testifies that he sold to Irvin the day after his entry, and that the sale was made at Traverse City, a great distance from Lansing, where the commissioner’s office is held. His own haste In getting these lands off his hands, must therefore be regarded as somewhat unusual. Moreover, he informs us that though an agent of Irvin had seen the lands, Irvin himself never had, and that the price paid for these and others purchased together, was the full value by the agent’s estimate, and
The circuit court was right in. decreeing the cancelment of the patent. In one particular, however, there was error. The court decreed that the purchase price should be refunded in script. The information treats the purchase made by Thomas as made for cash, and asks no relief on any other basis.
The decree must be modified in this regard, with costs of this court to the respondents, and in all other respects affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Attorney General v. Richard. S. Thomas and another
- Status
- Published