United States v. D'Aguirre
United States v. D'Aguirre
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court:
The only question for consideration in this ease relates to the quantity embraced by the grant to the claimant. The District Court confirmed her title to lands lying within certain designated boundaries, not exceeding in extent eleven square leagues, if any surplus over that quantity existed. The United States seek to restrict the confirmation to five square leagues, and base their appeal on the language of the petition upon which the grant was made. It appears from the record that two previous grants had been issued for land situated within a tract known as the “Sancho of Old and New San Jacinto,” and that a surplus still remained. For this surplus the petition was presented, and to the description of the land which it gives, these words are added: “the extent of which is about five leagues, more or less.” It is upon these words, as showing that the petition was only for five leagues, that the counsel of the government rely. But it is evident that they constitute a mere conjectural estimate
It is clear upon the face of the papers that the original concession and formal grant were for the entire surplus remaining within the designated boundaries, subject only to the limitation imposed by the colonization law of 1824, upon the power of the governor. As he could only cede to the extent of eleven square leagues, the grant could only convey that quantity whatever the amount of the overplus.
The case of The United States v. Fossat,
Decree affirmed.
20 Howard, 413.
23 Id., 499.
Reference
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Where from a tract of land known by a particular name grants of two parcels had been made, and a petition for a grant of the surplus remaining was presented to the Governor of the Department of California, and .to the description of the land solicited, these words were added, “ the extent of which is about five leagues more or less” — Held, that these words were not a limitation upon the quantity solicited, but a mere conjectural estimate of the extent of the surplus. The case distinguished from The United States v. Fossat (20 Howard, 413), and Yontz v. The United States (23 Id., 499).