United States v. Patterson, 56 U.S. 10 (1853)

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Filed: 1853-12-28Precedential Status: PrecedentialCitations: 56 U.S. 10, 15 How. 10

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56 U.S. 10
15 How. 10
14 L.Ed. 578

THE UNITED STATES, APPELLANTS,
v.
THOMAS H. PATTERSON.
December Term, 1853

THIS was a branch of the preceding case. The original title and the lands
were the same. Patterson claimed under a deed executed on the 21st of
November, 1836, by the heirs of William Barr, deceased; but the deed
purported to be executed by their attorney in fact, Robert Thompson.
The cause was argued by the same counsel who argued the preceding
case, with the addition of Mr. Lawrence, who claimed to intervene on
behalf of the heirs of Joseph Piernas.
Mr. Lawrence, in support of this claim, alleged that,—The petitioners rely
upon a conveyance of Jacinto Mora to Barr, Davenport, and Murphey,
bearing date the 22d day of July, 1805. This is the only title they set up in
their petition to the Ormegas tract.
During the progress of the cause they offered in evidence a conveyance
from Jacinto Mora to Joseph Piernas, bearing date the 25th of April, 1796,
a paper purporting to be a conveyance from Piernas to Vitor Portia, dated
30th August, 1804, and a conveyance from Portia to Davenport, dated in
the year 1818.
All of these instruments of writing are in due form, except the most
important one, viz., that purporting to be from Piernas to Portia, which
was not authenticated by a notary or other officer, is not taken from any
legal depository, nor recorded in the land-office, and in which neither the
handwriting of the witnesses nor of Piernas is proved, nor the witnesses
produced or their absence accounted for. In short, there is no proof at all
of the genuineness of the paper, but it is left for the court to judge of the
genuineness of the signature of Piernas.

Now, it will be at once perceived that if there were no defect in the chain
of title from Piernas to Davenport, this would have been the elder and
better title to Davenport as to the Ormegas tract; and yet, though the
conveyance to Davenport of Piernas's interest was in 1818, and this
petition was filed in 1845, it is not even alluded to in the petition.
It will be seen, from the extract from vol. 3, American State Papers, (Rec.
46,) that as late as 1815-16, Piernas made claim to this land before the
board of commissioners, and no claim was made by Vitor Portia.
In 1824-5 the same land was recommended for confirmation, but was
never actually confirmed by Congress. Piernas had in the mean time died,
and his heirs were young children, living in poverty and obscurity. (See
letter of Hayward, Rec. 172; also Report to Commissioner, Rec. 213.)
The heirs of Piernas deny that he ever signed the paper to Portia, and aver
that it is entirely fictitious.
Full notice of the claim of Piernas was before the court below, for the
petitioners introduced his title themselves. It was, therefore, fully within
the competency of the court below, if they perceived, from the record,
title in Piernas to the Ormegas tract, and had no legal evidence before
them of his having parted with that title,—to have reserved the rights of
Piernas's heirs in their decree; and it is respectfully submitted, that it is
within the power of this court (should the validity of the grant be
affirmed) to protect those rights, so far as they appear in the present
record.
In the case of Cunningham and Ashley, (14 How. 377,) this court
interposed meso motu, to save the new Madrid title. Here an older title is
introduced. The act of Congress says the court is to decide on evidence
brought in by any person other than the parties to the suit. If so, it is
proper to intervene here. The deed from Piernas to Portia had never been
recorded, and the court below had no right to receive it.
Mr. Baldwin, in reply to Mr. Lawrence, made the following points:——
1. That the great lapse of time raised a strong presumption against this
claim.
From 24th day of April, 1818, when, as appears by the record, Piernas
conveyed his interest in that tract to Samuel Davenport, no claim has ever
been set up to this land, either by Piernas or his heirs, until now,
notwithstanding they reside in New Orleans, where their suit was tried at
great length in the court below.

2. That the claimants under Piernas cannot intervene in this court, it being
a court of appellate jurisdiction.
3. That the deed from Piernas, being an ancient deed under the laws of
Louisiana, proved itself.
4. That it was regularly proved—the testimony of Crusat, as to the
signature of Piernas, having been taken without objection in the court
below.
5. That this court will not undertake to settle the rights of parties in
interest, but leave them to litigate their rights in the court below, or in the
State tribunals; and that whatever judgment the court might pronounce in
this matter, it would not be conclusive between the parties.
Mr. Justice CAMPBELL delivered the opinion of the court.

1

This appeal was taken from a decree of the District Court of the United States
for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

2

The appellee claimed in the District Court a confirmation of the grants for the
La Nana and Los Ormegas tracts of land, in which, he asserted an interest as an
assignee of the heirs of William Barr, one of the members of the firm of
William Barr & Co., in which they had been vested.

3

The questions of law and fact, arising in this case, are the same as those
determined in the case of the United States v. Samuel Davenport's Heirs, in so
far as they concern the validity of the grants.

4

The evidence of the purchase by the plaintiff from the heirs of Barr is not
sufficient. No power of attorney appears in the record to Thompson, who made
the conveyance to the plaintiff in their name. It is therefore proper that the
decree that shall be entered shall be without prejudice to their right, and this
opinion is filed in order that this judgment of the court may be understood. The
operation of the judgment will be, to perfect the title for the benefit of the legal
representatives of William Barr.

5

In this cause, as well as in that of the United States v. Samuel Davenport's
Heirs, a motion was submitted on behalf of the heirs of Joseph Piernas alleging
that a deed from Joseph Piernas to Victor Portia, dated the 30th August, 1804,
being a link in the title to the Ormegas grant, was not sufficiently proven, and
suggesting that it was not a genuine deed, and praying for leave to intervene in
this suit to sustain their rights to this property.

6

The court is of opinion that the motion cannot be allowed. The plaintiff
commenced his proceedings to assert his own claims against the United States.
Those proceedings can neither benefit nor injure the persons interested in this
motion, for they are not parties to the cause. The period for the assertion of a
claim under the act of Congress of 17th June, 1844, has expired. Neither in the
District Court nor in this court would it be lawful for persons, who failed to
avail themselves of the benefit of that act during its operation, to intervene for
the purpose of establishing a right under grants like these, after its expiration, in
a suit commenced by other persons.

7

In looking through the record, we find no fact to authorize the belief that the
heirs of Piernas have any title to the lands embraced in these grants. If,
therefore, it was compatible with the constitution and practice of this Court, for
a person to intervene here in a litigation, to which he was no party in the court
of original jurisdiction, we find nothing to authorize it in the present instance.

8

The decree will be entered here to conform to that pronounced in the suit of the
United States v. Davenport's Heirs, with the direction that the confirmation
shall be for the use of the legal representatives of William Barr, deceased.
Order.

9

This cause came to be heard on the transcript of the record from the District
Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and was argued
by counsel. On consideration whereof, it is the opinion of this Court that the
grants set forth in the record are valid grants, and so much of the decree of the
District Court as confirms them, should be affirmed for the use of the legal
representatives of William Barr, deceased; but that such of the lands embraced
by the said grants as have been sold or otherwise disposed of by the United
States, are exempt from the operation of the said grants—and that so much of
the decree of the said District Court as authorizes the location of so many acres
of the lands embraced in the said grants as have been sold or otherwise
disposed of by the United States on any other unappropriated lands of the
United States within the State of Louisiana is erroneous, and should be
reversed.

10

Whereupon it is now here ordered, adjudged, and decreed, that so much of the
decree of the District Court as authorizes the location of so many acres of the
land as have been disposed of by the United States on any other unappropriated
lands of the United States within the State of Louisiana be, and the same is
hereby reversed and annulled—and that the lands so sold or otherwise disposed
of by the United States be, and the same are hereby exempted from the
operation of the said grants.

11

And it is now here further ordered, adjudged, and decreed, that so much of the
decree of the said District Court as declares the said grants to be valid, be, and
the same is hereby affirmed for the use of the legal representatives of William
Barr, deceased.

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