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  treaty 
  of 
  San 
  Lorenzo, 
  of 
  the 
  27tli 
  of 
  October, 
  1795, 
  by 
  

   which 
  Spain 
  finally 
  yielded 
  possession 
  of 
  this 
  territory, 
  

   to 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  

  

  The 
  American 
  government, 
  however, 
  with 
  a 
  paternal 
  

   regard 
  for 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  occupying 
  these 
  lands, 
  made 
  

   provision 
  for 
  the 
  confirmation, 
  not 
  only 
  of 
  the 
  Spanish 
  

   titles, 
  but 
  those 
  of 
  Great 
  Britain, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  

   recognized 
  by 
  the 
  former 
  government, 
  and 
  were 
  duly 
  

   occupied. 
  

  

  The 
  incomplete 
  titles, 
  or 
  Spanish 
  orders 
  of 
  survey, 
  if 
  

   occupied 
  and 
  cultivated 
  at 
  the 
  date 
  of 
  the 
  treaty, 
  were 
  

   also 
  to 
  be 
  confirmed 
  under 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  donations 
  

   from 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  when 
  in 
  fact 
  the 
  whole 
  series, 
  

   both 
  of 
  British 
  or 
  Spanish 
  grants, 
  of 
  whatever 
  grade, 
  

   might 
  so 
  be 
  regarded, 
  being 
  equally 
  void 
  or 
  illegal, 
  ex- 
  

   cept 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  recognized 
  by 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  Congress 
  

   providing 
  for 
  their 
  adjudication. 
  

  

  Large 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  being 
  held 
  under 
  Spa- 
  

   nish 
  grants, 
  covering 
  lands 
  claimed 
  by 
  non-resident 
  

   British 
  grantees, 
  much 
  uneasiness 
  was 
  exhibited 
  by 
  the 
  

   holders, 
  to 
  whom 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  confirmed 
  by 
  the 
  Ame- 
  

   rican 
  government, 
  when 
  the 
  British 
  claimants 
  manifested 
  

   a 
  disposition 
  to 
  test 
  the 
  validity 
  of 
  their 
  rights, 
  through 
  

   agents, 
  sent 
  over 
  from 
  England 
  for 
  that 
  purpose. 
  Suits 
  

   were 
  instituted 
  to 
  eject 
  the 
  holders 
  under 
  the 
  Spanish 
  

   grants, 
  and 
  the 
  anxiety 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  became 
  so 
  great 
  

   that 
  Congress 
  was 
  petitioned 
  to 
  compromise 
  and 
  quiet 
  

   those 
  claims. 
  A 
  report 
  of 
  a 
  committee 
  of 
  the 
  House 
  

   of 
  Representatives, 
  made 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  1814, 
  nearly 
  ten 
  

   years 
  after 
  the 
  claims 
  had 
  been 
  confirmed 
  by 
  the 
  Board 
  

   of 
  Commissioners, 
  adverse 
  to 
  the 
  prayer 
  of 
  the 
  petitioners, 
  

   which 
  seemed 
  to 
  accord 
  superior 
  validity 
  to 
  the 
  British 
  

   grants, 
  from 
  their 
  anterior 
  date, 
  was 
  not 
  calculated 
  to 
  

   allay 
  the 
  anxiety 
  of 
  the 
  occupants. 
  

  

  