CHAPTER X.

Don Juan M. de Salcedo--Treaties with the Chickasaws and Choctaws-Don Carlos de JaenRoyal schedule-The land office shut-The deposit disallowed-The state of Ohio--The deposit partially restored-Form of governmentLaussat, his proclamation--Address of the inhabitants--The Marquis de Casa Calvo-Commissioners' proclamation--Cession of Louisiana to the United States-Possession delivered to the commissioner of France--His proclamationMunicipal body-Claiborne and Wilkinson receive possession for the United States.

Don Juan Manuel de Salcedo, a brigadier-general of the royal armies, arrived towards the middle of June, with a commission of governor of the provinces of Louisiana and West-Florida, and the Marquis de Casa-Calvo sailed for Havana.

Daniel Clark, a citizen of the United-States, residing in New-Orleans, was appointed consul of these states in said city,

Lopez sailed for Spain, and the duties of his office were provisionally performed by Morales, the contador.

The Mississippi territory was separated from the United States, by lands belonging toIndians, through which travelling was often difficult; a remedy was now applied to this evik

On the twenty-fourth of October, a treaty was concluded on the Chickasaw Bluffs, between the United-States and the Chickasaw nation of Indians, by which the latter permitted the former to lay out, open, and make a convenient waggon-road through the Indian land, between the settlements of Miro district, in the state of Tennessee, and those of Natchez in the Mississippi territory; and it was provided that the necessary ferries over the water courses crossed by the road, should be deemed the property of the Indians.

On the seventeenth day of December, another treaty was concluded at Fort-Adams, on the Mississippi, between the United-States and the Choctaw nation of Indians, by which the latter gave their consent that a convenient and durable waggon road might be explored, marked, opened, and made thro' their land, to commence at the north-western extremity of the Mississippi territory, and extend to the land of the Chickasaws. The Choctaws agreed that the old boundary line, heretofore established by the officers of the king of Great-Britain and the Choctaw nation, which runs in a parallel direction with the Mississippi river eastward, should be retraced and plainly marked, and be held ever after as the boundary between the settlements of the Mississippi territory and the Choctaw nation. The Choctaws relinquished to the United-States all their rights to the land between this line and the Mississippi, bounded on the south by the thirty-first degree of north latitude, and on the north by the river Yazoo, where the line shall strike the stream. The UnitedStates engaged that all persons who might settle beyond this line, should be removed within it, on the side towards the Mississippi, together with their

slaves, household furniture, tools, stock, and materials, and their cabins or houses demolished.

On the twenty-fifth of March, 1802, a definitive treaty of peace, between Spain, France, and GreatBritain, was signed at Amiens.

Don Carlos de Jaen came over with and executed a commission of judge of residence of Miro.

By a royal schedule of the eleventh of June, the contribution to be paid on legacies, devises, and successions ab intestato, in favour of relatives and relations of deceased persons or strangers, was reduced to and fixed at four per cent. That on legacies or devises to a husband or wife, at one half of one per cent. This charge, however, was not to extend to estates of less than two thousand dollars, nor to bequests for the benefit of the soul of the deceased.

The Baron de Bastrop having ceded to Moorhouse, a citizen of the United-States, a part of the grant he had obtained from the Baron de Caronde let, in 1796, on the Washita, the king disapproved of this arrangement, and by a royal schedule of the eighteenth of July, forbade the grant of any land in Louisiana to a citizen of the United-States.

Serano, the assessor of the intendancy, died on the first of December. Morales, in consequence of this event, and of the absence of a legal character to supply his place, closed the tribunal of affairs and causes relating to grants and compositions of royal lands, the ordinance for the intendants of New Spain, providing that for conducting the affairs of that tribunal and substantiating its acts, there should be the concurrence of such a character.

During the last quarter of this year, citizens of the United-States were not allowed the right of a depa

sit in or near New-Orleans, and the importation of goods in American bottoms was not permitted.

Lopez, having lost the office of intendant by the cession of Louisiana to France, was appointed consul-general of Spain at New-Orleans, and embarked on board of a vessel for that city, but died on the passage.

On the twenty-ninth of November, the people of the E. division of the N. W. territory of the UnitedStates, became a state under the name of the state of Ohio, being the seventeenth.

Forstall and Lanusse were the ordinary alcades during the year 1803.

Towards the latter part of January, Morales issued a proclamation, allowing the importation of flour and provisions from the United States, on payment of a duty of six per cent. subject to exportation in Spanish bottoms only.

On the first of March, the king disapproved of the order of Morales, prohibiting the introduction and deposit of goods, wares, and merchandize, from the United States, in the port of New-Orteans; and ordered that the United States should continue to enjoy their right of deposit in New-Orleans, without prejudice of his to substitute some other spot on the banks of the Mississippi.

By an act of congress of the ninth of February, provision was made for granting licenses, at the custom-house at Fort-Adams, to vessels owned by citizens of the United States, lying on the Mississippi, below the thirty-first degree of northern latitude.

General Victor had been appointed, by the first consul, commissioner for receiving possession of the

province of Louisiana, and his arrival being daily expected, the cabildo, on the twenty-third of March, 1803, caused the supply of meat for the French troops accompanying him, to be put at auction to the lowest bidder, with the exclusive right of supplying the inhabitants of the city. The contractor was required to keep constantly a stock of at least one thousand head of cattle in or near the city of NewOrleans.

A vessel, arriving from Havre-de-Grace, on the following day, brought the baggage of Laussat, the colonial prefect, who was preceding the captaingeneral, with a special mission, for the purpose of providing whatever might be necessary on the arrival of the troops, and making arrangements for the establishment of the government of the republic.

By this vessel the people of Louisiana were informed of the form of government provided for the province by its new master.

Its principal officers were a captain-general, a colonial prefet, and a commissary of justice.

The captain-general was commander in chief of the land and naval forces, and had the care of the exterior and interior defence of the colony. He provisorily filled the vacancies in military offices, according to the order of advancement, as far as the grade of chief of division or squadron, and proposed to the minister proper persons to fill higher grades. He delivered passports, regulated the bearing of arms, and corresponded with the governors of other colonies, whether belonging to allies, neutrals, or enemies. With the colonial prefect, he regulated the works to be done on the fortifications, and the new roads to be opened; and finally exercised all powers formerly granted to governors