From James Madison to the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Abstract), 13 February 1805
§ To the Speaker of the House of Representatives
13 February 1805, Department of State. “In pursuance of a Resolution of the House of Representatives on the 5th. inst.1 I have the honor through you to lay before them, ‘an abstract of all the evidences of title to lands claimed under any act or pretended act of the State of Georgia passed or pretended to be passed in the years 1789 and 1795, recorded in the office of this Department,’ with the various particulars of dates, names of parties, quantity of lands &c. required by the said Resolution.”2
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 233, Reports and Communications from the Secretary of State, 8A-E1); letterbook copy (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 14); Tr and Tr of enclosures (DNA: RG 233, Transcribed Reports and Communications from the Secretary of State, 5C-B1, 3:265–326. RC 1 p.; in Wagner’s hand, signed by JM. For enclosures, see n. 2.
1. Following several days’ debate on Georgia land claims (the Yazoo case), the House passed a resolution requesting the information from JM ( 8th Cong., 2d sess., 1014, 1022–33, 1034–60, 1064–1108, 1118–174, 1177).
2. JM enclosed a summary (68 pp.) of land transfers within the Yazoo claims district, listing the dates of the acts of the Georgia legislature, the dates of the titles, the names of the parties involved in transferring the titles, the quantity of land transferred, and the “species of Warranty, provisoes or condition<s>.”