RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 8 May 1816 and so recorded in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to Nicolas G. Dufief, 9 June 1816, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Late President U. States Monticello Albemarl Cy Virginia” and “Recommended to the care of Ths M Randolph Esqr near Milton Va”; franked; postmarked Opelousas, 21 Mar. 1816. Enclosures: (1) Fitz to James Madison, Opelousas, 26 Feb. 1816, explaining his circumstances and expressing concern over a 24 May 1811 letter from Albert Gallatin, received 12 July 1811 (printed in Terr. Papers description begins Clarence E. Carter and John Porter Bloom, eds., The Territorial Papers of the United States, 1934–75, 28 vols. description ends , 9:934–6), in which Gallatin reported the “Presidents disapprobation of the construction of the Act of Congress of the 3rd March 1807 and the principals on which the Board of Commissioners had decided to act in ascertaining and adjusting the land claims of this District”; stating that Fitz had shared with land office register Levin Wailes enclosure no. 2 as well as “the Communication refered to in Mr Gallatins letter in which (it will not have escaped your recollection) I gave it as my decided opinion that it would be good policy in the government to quiet the apprehensions of claimants in this District with the least possible delay by confirming their claims very generally, as it was not believed there were many of a fraudulent nature then entered in the land office, and that great discrimination ought to be made in favor of claims supported by written evidence of title emanating from the former government of Louisiana, as there was a probability of some having witheld title papers for the purpose of taking the advantage of the provisions of the Acts of Congress by claiming a larger quantity of land under settlement than they could have obtained under their written titles”; asserting that Wailes agreed with his opinion that Gallatin’s 11 May 1810 letter should be viewed as approval of Fitz’s suggestions both by the secretary of the treasury and the president; indicating that William Garrard of the board of commissioners had agreed with Fitz’s methods for deciding land claims; noting that the “next steps were to promulgate them throughout our District to prevent as much as possible speculation, and to communicate them to the Honorable Secretary of the Treasury, in order, if objectionable, that such objections might be made known to us”; attributing any confirmation of claims “not strictly within the contemplation of the Acts of Congress, and which it may not have been intended by the government should be immediately confirmed,” to his zeal to serve the United States government and quiet the apprehensions of territorial residents; confirming that “no improper motives can be attributed to the commissioners”; and concluding with his opinion that it is “greatly to be regretted that such facility has been afforded by law to claimants in establishing their claims entirely by oral evidence, and it has been remarked by the former inhabitants of the Country holding under the lower grades of written titles, tho in all respects fair and regular in their nature, that new commers settling on the best pieces of vacant land without any written evidence to establish the fairness of their claims, have obtained their confirmation, while those of the ancient inhabitants have been rejected” (Tr in DLC, entirely in Fitz’s hand, at head of text: “(Copy),” at foot of text: “James Madison President of the United States”; RC in DNA: RG 59, MLR). (2) Gallatin to Fitz, Treasury Department, 11 May 1810, acknowledging receipt of Fitz’s letter to TJ regarding unsettled land claims in the western district of Orleans Territory and informing Fitz of his appointment as a commissioner for land claims; naming the remaining board members, Wailes and Garrard; enclosing a letter from Gallatin to Wailes of 5 May 1810 indicating that “congress did not at their last session provide any compensation, and that the commissioners must trust for remuneration to such provision as may hereafter be made by law”; explaining that the compensation would likely be proportional to the number of claims decided on in order that “no improper suspicion will attach that the business is unnecessarily protracted”; asserting that “it seems that there can be but very little difficulty in deciding on those claims not exceeding one league square of which the Commissioners are made the final and absolute judges.—For it is generally understood that there are but few if any fraudulent or doubtfull claims of that size in the District: those which are considered of a doubtfull nature being the large provincial grants to Bastrop, Maison rouge, the parish of Attakapas &c. And perhaps some purchases of Indian Villages and Vacheries” [enclosures for cattle]; and concluding with the hope that Fitz and his fellow commissioners will decide the outstanding claims within the year and “transmit their transcript in time for the next session of Congress which will enable them to open the land office and will in every respect be attended with beneficial effects” (Tr in DLC, entirely in Fitz’s hand, at head of text: “Private,” at foot of text: “Gideon Fitz Esqr Principal Deputy Surveyor &c. Opelousas”; printed in Terr. Papers description begins Clarence E. Carter and John Porter Bloom, eds., The Territorial Papers of the United States, 1934–75, 28 vols. description ends , 9:882–3).