than twelve, nor less than nine, of the whole number of representatives; any act or acts to the contrary notwithstanding, until there shall be six thousand free white male inhabitants, above the age of twenty-one years, in said territory; after which time the number of representatives shall be regulated agreeably to the ordinance for the government thereof.
Approved, February 27, 1809.
Statute ⅠⅠ.
Chap. XX.—An Act freeing from postage all letters and packets to Thomas Jefferson.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all letters and packets to Thomas Jefferson, now President of the United States, after the expiration of his term of office and during his life, shall be carried by the mail, free of postage.
Approved, February 28, 1809.
Statute ⅠⅠ.
Chap. XXII.—An Act for the disposal of certain tracts of land in the Mississippi territory, claimed under Spanish grants, reported by the land commissioners as antedated, and to confirm the claims of Abraham Ellis and Daniel Harregal.
Act of March 3, 1803, ch. 27.
Act of March 27, 1804, ch. 61.
Act of March 2, 1805, ch. 24.
Act of Jan. 19, 1808, ch. 10.
Act of April 27, 1816, ch. 123.
Spanish grants, how to be established.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the several tracts of land, in the Mississippi territory, the titles to which have been derived under Spanish claims and which have been disallowed by the boards of commissioners east and west of Pearl river, on suspicion of the grants, warrants or orders of survey, on which the claims are grounded, being antedated or otherwise fraudulent, and which are embraced in the report of the said boards of commissioners, laid before Congress, agreeable to the third section of an act, intituled, “An act supplementary to the act intituled An act regulating the grants of land, and providing for the disposal of the lands of the United States, south of the state of Tennessee,” shall be, and the same are hereby directed to be sold, in the same manner, at the same price, and on the same terms and conditions, as have been, or may be by law provided for the sale of the other public lands in the said territory; and any person or persons claiming under a Spanish grant, warrant or order of survey as aforesaid, shall be entitled to institute, in the highest court of law or equity in the said territory, his or their suit or action for the recovery of the tract or tracts so claimed as aforesaid: Provided, such claimant or claimants shall institute his or their suitProviso. or action within the term of one year from and after the tract or tracts so claimed shall have been sold by the United States, or in case the same is now inhabited and cultivated, in virtue of a pre-emption right, within one year from and after the passing of this act; and if any person or persons, claiming lands as aforesaid, shall fail or neglect to commence or institute his or their suit or action, in the manner and within the time prescribed by this section, or shall be non-suit or discontinue the same, his or their right to commence such suit or action, in any court whatsoever, shall be forever barred and foreclosed.
