free from, and clear of, all incumbrance; and the said Henry Michelet, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns, in the quiet and peaceable possession of the said premises, against all, each, and every person or persons, claiming or to claim the same, to for ever warrant and defend. In witness whereof, I, the said Joaquim Barela, hereunto set my hand, and affix my seal, at Pensacola aforesaid, this the second day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight. JOAQUIM BARELA. [L. S.] Before me, M. Crupper, clerk of the county court for the county aforesaid, personally appeared Joaquim Barela, and acknowledged the foregoing instrument of writing to be his act and deed for the purposes therein men tioned. Acknowledged before me, this the 2d day of May, A. D. 1828. M. Sebastian Caro to Joseph M. White. Know all men by these presents, that I, Sebastian Caro, of the city of Pensacola, in the county of Escambia, and Territory of Florida, for and in consideration of the just and full sum of three hundred dollars, of good and lawful money of the United States, to me in hand paid by Joseph M. White, of the same city, county, and Territory, the receipt whereof is hereby confessed and acknowledged, have granted, bargained, and sold, remised, released, aliened, and confirmed, and by these presents do grant, bargain, and sell, remise, release, alien, and confirm, unto the said Joseph M. White, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns, for ever, all that tract of land containing four hundred arpents, being the eastern half of a tract of eight hundred arpents, which tract of eight hundred arpents is situated and bounded on the south side of a creek known by the name of bayou Grande, about seven miles west-south-west from Pensacola aforesaid, and bounded on the east and south by vacant land, and on the north by land of John Raymundi and the said bayou, which said tract of land was granted to Francisco Barrios by the Spanish Government, and conveyed to Ambrose A. Caro by marshal's deed, dated the 17th February, 1824, and by the said Ambrose A. Caro conveyed to the said Sebastian Caro, by deed, dated the tenth day of June in the year 1825; together with all and singular the hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging, or in anywise appertaining, and the reversion and reversions, remainder and remainders, rents, issues, and profits thereof, and also all the estate, right, title, interest, claim, or demand, whatsoever, of me, the said Sebastian Caro, my heirs, executors, or administrators, either in law or equity, of, in, and to the said bargained premises, with the said hereditaments and appurtenances: to have and to hold the said premises, herein before particularly mentioned and described, to the only proper use, be nefit, and behoof of him, the said Joseph M. White, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns, for ever: and I, the said Sebastian Caro, for myself, my heirs, executors, or administrators, do hereby covenant and agree, to and with the said Joseph M. White, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns, that I have full right to sell and convey the said bargained premises, free from, and clear of, all incumbrance; and the said Joseph M. White, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns, in the quiet and peaceable possession of the said premises, against all, each, and every person or persons, claiming or to claim the same, to for ever warrant and defend. In witness whereof, I, the said Sebastian Caro, hereunto set my hand, and affix my seal, at Pensacola aforesaid, this the fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight. SEBASTIAN CARO. [L. S.]" In the presence of H. T. PARMENTIER, W. HASELL HUNT. N. Articles of agreement between Henry M. Breckenridge, of Florida, and Samuel L. Southard, Secretary of the Navy of the United States, on behalf of the United States. It is agreed that the said Henry M. Breckenridge shall make a deed of conveyance to the said Samuel L. Southard, on behalf of the United States, of a tract of land containing four hundred arpents, with all the improvements thereon, on Deer point, near the navy yard at Pensacola, being the west half of a Spanish grant to one Barelo, confirmed by the Commissioners of the United States; and, in consideration of such conveyance, the said Henry M. Breckenridge is to receive the sum of twenty-two hundred dollars, four hundred of which to be now paid, and in virtue of which payment the Navy Department of the United States is at liberty to immediately remove the live oak timber growing on it. In testimony whereof, the parties have hereto set their hands and seals, the twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, at the city of Washington. [L. S.] H. M. BRECKENRIDGE. I propose selling to the United States four hundred arpents of land, situate in the bay of Pensacola, on what is called Deer point, near the navy yard at Pensacola, upon which there is a quantity of valuable live oak trees, with buildings and improvements. This tract is the west half of a Spanish grant, confirmed by the commissioners of West Florida in my name and that of General Call. * The Secretary of the Navy refers to this for a fact which appears in P. I offer it for the sum of two thousand two hundred dollars; and if the Secretary has no power to purchase, I offer the live oak for four hundred dollars; and if Congress make an appropriation to purchase, the four hundred dollars shall be considered a part of the sum, and the remainder, when paid, shall be considered in full. H. M. BRECKENRIDGE. To the Hon. SAMUEL L. SOUTHARD, P. WASHINGTON, January 28, 1828. SIR: I hope, in making a different proposition from that we had agreed upon, under the mistaken impression that the act of Congress gave power to purchase, I will not be considered as dealing uncandidly; and if, under the circumstances, you should deem it inadmissible, I will respectfully, if not cheerfully submit. But I think, on due reflection, you will be satisfied that without any impropriety on my part or on yours, since it appears that a special act of Congress will be requisite, which is but a bird in the bush, while the other was a bird in the hand, I may be permitted to obtain a more just equivalent than that which I inconsiderately and hastily offered to take. I well know that it would not be an object to the United States, considering the purposes for which the land is wanted, to give the actual cost or value of my improvements, but they would not expect to obtain private property, for any purpose, greatly below its value. These improvements cost me upwards of three thousand dollars; and before the mail route was changed, and the road ceased to be travelled, I valued the property at five thousand dollars. The proposition to purchase any thing more than the land, permitting me to retain my improvements, orangery, &c., was unexpectedly made me in the office. I had not reflected on it a moment, and named a price far below its value. Commodore Warrington, who has a personal knowledge of the situation, and knows the nature of my improvements from report, told me that he would not have hesitated to recommend the purchase at twentyfive hundred dollars. It is certainly not common for people to ask too little for their property, but those who know me, I think, will do me the honor to say that, if such a blockhead can be found, it is more likely to be myself than any other. However, should the Secretary think it inadmissible to be permitted to change my proposals, I will consider it my duty to acquiesce. With sentiments of great respect, I am your most ob't servant, The Hon. SAMUEL L. SOUTHARD, NOTE.-It appears the offer had been different. The reference to O should have been to this paper. Q. Copy of power of attorney from H. M. Breckenridge to Jos. M. White. Know all men by these presents, that I, Henry M. Breckenridge, of West Florida, have constituted and appointed, and by these presents do constitute and appoint Joseph M. White, also of West Florida, and now in the city of Washington, my true and lawful attorney, for me, and in my name, to sell and dispose of, for such sum or sums of money as he may deem sufficient and satisfactory, the west half of a tract of eight hundred arpents of land, situate on the sound of Santa Rosa, in the bay of Pensacola, containing four hundred arpents, more or less, being the same tract of land purchased jointly by me with R. K. Call, from the representatives of one Jayme Barcelo, to whom the said land was granted by the Spanish Government, and confirmed by the United States. And I do hereby further authorize and empower my said attorney to make and execute such deeds of conveyance as may be deemed necessary, to convey the legal title to such purchaser or purchasers as may be found for the said tract or parcel of land; and, also, to give full acquittances for the purchase money which may be received for the same; hereby ratifying and confirming all and singular the acts and things which the said attorney, Joseph M. White, may lawfully do in the premises. In testimony whereof, I have hereto set my hand and seal, this twenty-eighth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twentyeight. H. M. BRECKENRIDGE. [SEAL.] Signed, sealed, and delivered, in presence of F. LOWNDES, ALEX. MCDONALD. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington county. Before me, Richard S. Briscoe, a justice of the peace in and for said county, personally came the above signed H. M. Breckenridge, who acknowledged the foregoing instrument of writing to be his act and deed, for the purposes therein expressed. In witness whereof, I have hereto set my hand and seal, this twenty-ninth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, County of Washington. S R. S. BRISCOE, J. P. [L. s.] Be it remembered, that, on this 29th January, 1828, personally appeared before me, the subscriber, one of the justices of the peace for the county aforesaid, H. M. Breckenridge, and acknowledged the foregoing instru ment of writing to be his act and deed. C. H. W. WHARTON, J. P. [L. s.] To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting: I certify that R. S. Briscoe and C. H. W. Wharton, whose names are subscribed to the annexed instrument of writing, are, and were at the time of signing the same, justices of the peace for Washington county, in the District of Columbia, duly appointed and commissioned, and that full faith is due to all their acts as such. In testimony whereof, I, Henry Clay, Secretary of State of the United States, have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the seal of the Department of State to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this twenty-ninth day of January, A. D. eighteen hundred and twenty-eight, and of the independence of the United States of America the fifty-second. [L. s.] TERRITORY OF FLORIDA, } H. CLAY. I, M. Crupper, clerk of the county court for the county aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing power of attorney from H. M. Breckenridge to Joseph M. White is duly recorded in my office, which is the proper and legal office of record for said county." In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the said court, this the eighth day of September, A. D. eighteen hundred and twenty-eight. [L. S.] M. CRUPPER, Clerk, By J. G. DRAKE, Dep. Clerk. R. Extracts of a communication made to the Secretary of the Navy by Thomas F. Cornell, late United States Agent of the Navy Department in West Florida, dated 16th July, 1829. "Congress deemed it proper to enact a law that, from the annual appropriation (for the gradual improvement of the Navy,) of 8 500,000 for 6 years, $10,000 of that sum should be reserved for the purchase of suitable lands for the rearing of live oak." "This act (except for the peculiar manner in which it was passed, and the probable want of knowledge that many of the members of Congress had of the quantity of land our Government owned in that Territory, I believe would never have passed) was no doubt passed for the most laudable purposes. But, Sir, the idea of Government buying lands in Florida to establish a live oak nursery sounds very singular to us in that Territory, particularly when she owns so many thousands of acres of much better land than the lands purchased with the appropriation, and which cannot command the minimum Governmental price of $1 25 per acre. The gradual increase of the Navy has indeed for a long time been the favorite theme of Congress, and the expenditure of $10,000 was viewed as but a small sum out of the $500,000 appropriated annually for six years; but in hastily giving their sanction to this expenditure, they did not probably take into consideration the enormous expense it would require to raise up a nursery of live oak from the acorn or young tree, admitting every favorable circumstance. Nor did Congress dream, when sanctioning this item of expenditure, that it was to be expended in such a manner as it was by your predecessor. The important quere then arises, how was this money expended? To tell any one of common sense that has ever visited Pensacola what lands were selected, I could not be believed; but, sir, we have only to refer to the last report of the Secretary of the Navy, to be told that two adjacent tracts on the peninsula between Sta. Rosa sound and Pensacola bay. were selected. Sir, when this information was first communicated in Florida, it was received with astonishment, and could not be believed; and the |