on the laft day of the term, delivered the opinion of the court as follows:
Fllsworth
Chief JuJlice.,
Itappears that
William Doug-lafs,
for fervices rendered, acquired under the King’s Proclamation of 1763, a right to 5000 acres 6f unappropriated land in America; which right he affigned to
Charles Sims,
the leffor of the Plaintiff below. ' And although by the terms of the proclamation, the
perfondl
application of
Douglafs
was fequifite to obtain a land warrant on the faid right, yet the laws of
Virginia,
paffed fubfequent to her independence, difpenfed with fuch perfonal application, and made a warrant iffuable to the affignee,
Sims,
he being ari inhabitant of that ftate on the 3d of
May,
.1779. A warrant he accordingly' obtained, and the fame duly located on
Montour’s
Ifland, the land in queftion; which his warrant was more than fufRcient to cover, and which, from its defcription as an ifland, was perfedtly aparted and dif-tinguiflied from all other land. BJ which means
Sims
acquired to the faid ifland a complete
equitable
title, and one which needed only a patent of
confirmation
to render it a complete /¡?-
gal
title. A confirmation of this equitable title, as effedlual as that of any patent could have been, was afterwards comprifed in the compatft between
Virginia
and
Pennfylvania,
and in the ratification of the'lame by the legiflative a¿t of the latter* The terms therein of “ referve and confirmation” of the “ rights” which had been previoufly acquired under
Virginia,
in the territory thereby reiinquifhed-to
Pennfylvania,
mutt, from the nature of the traníafticn, be expounded
favorably
for thofe rights, and fo that titles, before
fubjlantialh
good, fnould not
It further appears, that Sims, fince the fatd compact and ratification, has, without any laches that would prejudice his claim, obtained a legal furvey of the- faid land under Pennfyl-vania : In which fíate, payment, or as in this cafe confiderati-on pafled, and a furvey though unaccompanied by apátent, give a legal right оf entry, which is fuificient in ejedlment. Why they have been adjudged to give fuch right, whether from a defeat of Chancery powers, or for other reafons of policy or juftice,- is not now material. The right once having become an ejlablijhed legal right, and having incorporated itfelf as fuch, with property and tenures* it remains a legal right notwithstanding ány new diftfibution of judicial powers, and mull be regarded by the common law. courts of the United States, in Pennfyívania-i as a rule of decifion.
The Judgment of the Circuit Court affirmed.
* Iredell, JuJlice. Though I concur with the other Judges of the Court in affirming the Judgment of the Circuit Court, yet as I differ from thеm in the reafons for affirmance, I think it proper to ftáte.my opinion particularly.
In-order to do this with the greater diftindinefs, it is neceflary that I fhould obferve upon the nature of this title according to my ideas of it, from .its origin to what may be deemed its con-fummatión,atleaílforthe purpofeof maintaining this ejedlment.
My obfervations, therefore, will be under the following heads of inquiry:
IÍI. Whether it- fufficiently appears that William Douglas Was entitled to a military right, fuch as it was, under the Proclamation of 1763.
2d. Whether the right of Douglás, in cafe he was fo entitled, was -affignablej under the Royal Government, or fince.
3d. Whether the Lefiur of the Plaintiff in the ejedlment, had a title, arid if any* of what nature it was, under the laws of Virginia.
⅜⅛. Whether he-had any title, fubfequent to the compadl; . Nnder the laws of- Pennfylvania.
5th. Whether if he had a title, it was fuch as was fuificient to maintain this ejedtment.
1. Whether it fufficiently appears that William Douglas was entitled to á military right, fuch as it was,, under the Proclamation of 1763?
Though the finding be not altogether fo correct as it might have been, yet I think it may be fairly inferred that William Douglas had all the requifites to entitle him to a military right under that Proclamation, efpecially as the Jury havefaid generally that the King gave to him the-right in queftion by that Proclamation, which could not have been in fadtirue had any of the requifites been wanting, and though a general finding ineonfiftent with a particular one cannot ftand, yet I am of opinion a particular finding confiftent with'a general one may.
The next queftion is,
fi. Whether the right of Douglas was affignable under the Royal Government, or fince ?
The grant was general to all who were the objects of it, and requited only evidence of proper fervice, and the ufual fteps towards obtaining a grant under any of the then Provinces.- The Royal faith was pledged, that in fuch a cafe a grant ihould iffue. It was immaterial, at that time, in what province the grant was obtained, as all belonged equally to the Crown-The grant was for meritorious fer-vices already performed,.and therefore it was an intereft, though in feme degree indefinite in its nature, fanctioned by every principle of moral obligation, and fuch as the party entitled m ighr, on the moft folemn principles of рublic juftice, confidently demand. Upon a large fcale, the Crown was certainly a truftee for all thofe perfons to whom its faith was pledged ; and, therefore,fo far as no particular prerogative of the Crown interfered, it was rational to confider it in the light of any other truft. It has been doubtful whether the Crqwn-could in any cafe be a truftee, fo as to be the obj.edt of any municipal decifion, but the law could never prefume (however the f:.£t may be) that the Grown would not faithfully perform any truft belonging to it. The only difference between that and a private truft, is, that the latter is clearly enforcible by a Court of Equity ; the former perhaps muftbe left to the confcience
of
the Crown itfelf. But this maxes no difference in the nature of the intereft. If this had been a private truft, it would at leafthave amounted to what in Equity is called a polfibility, and it has been long fettled that apoffi-bility is affignable in Equity for a valuable confideration. I fee no reafon why that principle cannot apply here. The neceffi
ty
of a perfonal application was undoubtedly indifpenfible under the Royal government; but the two things are, in my «pinion, perfeiftly compatible. Suppofe fuch -an affignment
Thus the cafe ftood, as I conceive, under thе Royal government. By the Revolation, the circumftances of it were, in ■fomeidegree, changed, but not foas, in my opinion, materially to alter the nature of the title in this refpedt. The duty of the Crown, ftubftantially, devolved on-the feveral States, who became poffeffed of the territory formerly belonging wholly to the Crown; but as it might be an unreafonable thing to burden any one State with the whole of thefe provifions, fome modification of the title mighf be expedted fo as to prеvent this injury. This, however, does not feem to afford any reafon why it Ihould not remain an affignable intereft, fubjedt to the reftridtion I mentioned before, in cafe a peí fonal application was ftill .infifted upon, which it was undoubtedly optional in the States to require, or not. I-.therefore am of opinion,- that the intereft ftill remained affignable, fubjedt only to fuch regulations as each .State might think ptoper to require.
The next fubjedt of enquiry is,
gd. Whether the Leffor of the Plaintiff in the ejedtmenthad a title; and if.any, of what nature it was, under the laws of Virginia ?
I confefs I have had great difficulty in conftruing the two
Virginia
a its,, of
May,
and Ofiober, 1779., and if the latter adt had admitted of ■filch a conftrudtion that I could, without ab-furdity or manifeftinjufticehave confined the words “or affigns” in that adt, to mean only the heirs or affigns of thofe fpecially named in the former, I fttould undoubtedly have preferred that Conftrudtion ; becaufe in the bit adt of
May,
1779,
th^ Virginia
Legtftature exprefsly defignated the objedts, for whom they
The title, therefore, fo far, under the laws of
Virginia,
I think was a veiled right. But it Teems to me ntfw matinal to en-quire, whether the title under the laws of
Virginia
was complete or incomplete. It is admitted, thаt a patent was regularly neceffary to complete the title, even had a furvey been made, and it is at lead doubtful whether a warrant and furvey would bave given any legal right of ’poffeffion at all. But in this cafe, .it is contended, a furvey was not neceffary, for two rea-fons: 1. Becaufe the location of an iflandwas certain, and-the whole ill and would not exceed the quantity he was entitled to.
With refpect to the payment of ¿-40. it ⅛ cléar tome, that as that was meant as .full purchafe money for land, to which. ;the perfon .who entered had no right before, it never can.apply to a cafe where'thc grant was for fervice already performed, unlefs the Legifhture had wanted both common-fenfe-and com,mon honefty. I have not hsfitáted a moment to rejedt that conitrudtion, the words in no manner requiring it, and eafily admitting of the conitrudtion given by th.e counfеl for the De-, fendant in error.
The finding in,this cafe, I think, fúffkiently cflabliíhes a re-linquifliment of ⅛ 'Indian title previous to-the year 1779, fo .as to authorize an entry and location in the river Ohio, at the' times, the entry and location on behalf .of the Defendant in error took place, without a violation of any duty .cither to a particular. State or to the United States.
1’ come,now to the ncxtffiead of inquiry,
'4. Whether the Defendant in error had any title,' fübfc.quent to the compadt under the laws of Pennfylvania ?
I do not eonfider that this compadt, and, the adt in confirmаtion of it, immediately converted all inchoate and imperfedt-riahts under
Virginia
into .abfclute and perfedt ones under
[7irg~r~ic~ ftanlrnitted in F7b4 a jujt and t~u~ lilt ot entries made under the authority of T~irgi~ia in the diIputed territory, in whkh lIft the~ iffand in queffiоn is not comprehended,. ~nd therefr're the .verdi& impliedly excludes it, I anfwer., iff,. If the Go.. verhO~ had or had not tranfrnitted a perfeá~ lilt, this could not haVe deprived any party really entitled of Ihewing a~itle which t~ac~ been omitted, ttther de11gr~eOly (tho~igh t~at could not bc prefumed,but I ifare it as the~trongef~ cafe) or inadvertently, on the part of the (jovernor, where at !ealt an adverie ciaim~tnt un-. der Pe~nzfylvan~a was not prejudiced by. f~ich orniuilon, but had cady and tuffictent notice of tile prior riaht, ~etor~ he h~d corn- pleted his own. ~.. It tr~ay be a tr~ie Iift,,fo far as it goes, but not perfeót for want o~ a co~np1ete knowk~dge ot all particulars, some of which might have been ommitted to be ascertained in the usual and proper manner. The implication in this case cannot t~ave•tne elteçt cOntC}t~en for, ~ecau1e tne ~Ott~ flfldI~.Ig refers to that lift, as including the c~t~y and location of the D~- tènd~nt in error,~aI)d the 4~t~ hnthng dec1ar~s, that two L)cputy Surveyors under the Surveyor General of .Pеnizfylvania did izi I78~ receive from th~ Sw~veyor, General's. office, a 110 of en-triCS made under the authority of Virginia, which lift included the entry for the land in th~ dec1aration~ mentioned. The Lurvey being in my opinion good, though it was mentioned.
The Lurvey being in my opinion good though it was
The warrant and furvey being thus by me deemed complete ¿nd unexceptionable; under the Commonwealth of Pennfylva-itidy the only remaining enquiry ⅛,
5¿ Whether if the Defendant ih error had a title, it was fu&i as was fiifficiettt to maintain this ejedtment ?
Two obje£tiotts are ftated under this head.
t. That the title, ftich as it is, is only an equitable, not a legal one* and therefore Will not maintain an ejedlment.
2, That it is not brought within proper tíme, but is barred by the Statute of limitations.
As to the firft obje<ftion,did this title ftаnd merely, as an equitable one, I fhould ftrongly incline againft it, if not deem it altogether infufficient. It is of infinite moment, in
tnf
opinion, that principles of law and equity fhotild nOt be confounded, otherwife inextricable confufion will&rife, neither will be properly underftood; and iiríleád of both being adminiftered with ufeful guards; which the policy of each fyftem has devifed againft abufe, an heterogeneous rnafs of principles,' not intended to af-fort with each other, will be blended together; and the fubftanсe
' -Another circumftance has occurred to me; which 1- fuggeft With-diffidence, as it was net fpoketi to at the bar, that though the.cbmpaift and Confirming a£l did not render a furvey Unne-ceflary; yet when a furvey was made; i,t being a right derived from cdmpadf alone, the title ought to ftand on that ground alone, arid ridt defend on a patent; which imports a grant by the *
With refpeift to the obje&ion from the ftatute of limitations, it is fufficient to fay, that that a<ft, in my mind, clearly contemplates other objeits, and neither in its letter, or fpirít, is to ba. applied to' this new and peculiar cafe; but admitting that it did, the fa<fts in this cafe do not come within the provisions of at, there appearing to have been no fuch laches as the acft contemplated to prevent-.
Notes
The CfliEF Justice obferved, at the conclufion of the opinion <;f the Court, that judge Iredem. (whrift; indiipojicion prevented his at-» ;endance) concurred in the refult, but for reafons, in fome respects, different from thofe which had been afligned. As I have fince Viren favored with a copy of Judge Irebell’s notes, I fitouid think the icport of the cafe impeifsct without puliHihing tlum;
Ant. p. 256,
