John Catron

“ The petitioners claim as heirs of Vincent Rillieux and his wife. No proof was introduced to establish the heirship. This of course was necessary before a decree could be made to these individual claimants, as was held by this court in the case of the United States v. LeBlanc et al. 12 Howard, 436.
It has also been urged, on the part of the United States, that no decree could be made for any specific tract of land, as no description was given in the certificate of Aubry and Foucault, from which boundaries could be ascertained. ”

“ The District Court gave a decree for the land, to the extent claimed by the petition.
Occupancy and cultivation, from an early date, of comparatively small portions of the land claimed, is established by proof; and, also, that the land was claimed by Rillieux's heirs, as property derived by descent from their ancestors ”

“ In the first place, the District Court was exercising a special jurisdiction, created by the act of 1824, where none existed before, and could only take cognizance of such description of claims as the statute allowed. It embraced those who claimed by virtue of any French or Spanish grant, concession, warrant, or order of survey. ”