Robert Cooper Grier

“ If a complete record title with ten years' possession could be divested by such testimony, its tenure would be very precarious, especially where the owner is surrounded by a population of settlers interested in defeating it. All the evidence on the record on the subject of alienage, besides that of a brother who proved himself an alien, is in the deposition of two witnesses. ”

“ One states that Dalton, in order to avoid serving as a juryman, said 'he did not claim to be an American or Mexican citizen.' He might well have been a citizen, although he was not desirous of setting up such a claim on that occasion. The other states that in 1847, during the war, when the country was occupied by the American forces, he said 'he was not a Mexican, and never intended to become an American citizen.' At such a time, he may have had many motives prompting him to make such a representation. ”

“ They contend that, by the Spanish as well as by the common law, a foreigner is not incapable of taking a grant of land, but holds it subject to be denounced in the one case, and forfeited by an inquest of escheat in the other ”