Matteo Renzi: “H.R. 542, introduced by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), would give private citizens in Livingston Parish…”

“H.R. 542, introduced by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), would give private citizens in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, mineral rights that have been rightfully theirs for generations. The 640 acres of land in question were held in private ownership when the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803; but due to poor recordkeeping by French colonial authorities, the Federal Government ultimately came into possession of the title to this property. The citizens who rightfully held the land remained on the land for nearly 2 centuries. In 1825, an order of survey was signed by a Federal agent asserting the landowner's claim to the land, but those documents were never filed in Washington. Again, in 1875 the owners' claim was acknowledged but a land patent was never issued. Finally, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Federal Government surveyed the inventory of Louisiana properties and discovered that no patent had been issued for the Livingston Parish properties in question.”