Affidavit for 1863 Dispute over Rights to Mine Guano on the Pacific Islands of Jarvis and Baker--United States Guano Co. V. American Guano Company

Mitchell, William

Published by New York, 1863

About this Item

12 1 /4 x 8 inch lined blue paper with light chipping at edges, mild toning at bottom and previous folds. Manuscript writing on both sides of paper, signed in manuscript Wm. Mitchell Referee N. Y. May 19th, 1863. Document from a court case involving the American Guano Company V. United States Guano Company and the rights to mine guano on two remote Pacific Ocean Islands. From a May 1865 New York Times article: "This was an action brought to test the title to a guano island in the Pacific Ocean, and to forbid the defendants from procuring any of the guano on the island." A second Island, Baker Island was also litigated. The dispute dated to 1856 based upon an Act of Congress (Unites States Guano Islands Act) which authorized the President of the United States: 1. To assert the Jurisdiction of the United States over any guano island which might have been or should thereafter be discovered by any of its citizens; and, 2. To confer upon the discoverer, or his assigns, the exclusive right to the guano upon such islands. In January 1859 the United States Guano Company made contracts to mine and sell Guano deposits on the two islands only to find men from the American Guano Company already occupying the islands. According to a Wiki page on Jarvis Island, the American Guano Company ultimately mined guano for 20 years, shipping the product to the Unites States for fertilizer. Names included in this document include Alfred Benson the President of the American Guano Company, plus the surnames Lucas, Baker, Taylor, Turner, Russell and Roberts. Alfred Benson's son also played a role. The United States Guano Islands Act is still on the books just in case you sail upon an unknown island piled high in guano--you can legally seize the island as a United States Possession. ; 2 pp.

Seller Inventory # 022385

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Affidavit for 1863 Dispute over Rights to Mine Guano on the Pacific Islands of Jarvis and Baker--United States Guano Co. V. American Guano Company
• Publisher: New York
• Publication Date: 1863
• Binding: Manuscript