The New York herald., 1850-04-29
IMPORTANT REPORT
LAND TITLES OF CALIFORNIA.
sELArrvE To rue

as to the condition of land titles in CALIFORNIA;; 3
and, al the same time, your letter of instructions;
and letter from the Commissioner of the Lind
Office.
Pursuant to these, left ihi. city on the iiih Of
the same month and embarked from New ofh on
the lTth, On board the steamship Empire City, for
Chaeres. Arriving at that place the 18th,
proceeded immediately to Panama, under the eX
pectauon of shortly obtaining passage TO Caltor-
MIA. The first opportunity, however, was by the
steamship Oregon, the 18th of fagust. arrived
al Monterey, The then capital OF California, and
where the territorial archives were deposited, on
the 18Th of September. I aIieIward visited the
towns Of san Jose, The present capital, and san
Francisco, and returned 10 Monterey. also made
arIang ments for going 10y land, as 10 visit the
principal places on the way, from Monterey 70 Los
Angeles, and thence 10 san Diego. The early set
ting in Of the rainy season rendered this journey
lmpaclicabie; and on the 10th Of November lett
Monterey on the steamship Panama and went by
10 san Diego Thence, went by land TO Los
Angeles and on the 81 of December retained 10
San Diego in order 10 embark on the steamer which
was az that Time expected from san Francisco. |
cmbark fIom san Diego on the 9Th of December
On the steamship Initorn, and landed The 18th OF
The same month at Acapulco in Mexico. pro-
Cceded thence as raydly possible 10 the ciiy OF
Mexico, who're | arrived on the 2th. On the llth
cf January left that city, ana on the 18th Of the
same month embarked rom Vera Cruz tor Mobile,
and lhsnce anivcd in this city on the Isl of Febru-
sIy. have been prevented from making my
polt until The present time, by the unexpected de-
iertion of the papers and memoranda which col
iectcd in California, and which could not, without
loss, bnpg with me through Mexico and therefore
procured TO be brought hy way of the lsthmus OF
Panama.
On arriving in California, my attention was inn
mediately directed 10 the subjects embraced in your
letter OF Instructions
/. TO nIE MoDE or CREATING TITLES TO LAND,
FROM TIE FIRST INCEPTION 10 THE PERFECT TITLE,
A. FRACTisED by MEXICO, WITHIN THE PROVINCE or
CALIFORNIA"
All the grants Of land made in California (except
pueblo or village lots, and except, perhaps, some
grants north Of the bay of san Francisco, as will
be hereafter noticed) subsequent to the indepen-
dence of. Mexico, and after the establishment of
that government IN California, were made by the
different political governors. The great minority
of them made subsequent TO January, 1852,
and consequently under the Mexican colonization
law Of 18th August, 1924, and the government re-
pulations, adopted in pursuance OF the law, dated
2ist November, lS2S In January, lS32 General
Jose figueroa became Governor OF the then Ter
niory OF California, under a commission from the
government al Mexico, replacing Victoria, who,
after having, the year before, displaced Echandrea,
was himself driven out by revolution. The in
stallation OF Figueroa restored quiet after ten
years Of civil comInoilon and was at time when
Mexico was making vigorous efforts 10 reduce and
populate her distant territories, and consequently
granting lands on a liberal scale. In the act of
lSxl, league square (beIng 4,42S fO2-lOO0 acres)
Is the smallest measurement of rural property
spoken of; and of these leagues square, eleven Cor
nearly 10000 acres) might be conceded in a grant
10 one individual. By this law. the States COM
posing the federation were authorized TO make
special provision for colonization within their
spectlvc limits, and the colonization OF the Terri
tories, conformably 10 the principles of the law 4"
charged upon the Central Government. California
was Of the latter des ,ripton, being designated
territory in the Acfa CoHsfitutira OF he Mexican
federation, adopted 3lst January. 1924, and by the
constitution, adopted 4th of October Of the same
year The colonization of California, aud grant
ting Of lands therein, were, therefore, subsequent
10 the law OF 18th August. Ic2i. under the drec-
tion and control of the Central Government That
government already stated. gave regulations
for the same, 2ls November, ls2s.
The directions were v~y simple. They gave
The governors OF The territories the exclusive faculty
al making grants within the terms of the liw-that
is, 70 the extent of eleven leagues, or sfi0s, 10
individuals; and colonization grants Qnore properly,
CoHfrocfs)-that is, grauts of large tracts 10 en-
7Tosonos, or peIons Who should undertake, for a
consideration M land, TO bring families TO the
country, for the purpose Of colonization. Grants
oi The hrst description, that is To families single
persons, and not exceeding eleven Utios, Were
mot 10 be held deinitivey VALID" until sanctioned
by IoTiiorid! DYWdti0n. Those of the second
class that -, cHpcsaTio colonization grants (or
coniTacis), required like sanction by the SVprcae
GorOpDcit In case the concurrence of the de-
puiaiion was refused to grant of the hrst-men-
& ias grantee iro3 x-sem5y Of III: sarrem'
The "frsf iHcc-id. of the claim, pursuant to
the regulations, end a. practsed IA California, was
petition 70 the Governor, praying for the grant.
specifying usually the quantity Of land asked and
designating i;s position, with some q scrptiye OBJ
iect or boundary, and also stating the age, cOuu-
Try, and vocation of the petitioner. Sometimes,
aiso Generally al The commencement Of this
system), rude map or ltrR OF the required grant,
showing iis shape, aud position with reference 20
other tracts, or 10 natural objects, was presented
with the petition. This practice, however, was
gradually disuscd, and few ol the grants mad, in
late year, have any other than verbal description.
The next step was usually reference of the Pc
tion, made on the margin, BY the governor, 10 the
Telect of the district, or other near local officer.
where The land petinoned for was situate, TO know
II Il was vacant, and could be granted without in
jury 70 third persons or the public, and somrtims
20 know % the petitioners account of himself
was true. The reply tryomO OF The project, or
other officer, was written upon or attached 10 al.
petition, aud the whole returned 20 the governor.
The reply being satisfactory. the governor then
issued the grant n form. ON iis receipt. or before.
tuicn before the petition event. the party went into
possession. II was not unfrclucni. Of late years.
to admit he Formally Of sending The petition 20 the
local authorizes, aud 10 was never requisite f the
governor already possessed the necessary inioml-
ten concerning the land and the parties. In th,t
case The grant followed Immediately on the pet.-
ton. Again, 70 sometimes happened that the reply
ot the local authority was not explicit, or that
thud persons inieneued, and the grant was thus
ter some time delayed. With these qualifications.
and covering The great majority Of cases, the nrao-
ice may D. said to have been. I. The petitions .
he reference 90 The prclCct or alclldr; His re-
pof - tHf,uHc; T. The grant from the governor
tf.af'rd, and tC'r. gHd ~ ,rl0a r,ra,dofl'
The cl'c'ngR ol thc petition aud iHf3rme. and
sny oiher preliminary papers m the case. were hlcd
~ lhe secretary in ihe government archives. and
WIN ih'm a col Ohc ORIGINAL being delivered to
U' irnitc) oi thc grant: thc whole attached to-
E'ihcr go gs TO lCm one document. (cnfitlci col.
hci'tN. rn cTytd.Wts) During the goycrnorship
81 i-ueiCn and some Cf his succc-sor-. that J.. I
t'lu .@i Nuy, is.i. to 9TH Nav. ISIS. the grants
Wff" hkFvi~' Irrlfd'd n book kent for that pure
roe iss prescribed i1 the 'Icguatiun." above re-
tTcd t') in the archives. Subsequent % that
tine th,fc was no rruf, but brief mcuoraulirn I
81 The grant; TIE srJdtuif. however stll filed +
tfgrts were ulso sometimes registered i1 the office
~ TIC IfDitct Cl Doe 20 fIct where he lands law
hut TIE practice was not constant, nor The record.
g'tsfgiy u p.ffuancut form.
The DcNi eud hnrl step iu thc title w1- the ap-
pro,al cf he praut hy the Territorial Dsqu-siion.
Chat is. fhe loCei legislature. alctwan. when the
Territory w9s created into department. e. He'd the
"Lcpaiimcuiel Asscmbly.') For ihis purpose 10
was fhc governors office To CoWmunicats the fact
ol the creni. and all Information concerning u. 70