The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-11

been Yonksysd, and he pushed for California. There
was as close conjunction OF several important events
ever occurred in the space OF one al
which American history knows nothing but there were
crowded together in the short space OF one weet events
which prevented the transfer Of all the landed pfopertv az
California British subjects well as the poinra a1
ihorly OF California, and the destruction of American
settlements All these events crowded INTO one
week. and only prevented from being consummated
by the enterprise and decision OF one single All
this is rue aud many of the people OF the country and of
the officers Of the navy will show that il isso
The people of California went and told MIR. Fremont
what was going on ; that convention sitting at
Santa Barbara TO put the country under the protection OF
The British government, and British fleet expected
TO take possession. The people informed Mr. Fremont
that military expedition organizing against them.
to burn up Their crops aud destroy their focks and ex-
cite The Indians against them and that these three things
were going on and upon the point of being executed.
and would be executed unless he would put himself
their head M win his corps Of sixty men, and with them
over,urn the Mexican power in California He did so;
and he and the settlers took and kept possession of the
country north Of San Francisco. And they did this
without one iarthng OF pay this day On the fifth OF
July, at Sonoa they run up the flag Of independence
They overturned the Mexican authority, not knowing
that the wav with Mexico had commenced. AT this time
Commodore Sloat arrived, but he hesiiatd for several
days before be would put up the American flag at Mon
terey He did not know yet OF the successful operations
of Fremont When he heard of them, he run up the
American fag aud sent for Mr. Fremont to come down
and Join him. The British admiral arrived just after the
flag up and when he came he was astonshed to
see the American flag flying over Monterey, and to see
Fremont with his rifles the hills of the town. and
the American squadron in the bay. do not wish TO
state taIlhe, on that point; but when Commodore Soat
found that Mr. Fremont had acted without special in
slructon from his government-,hough he had general
instructions to watch for the interests of his govern
menthe resigned his command 10 Commodore Stockton D
and came home Then Fremont and Stockton prose
cuted the conquest OF the country, and achieved it in
August, lS46. H eag#e assB Fat9 pt ,AaauB o.
Four important conjuncons occurred here within a Z
few days: the arrival of Commodore Sloat-his hosns
the American flag the arrival OF Fremont with his rifle
corps; the arrival of the British Admiral Seymour the
n CnmmOd0ra ar mn vS,f
these events depended the question whether the govern
nent of California would come under the BRUSH Or
American authority and whether all their lands would
go into British hands. History knows nothing about
these events but they all preserved, and the esti.
Inony shows that when Commodore Sloat resigned and
came home to the United States. Commodore Stockton
and Mr. Fremont prosecuted the conquest of the country
took possession Of the archives OF the government and
put an end to the war. That is what they did. And
what did they put an end to tllt.pn VI sa8ss1
This brings me to The point II put an end to all tbs
operations which going on in transferring the lands
erno had possession OF the archives and he looked
them, and took memoranduns OF all the land grants for
1916 He took them, and brought them home for HIS
own government He took note OF the books. and hel
found that this Macnamara grant was for three Thousand
leagues square. He brought home the original paper.
and put it in the Department of State It3 sai - ~
That short period them between the return of Mr. Fro il
to California in March, ls46, and the overum OF
the government in July, 1916. is the only period daring
upon the government in relation to lands There r0As
son to suspect it then. But. as said, Mr. Fremont
brought home memorandum from the DOCKS Wnlen y
showed the suspicious transfers at that time Gsei3a&
The Secretary OF the Interior sent out person to mako
report upon all parts OF the land titles, and especially
upon these archives He reports that this book c0ntan
ing the titles given in S46 could not be found He found
the archives for many years, OF them imperfect, but
this could not be found Now. the only period Of tms
during which there is any to suspect fraudulent
operations land titles is between March and july l646
brief period of indeed. II would be difficult for
many fraudulent operations be carried out among that
sparse population, among whom were many Americans,
with their eyes open to watch what was going and
ready to inform. Mr. Jones says there will De no di
Guilty in separating the fraudulent from the valid grants
and il is only those that were made in that brief time 10
which any suspicion attaches -U isl wGE lGL
Are we disturb the whole country. harass the whols
country. alarm the people, drive them to desperation,
whelm them with expensive Lawsuits, and comqe then in
desperation give their lands, and fee Mexico ogst
grants Are TO do that, shall we adopt thesy
TEN which PROPOSE and which gives fair pay to ali
This system OF mine proceeds upon the idea OF the British
chancery-ihe chancellor to cancel illegal grants n 10
on that principle that send out eire foias to have
all the suspected claims called that every may
ceive decision The bill provides that every claim shall
be lad down Co and % az soon h, az ! T. % deemed
araed from the public lands OF the country. Luar
With regard TO surveys, respecting which so much has
been said there were none IN Californa The ordinance
of lntendants of l7so required surveys II appointed
surveyors general for every lnendancy and he had hs
deputies in every province According to that law the
land required be surveyed before there be good
title This belongs to the law OF Intendants General
Sir, there any such thing that in California;
Never Their system required no survey The title
at the time possession given There were no surveys
in California There grant within certain me,es
and bounds portion OF land, and within these metes
and bounds the to be locaed-he overPIns go
ing TO the Crown. But it not determined what was
the exact locality of the land which was granted within
these metes and bounds that left for after det0rmi
nation when the settlements became thick There was
no uveyor in California, either general OF partcuar
and there surveyed tract in California under the
Spanish laws; not one-not one. Now surveys are
wanted, and my bill provides the quickest way to get
them. .#afM Ill. AH1Hth fet y
What does my bill provide That the recorder Of land
titles shall lay down plan, and fast any trxct
surveyed the grant shall be reduced to the exact quantity
which is required by the grant The Spanish laws re-
qured that the land should be taken out of aparcuM
district of country and the overpus to belong TO the
what the Spanish has done with respect TO
these lands In the condition in which California was ~
the time of it's settlement when there were immense 90
aies for all, there necessity Tor reducang tns
gransl To exact limits: the grantee occupied anywhere
within the general boundary can well conceive that
one person may within the same tract where another
has era nj also and he may be warned on There may
be double or quadrupe the quantity granted within the
general limits and Of course there may be disputes a. TO
The precise locality OF the grant of each within the
general boundary My bill will put end 10 Ill dis
pute.--6rst, by eonectural surveys and map, and
afterwards by precise surveys. fast a. the titles are
confirmed.
Mr.. President the people who have resided In Upper
California before took possession OF the conpaU may
not be numerous compared to the number who hAvS De-
come residents there recently. There are hundred
Ave thousand OF the ancient inhabitants who csm nnus
When said the other day that there are nundrea 10y
sand persons there no have lands, repeeteo pe
words Of the senator from California, Mr. 0WNI ne