The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-02

want homes. wish to give them homes on the public
domain and that cannot be done until good claims are
confirmed and separated irom the public domain and the
bad claims, which hang like incubus the country
checking the energy and Industry OF lis Inhabitants
rejected, and put TO rest forever.
Mr. BENTON. There is not inch square in Cali
oraia, in the whole Of it, which is held by ecclesas
ncal ttleneither in Upper Lower California What
was SO held has undergone secularzalion BY decree
OF the Mexican Congress OF the 18th OF August. 1882
every acre OF land in Upper and Lower California
secularized-thai s. taken from the chuch-retun
ed to the world al setuum and the priests, thus dis
possessed, were all provided for by law Those who re-
NAMED in the country received salaries, and those who
did not choose TO remain had their passage paid back into
Old Mexico Ecclesiastical titles ceased there precisely
went 81 alton. They underwent act OF secular
zation Here is the law, nth August, 1889 The history
Of the whole given by Mr. Jones ia bis report on the
subject of land titles in California and every law is siven
50 that those who choose may the law and examine II
ior themselves:
.'AKr The govsnment will proceed to ssculafiso the
missions of Upper and Lower Calliornta.
.Anr In each OF said missions parish shall be ss-
ahsssd nnde1 ,LI shnge Of parish rrss' O the ssen g, %
to 81 500 per the discretion OF the government
It goes on with certain provisions reg guaiing the duties
of and their fees &c. II puts the expense OF
tanning religious worship in Upper and Lower California
upon the government
"ARr. The churches which have hitherto served the
different missions. and the sacred vessels ornaments ard
other appurtenances now belonging 10 hem shai be as
gned those Parishes, and also such buildings
nexed TO The said churches the government may deem
necessary tor the use OF said parish"
The government, ordered also building and lot OF
ground tor The curae.
"ARr. o. the buildings belonging to each mission,
the appropriate shall be designated for the habitston
OF the cnra'e, with The addition OF LOT OF ground not
ceedng Two hundred square, and the remaining edt
fes shall be specially adjndcaed for court house
paratory schools pubuc establishments. and workshops"
This, sir, is the end of your missions and of the
church property IN Callforna-one house and lot Tor
the curate 10 live in just furnish house for
ministers all over the United States. The government
furnished one there. And after that the rest of these
missions, about which the senator has built up such an
enormous quantity OF alarm this morning. all converted
into school houses. workshops, and other
worldly uses. Thegovernment, having taken away this
property, then goes TO provide Tor The support OF
glous worship:
"ARr. la order provide quickly and ,tcaciousiy
for the spiritual OF both Caornas,
gen-rnship shall be established in the capital of Upper
California; the jurisdiction OF which shall extend to the
rtores and The reverend diocesan shall conier It's IN
cambent the necessary faculties $ possible
ART. For the doiaon OF this vcaseneraiship 3d.
per annum shall be assigned but the vicar shall be al all
the Of his oce and not exact under title
pretrx', any fee wLa,ever
filed by the parish the caPits OF any other parish
in those districts. said curate hs receive sl5oo yearly,
IN ditson TO The donation OF his cnfaoy y
"AKr ,3 When those named the
peme will grauitousy infnlsh passage by
each $40 SsD for their Joufney by land,
cordng the distance and family they take with them
priest, %Sa ss nss ana order
they may comfortably reach their by land IL may
and, its discretion, what may be considered necessary
for those leave the republic who have the
| "AKr Is. The supreme government viii provide for the
expenses compehended IA th. law ons Of The products of
the estates capitals aud revenues at present recognised
the pe'y fund Of the missions o! California y
| This is the law-eXracis from lt-whch secularzes
the missions in California. produce II, and read IT, to
prevent an alarm from spreading IN this chamber which
may destroy property in California while IT only scares
us here. The senator from California has built up SUI
persucture Of danger upon the rumor OF one priests
aalI nj Nant q
introduced letter from governor declaring that priest
has no power to sell the land Well. everybody knew
that II nothing but the law OF the land, as have
read H. and further read IT. Here is another decree
after that, which entitled "A decree OF 2oth Novem-
Der, 1885, make effective the seculazaon OF the ms
sions California"
| will not read it, however, as think have read
enough 10 quie, all the alarm which the senator from
California finds upon The idea putting these vast estates
into the hands OF the priests. Ii Is all imagination,
which the reading OF few sections OF law reduces 10
nothing
/ Mr GWIN stated Mr. President, that these priests
had no claim TO these mission lands Will the senator
| from Missouri say there is vacant land within the
metes and bounds OF the missions over which these
priests have jurisdiction which has not been granted
away by the Mexican government There are hundreds
Of thousands of aces OF public lands lying WITHIN the
boundaries OF these Missions BY this amendment they
given away TO the priests, the possessors Tor
twenty years say they have no legal or Just claim
and necessary that they should have 10 get these
mission lands If this amendment, passes IL does not
require tha, they should have claim. they are IN
u
have been possession oil these mission ands not grant.
ed to private indy duas There IN the posses SION
of the missions hundreds OF thousands OF cattle grazing
all over the country, and these missions had jurisdiction
over the whole domain which was not granted away by
the government and you enact this amendment into
law this public domain will be at The mercy OF these
priests II is notonously true that they have no tle,
and is because they have that do not wish tins
anne uneni to pas which, II they have been IN posse.
sion twenty years, will give them the power OF Claiming
all OF these unappropriaed mission lands II IS dan.
gerous principle 10 introduce INTO this OH, ana nope
the amendment, will be rejected
| MIR DAWSON. Fer the purpose OF ascertainng ihe
true state of affairs California have been endeavof
ing 10 get the latest authorities upon that subject me
las, work have seen upon il fsyofs Fl Dorado. II
is written BY one who acquainted with The iacts ana
desire submit them TO the Senate that they may pass
for what they are really worth 10 show the state oil the
AZ pre- sented by individual who has made u
6i. business to look fairly into il The senator IRON
Missouri has given the history OF those missions and
lands truly 10 far as he has gone But the author
hold in my hand goes somewhat urther and shows me
and condition Of those mission lands al the ume ne
United States took possession OF California ~ perhaps
will be more interesting and instructive 10 the Senate tha
should read iron the work without making any com.
ment at ALL except may become necessary on account
of the object have in view. | commence where ne
sneak of the settlement OF the lands
| "Ths ex,cns~s history OF Vanesas an abndgmcnt o.
which ba. bs~n introduced by MI Fobes into MS WORK
on Csorns Is the most complete OF all when havs 49,
w,cn IL |, mainly confined. however to ihs settlement
OF the peninsula and throws no light on the s'ef aso
and ruin OF tho missions Of Alta California hcse eho
l.hin-ns TO which soleiy owing tho seue ement sno
cvlIzation OF country have now entirely 'shen ron
,be,, ,o,,r en- premacy Of ufther importance
in civil view. Some facts concerning tbs manner o.
their do~ nsl which learned during my aoofs anonA