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

he arrived at conclusions which were perfectly astouod-
mg; = .#5, i
| Well, sir your astonishment will somewhat abate
when II 10 known that there is foundation for the cal,
cuIaon; thai II Is all mistakes that all the calculation
was bui up 50 as to make an immense supersructue,
without one particle OF foundation To- rest upon Ii the
secton had been read through-and il is pretty short
one Of only hfleen lines and that Of pretty large print
The senator would have seen that make the exceptions
which he asserts do not exist The section goes on to
say:
"And, with this exception all the esdue Of
he said our leagues square shall be confirmed the city
town, village or pueblo according the instruction and
the Wes dated Chhaahua and d +, cled 10 die com.
mandan', at Monterey, Of Upper California"
When Idrew the section, Mr. President, had the act
relating to Upper Louisiana, and that OF Missouri rela-
ting to towns and villages, my eve looked al it, and
saw that the section relating these and villa
ges enumerated all the towns and villages by which
existed al the time OF the acquisition OF that territory by
the United States There were but a few towns and vii
lagos in the Territory OF Missouri compared with the
number that existed in California. did not, however,
undertake. 10 enuaerate them An California by naue but
put them into class and let them stand the whole sec
on, and everything said in support OF it, having con-
fined 1t 10 the settlements made under the Spanish or
Mexican government and which were made under thar
ordinance 10 the captain general OF the Internal Provinces
OF the West, which read eIeso, which put my
printed Speech and which dated believe in March,
1871. This section only relates the towns and villa
ges covered by the decree Of he caaiD general of the
Internal Provinces OF the West After this what remains
TO DC SAID against that section, when we have got rid of
these two objections, and after showing that there no
foundation o them. and that il is only the vacant lands
which are gwen TO corporate authorities, and if there
any private claims they are not taken And when il
seen that It confined 10 those founded on the DEGREES
OF the captain general of the Internal Provinces what re-
mains mains 70 O. ts s sald Is i not ps in ITSELF sir that the
from such an nquston and such oreiues as are 10 be
established against them Is il not just that they shall
have the same kind of protection which the people of
Upper Louisiana had Is it right that every one of them
shall be compelled go before the commissioners in or
der 10 make good their titles 10 their little lots OF thirty
or forty varas square, and TO their and out-lots,
The senator from California took exception 10 this sec
ton because the extent granted the towns and villages
was so large Sir we have no power to limit what the
Crown OF Spain chose grant; and have 10 say that
this argument OF the extent of the commons and of the
extent OF what might be granted in this confirmation
had no consideration at the time OF the OF lsl2 which
was passed with reference to the inhabitants oil the
and villages In NJ lssour There large extents oil
commons belonging to the people there Some of them
were many miles across cannot undertake to say how
many. o. LOUIS had commons many miles In extent to
the southwest OF the town Carondeet slill more; ST
Charles and others had many miles of commons and tile
law which rested to them confirmed the of the Span
sh Crown, which had given all these -los and out lots
their wh oe extent
extent OF two leagues square, in the words OF the decree of
Inc Aptan general ohe Internal Provinces ef the West
oes not affect their Tghto than the our leagues
50 aare If there towns villages which have larger
COmmons-and Mr. Jones says there are-these are
within The boundaries OF grants made for the foundation
Of the towns or villages ! have no doubt there are
them by my plan Ii they have larger quantity than
four leagues, they will be the recorder OF
land utles and II their title IS valid they will retain them
So far the bill goes. confirms them on the prin
cple that the town and village lots confirmed to
Upper Louisiana in 1912, EU.
Now Mr.. President. having shown the mnous ope-
ration Of the bill of the senator from California, if it goes
into efect having shown that there is nothing like 1t in
the land system of the United States having shown that
the effect must be to parayze all the industry the
try 10 alarm every man, and make every cutvalor sick
at heart, and THAI must be TO occasion great
portion OF the old landhofdo abandon their lands to
sell them for half theA4skde or TO lose their value in
lawyers fees for defending them having shown that to
be the effect must be suffered repeat to the Senate
what is TO be the effect OF the system which present
Ia the first place, all the titles to be called n-all
TO be collected in the hands OF some public and reson
sble ofce-and they TO be kept for the inspection OF
cessary in relation to all good claims that The
should see which good and it is necessary in rela
ton to all bad claims Also that they should be collected
at once, that government may them Ii is necessary
to prevent the stimulation manufacture OF claims here
after because then all will be cut off which pro-
duced after the time that these claims brought in.
My system is first, then, to collect the titles; and after
the titles collected, then the recorder OF land titles,
who required TO be man learned in the law, together
with the district Attorney Is to examine the titles and
these officers, either OF them, Judges any claim
laid before them to be invalid for any cause, matter
what If they Judge any one 10 be invalid for any
whatsoever they are Issue scs acas against the party
whose title is mpeached and bring him before the lis
,ct court TO defend it, Now, it does seem TO me that in
this way every which gives rise any suspicion OF
its being unsound be proceeded against and the land
can be given to The country.
Now wish to say word about the cry raised respect.
ing fraudulent titles in California II is cry easily
raised and greediy caught up by but do not
what room there be TO apply it to the generality Of
these claims We from all the land laws under the
Spanish government that strong Inducemen bad to be
held cut 10 the people TO get them accept OF the land
Calf orna from the Spanish Crown that they had TO be
rev arded TO accept the lands To talk about frauds du
rrg this state OF things would be consistent to talk
OF npeaehng the country for frauds in drinking water
and breathing arr We might as well say that the people
OF California were guilty OF frauds when they drank
water and beahed the air as TO they were guilty OF
frauds with regard to these land titles al the time they &C
ceped the lands. Land free and water, and
by the government TO accept land and drank water and
breaihed air without government lpducement Whom
the fraud committed against Was il against the
Crown Of Spain That government begging the
people OF California to accept the lands, and rewardng
them for it, Was il against the United States Frauds
against the United States before The United States
formed Frauds against the United States before
Statee when the name OF California was all that
known OF il .H
Now, sir that is all an idle alarm and, Mr.. Jones
says in his report. il TO a point OF time IN
which there any room for suspicion OF frands There
TO believe that up TO the time that the Next
and California authorities began to suspect there
might be war between Great Britain and the United
British subjects and the protection OF the county 70
British arms. There was no reason to susPectH ti uls
time. When did they begini The very hret symptom
OF il in in the city oil Mexico IN he autumn Oh
Is45 and at that time that the famous Macnamara
appeared in Mexico and laid his plan before the MEXICAN
government, and procured his e.te rom ne oeere'aly
Cuevas to the local authorities in California, recommend
- h;, ,nJ h;s misson 10 their favorable consde