The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-04
LAND CLAIMS IN CALIFORNIA.

ties OF land IN California are claimed by private lnd-
viduals under grants, real or pretended, from the
government of Mexico In 1851 board of commits.
soners appointed to investigate these claims,
and TO decide which Of them We're honest and which
fraudulent The law gave right to the government
and to the claimant to appeal from the decision of
the commissioners frat the district court of Cali
fornia and thence to the Supreme Court at Wash
ington. A close investigation of the has
shown that, while some of them are genuine, very
large proportion are the basest frauds that have
ever been committed since the beginning of the
world. The most valuable lands the globe, in
quantities varying from eleven TO thirty-threo
leagues have been claimed titles maniiestly forged
and fabricated. The number of false witnesses who
sustain these forgeres by their oaths is not large for
the moral character of the general population there
is as high as any other in the world. But, few as
they are, they furnish any amount of perjury
which given state of the market may require
These frauds, forgeries, and perjures were very
artful and some Of them so nconcevably bold, that
very many passed through the commission and some
of them through the district court, without detec-
ton under the late administration. Mr. Cushings
great ability was exerted with untrng energy to
pose and defeat them. He left behind him. when
he went out of office vast amount of material which
has since been used.
Soon after Mr.. Buchanan into power the
government determined to every possible effort
In defending its own property and that of its honest
citizens, against the wholesale plumber with which it
was threatened by these infamous miscreans. In
February last Mr.. Edwin NJ. Stanton sent out as
special counsel. The selection most judcious
and fortunate AS q mere lawyer Mr.. Stanton is one
of the foremost men in America But, in addition to
this he is honest as steel true to his duty as the
needle to the pole, and has energy to which re
taxation is almost pain. For such service 1T was
not possible to find another man in the Union whose
blood and Judgment well commngled
When he arrived at San Francisco and commenced
the Investigations the parties were amazed at his
audacity. Uniting to his boldness and fidelity
proper degree of prudence, he followed the tracks OF
every fraud and started one after another OF those
obscene birds from the prey it was gorgng. Nearly
all of them are now upon the wing circng around
his head, and screaming at him with hatred per-
fectly natural.
The Mexican records and documents relating to
land titles were scattered in leaves and separate pa
pers all over the State. Mr. Stanton gathered them
IN bound them together in nearly four hundred folio
,,ol,,mss and put them in such condition that any
more interpretations is a thing impossible, and even
periury concerning them is almost harmless.
Mr.. Stanton was aided in all his laborss ~ L, -
dgent, and faithful attorney saa mo- . Itod
COL Della Tore, than whoTxe o. oro lo.rn
ed lawyer on that ,ss.f u nonester man or bet
.sath them, in some of the cases, MIR. Randolph
X Joined. His sound judgment far-seeing sagaci-
" seryid eloeuence, and chivalrous temper made
worthy to be the associate Of Stanton and Della
Tore.
The famous cases of Lemantour lseven in number)
ware entitled to the earliest attention. One OF them
covered nearly the whole city Of San Francisco
nubc buildings worth probably ten miAaons q dol
d.. aud private property estimated at Twenty-Five
millions more.
The ingenuity of this enormous fraud was equaled
only by the vast labor and transcendent skill WIN
which It was exposed When the hearing came on,
Messrs Stanton and Della Tore so completely smash
al the whole of it's stupendous machinery that It's
.dvoc,,es were covered with shame and confusion
of face.
The New Almeden Mining Company was a combl-
nation Of foreigners British and Mexican, VINO frau
duentlv laid claim to a quicksilver mine IN santa
Clara county. and got actual possession OF 1t.
n was the richest mine in the world these
British and Mexican plunderers made pront OF
ON, million per an,u,a during the eight years they
bad;t. Stanton and Della Tore ncontnently dragged
,r,.,m into the district court, compelled them 10
sbou their title, and then proved 1T to be utterly
cor,unf The court granted injunction against
tho comnany. and their profits have ceased
California contains a multitude OF mercenary scro-
blers whose pens are at the service of anybody that
win nav for them In its present extremity the Al
media Company pays we'll As might be expected
these hireling sanderers abuse Mr. Stanton and the
administration which employed him, with all theil
faab,e might. They dare not deny the forgery which
tber masters have committed, but they insist that
II was wrong in the government to take advantage
Off They have mpudence enough even 10 ask ioi
nuhlic sympathy on the ground that eight millions
Of dollars which this corrupt company has ALREADY
,ece;ved is not reward large enough 10 pay then
for fabricating false title. They hope the m'nef'
.,f the country will make common cause with a'e'
and warn all who are ia possession without pa'
III. 60 al "a Irnted States sllat they may be treated