The weekly Butte record. [volume] (Oroville [Calif.]) 1866-1887, 1866-07-14
California Land Bill.

il California So that it is low q Law With
the exception of the signature of the Presi-
dent. That We believe will be withheld. Ii
certainly weuld be. If the President reads the
bill as we do. Mr.. JULIEN. of Indiana, made
a speech against if. and the California men,
bers advocated IFS passage. We published
last week the letter of hoo. JOIN CONFESS
10 reference to this measure, and have perused
it carefully; Jet it has failed to convince US Of
the justice or necessity Of all its provisions
For the sake OF peace, aud for the purpose of
quieting land titles. Mr.. CONFESS would de-
part from the recognized policy of the govern
ment, and allow men to purchase from the
United States. all the land they can lay claim
to under rejected Mexican grants. That
these grants were fraudulent, is evidenced By
their rejection. The title, then of course,
vests in the United States, aud We hold that
the land thus found to be government laud.
should be open to actual settlers under the
very liberal pre-dmp,ion laws Of the nation,
and subject TO entry in the limited quantities
there prescribed. BY this bill the U. S.
surrenders its title to nearly all the valuable
land in California, when it should be held for
actual settlement, 10 accordance with the poll
cy heretofore pursued by the Government
The fact of its being claimed by fraudulent
grants, is no reason why government should
say to the holders of such grants. you "may
purchase" these lands, at the minimum price
allowed by law" There is another and quite
as effective way to quiet land titles, and that
is TO tell these gentlemen claimants ard beg
gars Of special iavors from the government, to
roll up their spurious parchments aud vacate
the leagues Of land they claim, and leave them
open for actual settlers to purchase in limited
quantities. This would aid the settlement oil
the State, and contribute to the advancement
and wealth of the Nation. So far as this bill
permits those who have actual settled upon and
improved their claims with q view to building
themselves homesteads, to acquire title, it is
good measure. But while it grants this priv
lege, privilege that actual settlers upon gov
ernment lands bad before, it goes much farther
and allows claimants under rejected Mexican
grants, to purchase such lands of the United
States Government We have the bill now
before US, endorsed by Surveyor General
HoUGHroN and Commissioner EDWARDS, and
section seven provides as follows:
"And be it further enacted. That where
persons in good faith, and for a valuable con-
sideration, have purchased lands of Mexican
grantees, which grants have subsequent
ly been rejected, or where the lands so
purchased have been excluded from the final
survey of any confirmed grant, and have used,
improved and continued in the actual posses
sion of the same and where no valid adverse
title Except of the United States) exists,
such purchasers mvy purchase the same. after
having such lands surveyed under existing laws
at the minimum price established by law, upon
first making proof of the facts as required in
this section, under regulations to be provided
by the Commissioner of the General Land
Office"
So far this relates to actual settlers upon
limited quantities ofland, it is unobjectionable,
but it seems to US that it permits pur-
chasers of rejected Mexican grants, to pur-
chase leagues of the best lands in the State
when they should be left open to actual set
tiers under the pre- mption laws.
Since the above was in type, the telegraph
announces that the bill was amended in The
House and returned to the Senate for its ap-
proval, and that the Senate had refused to
concur 10 one of the House amendments. 1t is
therefore probable that it may assume proper
shape before it becomes law.