The weekly Butte record., 1866-06-23
Paaped The senate.

renee. There Was great expression OF desires
90 the part of its advocates to protect the IN
terests Of settlers on those grants, which was
all well enough - far - it relates to them. e1-
cept that it allows them to purchase larger
quantities of land than they are entitled under
the preemption laws. And it still permits
those who have purchased Mexican grants that
have been rejected. to buy them up At . dollar
and . quarter per acre. Its effect is to with
draw al land covered by these forged add
fraudulent grants, from entry by the State.
and from sale by the United States. 1t with
draws from settlement by the people. nearly
all the good agricultural land in California,
and gives it to the holders Of spurious Mexi-
can grants, upon their payment of minimum
price therefor.
The history Of this fraudulent act is singu-
lar one, and shows how those who desire to
wrong people they are chosen to represent.
manage to cover up their tracks: The bill
was originally introduced BY Mr.. CONFESS,
but be, probably not desiring the odium Of q
measure a. injurious to the State as be may
have found it bis interest to make this, permits
Mr.. HEsDRIcKs of Indiana, Who Is probably
the bired attorney of the California delegation
in the matter, to strike out all after the enact
ing clause, and insert one confirming Ill the re-
iected grants. Mr.. CONFESS then moves to
amend certain sections with show to favor
settlers, but all the while with q care not to
disturb the provisions that enabled the holders
of rejected grants to purchase the same. For
instance, the section alluded to by Us last week
as decidedly Objectionable was, on motion of
Mr.. CONFESS, amended so as to read as fol-
lows:
That where. in good faith, and for q vslua-
BILE consideration, persons have purchased lands
of Mexican grantees, which grants have subse.
quently been rejected, or where the lands so
purchased have been excluded from the final
survey of any California grant, and have used,
improved and continued in actual possession of
the same as conterminous proprietors accord
ing to the lines of their original purchase, and
where no valid adverse right or title, except OF
the United States. exists. such purchasers may
purchase the same, after having such lands sur.
veyed under existing laws, at the minimum
price established by law, upon first making
proof of the facts under regulations to be pro-
vided by the Commissioner Of the General
Land Office provided that, whenever it shall
be made to appear by petition from the occu-
pant of such lands. that injury to permanent
improvements would result from running the
lines of public surveys through such permanent
improvements. the Commissioner of the Cen
eral Land Office may recognize existing lines
of subdivision.
1t will be seen that this still enables the
holders Of these rejected Mexican grants to
purchase them at the minimum price. After
thus legaizng these fraudulent grants, Mr..
HENDRICKS inserted 9 proviso in the first sec
ton "that no selection made BY the State con-
trary to existing laws shall be confirmed for
lands to which any adverse pre- emption. home
stead or other right has been acquired BY any
settler under the laws of the United States u
"Or other right" meaning, we suppose, the re.
jected Mexican grant, which takes precedence
of any location made under State authority.
And to this iniquitous proviso, our Senator
periodically declares:
would not vote to confirm to the State OF
California, or to any of its people. an acre Of
land which was settled upon by any man who
had undertaken to make bis home there. My
whole effort has been and the object of this
bill is to give perfect titles to that class OF
persons.
Then, we ask Mr.. CoNNEss, why he could
not simply permit the settlers on these rejected
grants to pay for the amount Of land they we're
entitled to under the pre- emption laws, without
attaching thereto law that enabled those
ees, which grants have subsequently, been re.
jected," to purchase the same, according to
the lines Of their original purchases" But 50
it is. What good land the State has located
will now have to be surrendered to the holders
Of these rejected Mexican grants. Hundreds
Of leagues Of Government lands are thus dis
posed of to spectators, who scrupled not in the
first instance to originate fraudulent grants tc
obtain possession of these lands.
Well, it is q law so far as the q. S. Senate
is concerned. Its reception and progress
through the House, will be watched with some
interest. Gen. BIDwELL, our Member of Con.
gress, is himself the holder Of rejected Mexi-
can grant, and has undoubtedly employed HEN
DRIcKs as an attorney in this matter, and bis
course on the bill will be of peculiar interest
to the people of Butte county.
| 1t is not improbable that this thieving land
bill will be shut of by the veto Of the Presi.
dent. We hope so. He has lately vetoed the
bill authorizing the New York and Montana
Iron Mining and Manufacturing Company to
buy twenty sections of uusurveyed lands in
Montana Territory, three of which might be
selected from the lands containing iron ore and
coal, aud the balance from timber lands. The
bill further provided that the Company should
survey the lands at their Own expense, pay the
usual price per acre and receive full title only
when they had got into operation important
iron works. The President, in bis veto, says
The public domain is national trust, set
apart and held for the general welfare upon