The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-04-03


ton clauses. Such submission win doubtless
at once remedy the current unfortunate con-
ditiou Of virglnia's local affairs.
McGarrahan's Wonderful Land
Grant swindie.
The Chicago Tribune Of Monday last pub
fishes letter from It's Washington CORE
spondent, "Gath," upon the subject of the
McGarrahnn claim, the rascallty and utter
worthlessness Of which has been already
fully ventilated In the columns Of the Re-
PUBLICAN. We produce the letter referred
to, In to-day's paper, because besides being
complete expose ofth swindle, the facts are
we'll told, and IL furnishes interesting and
entertaining reading matter.
[From the Chicago Tribuns Of March 81
wAsHIsgros, Mareh2 q
While the Senate Is wrangling over the re-
tentlon Of the clvil.tenure bill, and the House
10 engaged In small matters LEFT over from
last Congress, proceed to the principal sub
juet which concerns the third house-the
lobby-at present;
ROMANTIC swIsDLE.
Some time ago ! wrote pathetic sketch
| Of Billy McGarrahan, claimant for great
tract of land, called "Penocha Grande," In
California. Within few days have read the
two elaborate Senate documents upon this
subject, one Of which II signed by Williams,
Of Oregon, and Ferry, Of Connecticut; the
other BY Sawyer and Kellogg, both Southern
Senators. The latter Is positive for McGar-
rahan, the former severe against him. He
Ia called q supporter Of a shallow swindle,
and the agure-head Of a monstrous fraud,
which Is liable, If passed, to batter down
every land title In California. Reading over
this majority report of Ferry and Williams,
find an extraordinary condition Of things
existing In California as to titles Of lands
descended from Mexican patents, now COW
cred by towns aud cities and valuable mines.
The McGarrahan case Economically Illus
trates this, particularly In the report which
pronounces against McGarrahan's claim.
30 extraordinary In Its consequences is this
claim that two powerful Hobbies are here
fighting up the rival sides Of II, and while a
corporation inhabitlng the McGarrahan
lands is well represented, the claim of Nc
Garrahan against them has been made the
capital OF stock company called the Peno-
cha Grande, which is distributing stock and
spending money with looseness which
amazes me. At this time all the carpet
bagglng Senators are believed to be COM
mltted to McGarrahan, with Morton, of In
diana, and some few Eastern Senators to
boot. Trumbull, Conkling, Ferry and others
take the other side savagely. The McGar-
rahan people claim that Penocha Grande is
worth from ten to twenty millions OF dollars.
| His opponents describe the whole tract to be
worth more than half million, aud say that
1t can be bought to-day for 100000.
| think / can interest you In this matter, and
propose to try to do so, first specifying as
| my opinions;
|. That no more differences Of opinion
could have led to two such opposite reports
as these, both written In savage style
There is fraud on ono side or the other, and
somebody In the Senate is party to It,
2. That this case exemplifes the ever-in-
creasing danger of bringing to Congress
private claims, instead Of leaving them in
| the hands of the courts. This case Is an ap-
peal against repeated decisions of Supreme
Courts, State and United States, aud Con-
gress Is asked in 1t to deliberately set aside
the decisions Of the highest bench In the
land.
THE STORY OF MEXICAN LAND TITLE.
When the United States purchased Cali
fornia, the provisions of the treaty confirmed
all bona tLds Mexican land titles. Alvarado,
Micheltorcna, and Pho Pico had been Mexi
can Governors Of California, and they haC
granted, for agricultural and other uses
great quantities Of valuable land, rs freel,
, and as foolishly as we are giving 1t away t.
railroads. The land records of the gidd,
government OF tncsc are lOOsc anu NuGuc
aud many Of them are claimed to have beef
g burnt or destroyed, or stolen by the American
/, army Of occupation In lS47. Two hooks o
b. land TITLES are extant In California, however
called "Jlmeno's Index" and the "Toma d
RaZon." Jlmcno was the secretary Of tn
B Governor Micheltorena, and his book is con
Y sidercd to be a perfect transcript of all tn,
, land titles Of 1874, the year In which tn,
Penocha Grande title was made.
| nar ha ~
California a huge immigration took place
Cities were built, mines were opened and the
price OF property advanced astoundingly
Then the validity of ones title to his prop
erty became of the highest importance, anC
the numerous Mexican grants lay at tn,
basis Of any mans right in the lot or tract
which he had purchased.
A set Of Mexican lawyers and landholderi
remained behind after the Mexican domin
| ion departed, and their knowledge Of tn,
, legitimacy Of titles was found to be yer,
, profitable. Being mainly scurry fellows
rundown Spanish or half-breeds, with Mexi
can traits OF duplicity, lying, forging, &c.
D they took to the business Of systematicall,
, forging titles. In this way five dlfieren
, grants were produced, all covering the sit
of the present city of San Francisco. Thre
Mexlcans were particularly implicated i
7 forging these false titles, and suborning wit
nesses to testify to their legitimacy, viz
= Gomez, Abrego and Moreno, and two G
these have been convicted Of deliberate pei
Jury. The majority report says that all o
them are equally notorious for these crimes
:, Gomez was the original alleged patente
n OF the McGarrahan claim Of Penoch
Grande.
y Not only were the Californiaus annoye
n and the permancnce of their property a
'e fected by these mysterious titles, but th
n Mexican Government, after Its occupatiC
had long ceased In California, became
T. party to these annoying frauds upon Califo
N MIA real estate.
h Many Of the subordinate officials of form
v days In California still lived in Mexico, an
y these were sought out by Mexican speculI
IL tors, and paid to substantiate forged title
ie The archives of the Mexican Governmel
Is were pretended to be ransacked, and pape
IN were always forthcoming to back up son
alleged ancient title, which changed In
ID moment the ownership Of millions OF dolla
N worth Of real estate in San Francisco, Sacr
d mento, Stockton, &c. Keeping In mind Il
I. influence Of the Mexican archives upC
California property, you will understal
er what fat thing Il Is TO be American Nj
lister to Mexico. After the many revol
/. tlons at the Mexican capital, anybody CT
understand how easy II was to cham
records or stuff the archives with forgC
e grants, oil duly sealed, signed and witness,
BY people either dead, or purchasable
"A living.
=, M'GARRAHAS's DEED.
~ And partly in this way the present VI
d Garrahan title Is alleged to have been rake
10 up.
10 /. Gomez claims to have got Panocl
a. Grandc for nothing from Governor Niche
:, torena in 1874, and he produces a grant
~ espeiiemte, all duly stamped and accompanit
g. with correspondence.
10 "Desring," he says, "to devote myself
the interesting pursuit of agriculture, whit
Is of such vital importance to this depar
ment, and which as yet is In Its infancy,
II pray your Exccllency TO concede me In pro
IT erty the place known by the name of Paocl
"a Grande, bounded on the north by Don Il
Tulares, and on the west by Don Francis
o Arias, which tract Of land contains thr
G. square leagues, little more or less, as SHOW
3 by the map, which In due time will prese
n, more correctly drawn than the one now pr
scented.
s. SIN view Of what have set forth, prl
IA IL l. a.I.