The Placer herald., 1873-01-18
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LAND TITLES.


perity of This county, and indeed TO oil the
mountain and foothil counties of California,
is the mudde in which land titles are placed
The price at which government lands are
sold is small item to the seeker after a
home and place he can call lis own. The
more legislation and instrut tons we have on
the subject the deeper becomes the muddln,
until now it is an absolute impossibiliiy to
get title in fee simple to any character OF
/ lands in the mountains of California, either
| by individuals or the railroad companies
Even now when "A patent comes it is so full
of reservations that the grantee before he gels
through reading it is in doubt as to what
lie really did buy. 1t is a ameniable fact,
that land legislation and the Land Depart
ment at Washington has f,llen INTO the hands
Of weak and incompetent men, who are dam
aging the whole country in lis most vital
point. We laughed at and derided the Mex
lean mongre Government for having sys-
TEN of land laws giving plurality 'of titles
to the same identical land, and yet we have,
by our mongrel Government at Washington,
foundered mo even worse condition on
this question than poor Mexico. Hundreds
and thousands of people who would gladly
pay the Government for lands in these foot
hills and settle on them and improve them
f,r, 4 and
away hy tie vast nglement Of "red
tape and the expenses thereby ontaed; thus
desolation and vandalism meets the eye
everywhere, and that, too, in country that
Mature has done as much for as for amy 9th
er section Of the globe. 1t costs ON an av-
erage fnlly two doll rs and half an acre for
the homestead, pre-emplor or mining appli-
can't, and months and often years OF doubt,
uncertainty and yexation before ecan obta;'
title or feel safe in making improvements
/ The ptnacea for all these evils is easy of
application, aud will, when applied, be mu-
,ualy beneficial to all classes Of our citzers
and the Governments Let the Government
appC int commissioner and secretary for
each mining county IN ,his State, who shah
% to some central point in each township
(of six miles square, and there take testimony
from the inhabitants Of the lands, and those
holding interests therein. as to the prcdom-
mating character Of each iorty-acre tract Of
! I,n1 ,.,JotLor i,,r ,rri,.ul | of
their decision, accompanied by Tie testimony,
go up through the loc Il land Offices to tie
Commissioner and Secretary of the Interior
at Washington. Then let the final decision
be the basis of proclamation by the Presi
dent for the sale of all the land whether il
be mineral or agricultural at The local land
Offices, giving plenty Of time for all settlers,
miners on claimants to 90 TO The land offices
and prove up their respective claims before
the day Of sale. When patents issue for the
lands thus sold or prc-empied let them cover
everything from the surface to the center
of the earth. This is simple, equitable and
Just to all men. This would relieve the local
land officers of endless trouble and annoy
ance and prove a Gods blessing to the whole
country. What business is it of the Gov
ernmeut, when the miner has bought his
claim, whether lie he mines ii farms it or does
both? And so with all other classes. Sen
alor Cole introduced bill in the United
! Stntpc Sonata ppurlV "
ering the suggestions of this article, but tina,
bill gave the Governor and Surveyor-Genera
of the State and the Surveyor General Of the
United States the appointment Of the com
missioners, and included swamp lands. Even
that bill would suit us and the country; bul
where is it? and where is Cole, Casserly
Houghton, Coghlan and Sargent? and why
is it not called up and pressed to a vote
Every interest in the foothills demand sucl
legislation Tie railroad, mining and irri-
eating ditch, farming, trading, mining, or
charding, stock and every other interest now
languishes, while only destruction and van
dalism goes on and all because of The ruin
Gus land policy of the Government. Let III
hear from our representa- ives at Washington
on this matter, or let them make up thei,
minds that when their terms are out they will
not go back.
- e@
Who COLLECTS POLL iAXEs.-There is
some question here with County Auditor
c. G. Crosby, as to who he shall deliver the
poll-tax receipts to Tor collection, though we
believe it is IA matter Of indifference to the
Assessors and Collectors, for none of them
banker alter the job. However, to be GER
tain ON the ma. ter, Greed Raymond, one Of
ihe Code Commissioners, was applied to and
| maNe Il Mriiinn nniuinu lhat HE Assessnr.