Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-07-01


mately Involving the Problem $50
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Special Meeting of the Council to
Consider the subj ect-Report Of the
city Attorney.
Another special meeting of the
Council was called at o'clock yester-
day afternoon to take immediate
steps to decide the city's rights in the
water flowing in the Los Angeles
river north Of town. Within the last
few days this matter has taken such a
turn as to seriously threaten the de-
privation of large portion of our
city of the use of water for irrigating
purposes. At this season of the year
the water is at its lowest stages nat
urally, and besides this the supply in
the river has been subject to large
draughts for irrigating the Feliz and
other ranches lying above the city.
BY this means the city reservoir was
almost entirely cut off from its sup
ply, and at the present rate of drain
age would be dry in a few days. The
matter was laid before the Council
Monday evening, at q special session
held for that purpose. At that time
the Committee on Zanjas was in
structed to examine into the case and
report at the next regular meeting of
the Council. But it was found that
the delay thus necessitated, would be
disastrous, and the question was
again brought up as stated for prompt
and decided action. A full Board was
present at the meeting, with the ex-
ception of Councilman Valdez. The
call of the Mayor was read stating
the necessity for the meeting, and the
question to be acted upon. After this
the report of the City Attorney was
presented which was prepared last
year upon the same issue. A very
spirited debate ensued which finally
resulted in motion re-instructing
the Committee on Zanjas to investi
gate the case, securing evidence of the
fact that the water is used, also in
structing the City Attorney to insti-
tute legal proceedings against the par
ties thus infringing upon the city's
rights. The report of the City Attor-
ney is valuable document, being full,
concise and exhaustive. 1t contains
much which will be of the deepest in
terest to our readers, and we present
it entire. 1t will be remembered that
the report was prepared by Mr.. Hut
ton one year ago, but touches upon
all the questions at issue now and
consequently loses none Of its value or
interest by it's age. The report is as
follows
To the Common Council Of the city
of Los Angetes:
GENTLEMEN: L have Investigated
as fully as the time would permit the
question as to the right of the city to
the water in the Los Angeles river,
submitted to me at your meeting of
May 1st, and would report as follows:
From report made March 1st, 1S49,
by H. w. Halieck, Brevet Captain
and Secretary of State to Col. II. B.
Mason, commanding Tenth Military
Department, and Governor of Califor-
mia, published in Rockwelps Spanish
and Mexican Law, page 43l, ct seq.,
it appears that in June, l777, directions
were given by the Viceroy of Mexico
to Gov. Neve, to establish two pueblos;
one that of San Jose, on the "Rio
Guadalupe" the other the pueblo of
Los Angeles on the "Rio Porcin-
cula," by which name the present
river of Los Angeles was then known,
and to allot the lands therein to the
colonists.
THE OBJECTS
For the establishment of these pueb-
los, through foreign to this report,
seem to have been to Christianize the
Indians, to establish a dominion over
the country, to provide depots for fur
nishing provisions to Spanish vessels
from the East Indies and supplies to
the garrisons of the Presidio.
A set of new instructions for the
government of California was drawn
up by the Governor June 1st, 1879, and
approved by the King in royal order
dated Oct. 24th, 1881.
These regulations, by way of recital,
state that with the idea and for the
purpose of carrying out the pious in
tentions of the King and securing to
His Majesty the dominion of large
scope of country, extending from San
Diego to San Francisco, by the estab-
lishment of pueblos, in which, people
UCihS uiiiCCut ihoy ShSOuioSoO oSi iiSul-
ture, planting, the raising of cattle,
etc. The pueblo of San Jose had al
ready been established and peopled,
and the erection of another Los An
geles) was determined upon, in which
the colonists from Sonora and Sinaloa
might settle,
These regulations contain very spe-
cific directions as to how the lands
within the limits of the pueblo shall
be allotted to the "pobladores," or
colonists, and as to what kind of stock
and cattle, and the number of each,
shall be given to them.
They also provide that "the new col
onists shall enjoy, for the purpose of
| MAINTAINING THEIR CATTLE,
The common privilege of the water
and pasturage, firewood and timber,
of the common forests and pasture
lands, to be designated according to
law, to each new pueblo"
Agriculture was specially epjoined,
and as an inducement the new colon