Arizona citizen., 1875-01-23
HAMILTON FIsH


 HAMILTON FISH In pursuance of this resolution, Rufus c. Hopkins, who had been twenty odd years in charge of the Spanish land archives in California, was appointed by the Interior Department to proceed to the City of Mex ico and make full examination and re- port. Without burdening our columns or this article with much necessary official correspondence in the matter, between the several officers in Mexico, we give this let. ter as the first in order right in point:
 GENERAL ARCHIVES OF THE NATION,
 MEXICO, March 9, 1875. Citizen minister of foreign affairs, pres- ent: In obedience to the instructions you have given me to inform you what docu- ments relative to Arizona and New MeXi- co are found in the archives under IGy di- rectiOn, have the honor to state that, by the practical knowledge of its records pos sessed by the oldest employees of this office, we know that respecting the said Territories, as well as all those which dur ing the Spanish government were called interior provinces, there only exist hStori- cal documents. expressly and directly classified as such, and that under other claSsificatiOnS there are indirectly found certain scattered data on the subject; but, as 1 did not wish to base my report upon such general Knowledge, which might be ineXact, ordered a careful examination of the indiceS of the records classified as lands, grants, &c., in which some docu- ments might be found relative to landed property, whether in Arizona and New Mexico or in other portions of the internal provinces, and nothing was found of that character, which confirms the opinion pre- viously expressed, and that which is gen erally entertained, that inaSmuch as all the territory north ot ZacatecaS was judi cially subject to the audiencia of GuadHla- jara, it IS in the archives of that city, which were saved from the cOnflagration of 1859, that documents may perhaps exist of the character in question.
 Independence and liberty,
 F. P. DE URQUIDI. The next of value, is this:
 Supreme government of the State of Ja- lIsco, section of the interior, number 1908. With yesterdays date, the citizen Juan Riestra, notary public, in charge of the mOrtgage-Office of this city, communicates to the secretaryship of this government the following;
 In the archives under my charge, of the suppressed especial land tribunal, there are no title-deeds of grants of lands men, tioning their location in Arizona and New Mexico but as Arizona is in the State of Sonora, and as formerly it was not proba- bly, known by that name, perhaps some of the title-deedS of grants to be found in these archives may be of lands within ATi-
 
 deeds of lands situated in places named Aguacate, PalOs, BlancoS, Palomar, Tasa- jera, Techuri. Fl Potrero, San Juan Bau- tiSta de Nacoriete and in these title-deeds it is stated that the lands are in the prov inceS of Sonora and Slnaloa and 1t is gen. erally in this way that the situation of the lands is referred to in the other title-deeds. Independence and liberty,
 Guadalajara, May 2l, 1874.
 J. l.. VALLARTA, Citizen Minister Foreign Affairs, Mexico. F. G. RIEsTRA, Secretary.
 And the last we will give is this one: Supreme government of the State Of Ja- lisco, section OfgObernaciOn, numb Der 2039. A report of the tribunal of justice of the State is transcribed, about grants of lands in Arizona and New Mexico.
 With yesterdays date, the keeper of the archives of this tribunal states the follow ing:
 With the greatest minuteness I have looked for the references which am asked for relative to grants of lands made in Ari zona and New Mexico. l have read all the books with care, and nevertheless, my researches having been useless, and not having found the said data, feel bound to give the present report. I have the honor to communicate it to you, and in answer to your note number l493, dated on the 18th of last May.
 Independence and liberty,
 GuadalaJara, July <, loIf.
 T. L. VALLARTA, Citizen Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico T. G. RIESTRA, Secretary.
 December s, 1874. President Grant trans mitted all the correspondence to the Sen ate. We have gwen all the really valua- ble information obtained by the Senate resolution. All concerned may judge it as they please, but to us it looks somewhat as if grant claimants would have difficulty in showing such evidence to our govern ment as will be required to secure a con- firmation of their titles, considering that the government authorities of MeXlco can find no certain records of them. REV. G. A. REEDER will hold divine ser vice at l0:30 a. ID. tomorrow, and also