The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-03
A GRANT WITH A HISTORY.
4 CLAIM COTERTNG TWo-THIRDS or
SIN ERiNCISCO.
The Biii Pending IN Congress tn Revive the
rnntillan Grnnt-The Remarkable His
of a M OF Krmmr nhin ON i'm.

tory OF "a hO-t Remarkable Unim,
There was presented during tho last
session Of Congress, and referred 20 the Com
mittce on Private Land Claims a memorial from
tho san Francisco Land Association Of Phila-
dclphia praying for special relief. This company
are owners Of tho so-called Santllan grant,
covering three square leagues Of the Dolores
Mission lands, situated w the Southern portion
of the city and county Of San Francisco which,
had II been sustained by the supreme Court OF
the United states, would have virtually evictod
u vast number OF original settlers from their
estates or compelled the payment Of exorbitant
sums Of money to cAtinguish the Santillan
title.
The schor curatc. rector and minister of the
Mission ~ Dolores. Don \. Prudcncio Santlllan,
was ~ well known a parsonage a. could bc dis
covered in California at the period OF lis CON
quest 10y Americans. This grant OF three leagues
~ then vacant land purported to have been made
to the Padre Santian on the 10Th day Of Feb
ruary, 1876, and signed by Pho PicO, Governor,
ana Jose Maria tuVartthiuS, Secretary OF state at
that dntc Although Witnesses I'm subaeuuent
legal proceedings testified as to the curatos
having exhibited his grant In 1870 the American
settlers never learned Of its existence until after
crn California made In company with DIR. DE
Poll, during the winter Of 1919 10. In
April, 1850, Saniillan conveyed his title to j.
Il. Bolton. who subsequently sold his intercst To
George W. Wright Of the banking house Of Pal
mcr. Cook y Co Finally, IN August, 1879, the
grant passed into the hands uf Francis n.
buck and others as trustees for the san Fran
cisco Land Association OF Philadelphia.
A. may be supposed, intense Indignation fol-
/ lowed an announcement Of the existence of this
Santillan grant, and tho threatened eviction Of
many American settlers. who, believing the
vacant lands to he public property, had taken
possession OF portion OF them Through virtue
Of that right popularity denoninated squattcr
sovereignty. California. in is5l siiil remained
beneath military Gu'crnor-hip,, which conserved
the previous spanish system ~ local government
beneath an alculdc. who a municipal council
had been maintained with it's palpdble abuses
AN EARNEST ADVOCATE
During the excitement. consequent upon the
announcement OF the existence uf the S,tutll1u
and other grant. AN able aud indcfatirahlc ud-
Noctic OF popular rights ana oi -ltattcr SOY
crcignty appeared In tho person of Alfred A.
ticcn. then al enthusiastic young man, pccu-
Larry ndap ed to the task ne had imposed upon
himself from lii~ knowledge of the spanish IAN
guage aud hi. familiarity vii tho Mexican Laws
regulating possession Of real property. An init
mate friend Oi the curtte Sautilian, and on fauil
lar terms with the NeNicau ranchCru-. Green was
IN the best possible position for he attainment u
/ the Information lie desired, together with access
i 10 original documents 10 was imperative to con-
/ suit trn.clucutl y when the SantiIInn grant was
brought to- light he enthusiastically opposed its
/ validity. Insisting that the unoccuped lands adj
/ jaccnt to the Mission aud located within the
equity aud In law. arpcrtanCd to tho pueblo Of
san Francisco ia accordance with preeNi-ting
spanish custom III this view lac was coun-
/ tonuuced and strengthened 10y his friend an In
/ fiucntHl native Californian. Francesca Guerrero.
/ who. seemingly in prophetic npprehensign Of a
/ violent death durius tuo-" Troublesome days II
/ Californian liwlc-sufss. communicated to Grccn
evidence ~ to the validity Of the pueblo claims.
B 'ucrioio wa, not hl-taNtn ~ 1" ant,ipdti On
/ OF "a murdcfuus end for. shortly afterwHrd, lie
! was rs assiuatod with ~luul shot 10y French
! ilul, While riding rom the city 10 the Mission,
! while Nlcen vas himself anhuaCadSd aud only
saved from death through the timely intcrNcn-
/ tun u friendly suuattcr.
Upon the admission Of California into the
! American Union. ana the incorporation Of san
Francisco A. a citN the agitation re-pecting land
/ titles rcNiy wed, and Green, having gathered his
/ documents urged upon the Corporation Counsel,
/ McDuug al, subsequently United states senator.
/ and ~ placing his documents upon record for
/ future reference. At this point curious ques-
/ ulu Of law arose ~ 10 the correct depos-
/ itury OF the Green papers. They were ten
/ derCd 10 the State Register.who did not consider
/ himself authorized 10 place them IN the state
archives. They were alterward offered To- {. X.
Garrison. the Mayor of san Francisco. who was
Dougal engaged In securing seat In Congress,
suffered the city aims TO remain dormant. In
the tni'cd states for confirmation Of the Santil-
Ian grant producing NJ n witness 'uNarubi-, the
Mexican secretary OF state under COY. fro >
b pctitiou,d Tor the band. that the Governor mAde
AN order Tor the grant To ho i7sucd. aud that %
Unfortunately for the claimant. the toHl tc
rdzOn. or r, -i-tcr book. Ind mover been seou hy
f Amcrit ans, as II had been reported IL lost, and
before the claim was presented SAutillau had
f left for Mexico. while Dr. Poll, his travelling
/ companion. when the curate returned with his
grant from santa Barbara. had been, like Guer-
/ manner Tn f,rt was that the padre cnncsiN-
b Ing his life Ia he In danger had been advised To-
! ily the country by the friends II Bolton who
snpph.d him with means Of escape To Na1dilan.
+ These two nlnin witnesses out of the way. Gov,
/ Pho Pco was offered 10 he PLACED upon the stand,
I hut war Withdrawhup ~" huNcfumeHt threat
i-ting statute # California. rendering man in
competent a. witness with certain amount OF
negro blood 10 las veins. NcNelthcle~s. the claim
mis- Ioncrs. and upon appeal rcalrrmed bY the
United states District Court
WORK OF TIM vIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
SIN Green and his political friends. among
them senator lirudcricA and other Democrat,
leaders, were ia nn wise disAcartcncd, but con-
timed To- wage determined rr-l-tturc To iha
confirmation Of the grant. During the urogr,.-
81 the legal proceedings. san utnCi,cu bccuiirnl
-uNIrt tvd Go the In4c Ni VIZ lance COMM trt
t;rr,t. nlflUush eX Supcr,i-0r ANA member ol
ia" Legislature, wa. seized al midnight. Will,
ahed AZ MS ranch near the mission. hy a silb-cuu
mittce of The Nisilhnt- and hurried "l to then
Warehouses near tho wharf ~ san Francisco
Whrr, Elm he Wa irrar, Grated ia the same coi n
r.ittrl ,Viridr. Sever hayine Lccn cirre,d l.,
rumor'- tongue or otherwise with iWplicaiipn
much les commission. Of crime. Green wa. al
/ loss to comprehend ih' motives Tor MS ill'-a
aIg 80 Al imprisonment with uurdcrcr- and
telnn-. and ,ninly demanded valuations from
several t"hhilt''ehc,i WIN Nh"m he htd pre-
Nuu-S been personally acquainted. Alter ia
/ Wr"@s %! illuminating inrnrc"iion Green As
rrrinncd that hi~ own case Wa being brought
before the committee upon "a charge Of retaining
public d"chmcnta ale ting land titles Ia az
ierf.st-. \ stnmy debate among the irilani.
ensured Tor. since the arrival OF a man "i-War
NA".v 'Inl' rd ais bulr upon lho committee
rcallc the gravity Of their position. Finally, II
was arranged that. should Groen surrender th'
selves 10 pas ovcrtn him a sum Of tlDl, A.
Green responded. in Standardization. that he
had only collected the papers to protect III,
general public aEau, SPECULATE ~ lana claim,
Hh4 nld ui-ii' '--lNlN t'hdrird llt il l'r .hlt
.cuuentiy while accepting the money as COM
ltnshil"h l.f Tie luUiEllilr- ana wrongs lnlllrl