Arizona citizen., 1876-03-25

to 1S49. The entries give the name O
 the grantee and of the quantity granted
 l have taken in my notes d careful de
 Scription of this book. and have copied
 therefrom the entries of all the grant:
 that by any possibility can be located
 within the Territory of Arizona: fol
 since there is nowhere is existence any
 list of all the grants that have beer
 made within the present Territory O
 Arizona, and the description calls ol
 the grants being too indefinite to fix the
 locus of the same with any degree oi eXactness, there is no way of ascertain ing certainly how many grant.
 there may be within the limits of the
 Territory of Arizona.
 l have therefore taken a list from the records of all the grants that can by
 any possibility be situated within said Territory. Ihave doubtless taken some
 which will be fonnd, when surveyed
 to be situated south of the line; but this,
 of course, will make no difference.
 For the period not covered by the
 book of registry referred to, have ex.
 amined the eXpedientes loriglnal re- cords of proceedings) found in the
 archives, and taken extract from all such as relate to lands in Arizona, or near the line dividing that Territory
 from Sonora.
 There is also in the archives a list, made in 1868, of all the expedientes, or
 records, pertaining to lands, winch
 were found iE the archives at that time. l have taken copy of this list This list Is continued up to the present time, the grants issued since 1868 having been added thereto as made, so that in this examination, although 1 have not been able to ascertain with certainty how many grants may be situated with in the Territory of Arizona, have mo- ted all that can be so located, and have placed, so far as the archives of Sonora are concerned, an eiiectual guard against the making of any fraudulent grants of lands situated in Arizona Still, however, the snake is scO.ched, but not killed"
 The examination already made k sufficient for the grants made since the time of the Mexican Independence: but, as have already explained, the grants made during the time of the Spanish Dominion were sent tO the City of Mex ico for approval, and registry made thereof in a book kept by the Royal Tribunal of Accounts, so that to com pletc this examination as directed in my instructions, it will be necessary to visit the City of Mexico and examine the IeCOIus ,cIcIo.. to, for the Territory
 [ Arizona Was settled as carly as the ear 1890, and, beyond question, some
 rants were made of lands in that Ic.
 itory, between that year and the dal of the Mexican Independence; and sucL grants, for the reasons heretofore men toned, should be found registered in the City ot Mexico; and further, without such an examination, the same facilities would exist fOi the commission Ol frauds by using the archives of Mexico as by using those of Sonora; and, inde- pendent Of these cons deratlOnS, much can be acquired in the City of Mexico, which will be valuable lu connection with future operation, in which you will probably be engaged. Therefore, in view of these consider ations, 1 deem it important to visit the City of Mexico, and shall leave for that place by the steamer for Acapulco, and thence by mule 10 the city.
 Referring again to tic grants of sales of land in Sonora, under the Mexican as already stated, they have all been made under the Act off the Mexican Congress of the 4th of August, 1894, which, in specifying the renlas revenues) to be received by the Government tiOm the Depart ment of Sonora, does not mention the public lands. Several laws have been passed by Mexico since the law of the Ith of August, 1924; which possibly may have some effect upon titles issued under that law.
 First-The law of the l4th of Noyem ber, 1853, declares null the sales of pub lie lands made by the Stale.
 SecOnd-The law of the 1th of July, 1851, submits to the revision of the cen ral Government the titles O. all the ilienations of public lands made since 1891, by the eXtinguished States and and prohibits unnatura-I ized foreigners from acquiring rural property, whether vacant or not, within wenty leagues from the line dividing he Territory of the Republic from that )f any neighbOring foreign nation. This law was repealed on the third ot December, 1855.
 Third-The law of the 3d of Decem- per, 1855, repealed those of the Both of November 1858, and the 1th of July, Sj4. which submitted for the revision md appreciation of the central Govern nent, alterations of the public lands made by the authorities of the States md Territories of the Republic, from he year 1891 up 10 the date of sad aw
 Now, the treaty with Mexico, under which the Territory of Arizona was purchased, is dated the 30th of Decem- Der. 1853, one month and half after he passage of the law of the l4th of declaring null the sales of he public lands made by the States ot Mexico; and this law was repealed on he Sd of July, 1855, one year after the publication of the treaty under which he purchase of Arizona was made, which treaty was published onthe goth ,f July, 1851.
 It would seem, by comparing the lates of the passage of these different avs. that the law of the 14tb of No -ember, 1853, was passed in anticipa- ion of the purchase of Arizona and Tn Drder to remove objections that may lave been made by the purchasing ,arty; that q large portion of the Ter itory sought to be purchased had al- eadv been sold by the State of Sonora Q individuals. under the law of the 4th ,f August, 1894 And this suspicion Is trengthened by the iaet that on the 3d If December, 1855, the law annulling hese sales was repeald, remaining in orce long enough to have the intended fleet in relation tO the sales that had ,een made in that porton of Mexican