Arizona citizen., 1877-11-23
PRIVATE LAND CLAIMS.
Official Record Of the Surveyor Gen.
 eral Thereon.

dressed to the Hon. H. s. Stevens, re lating to private land claims in Arizo na derived from Spain and Mexico That titles to such land ought to b, speedily settled IS clear to every persor interested in the progress of our Ter ritory. The Commissioner advises MT Stevens that the law imposes the duh of examining into and reporting upor the origin and validity of such title. upon the Surveyor General of Arizona and this being the case, we thought i would be we'll enough to see what sor of record that officer has made O, the subject. At present we simply quote from his annual reports whicI are published each year by the Genera Land Office with all similar reports including that of the Commissioner After referring to the law applicabl, to this class of lands in Arizona, tn, Surveyor General, in 1871, says:
 Many such claims are reported tC exist within this district, but as to thei extent and validity, I am unprepareC to give an opinion. Verbal and writ ten applications have been made iC me by parties as agents or claimant. ot such claims, for such information as to the prescribed method of initiat Ing and conducting proceedings ne cessary to establish their titles under the United States laws. To the enC that they might bc correctly informed on March l, (1S7D 1 addressed a letter to the General Land Office, a CODY o which l transmitted to the Secretary ot the Interior, suggesting that the contemplated instructions be furnished to my office. As yet none have been received by me.
 And this from the report of 1872:
 Clearly defined boundaries to thi: class of lands form necessity yearly increasing in importance. It cannot be better stated than in this extract from your annual report: Ut is most i'm "portant to the growth and prosperity "of these Territories to which sett e ment is being rapidly attracted by the extension of railroads, that sep aratiOn be made at the earliest DC ssi " ble period between the public lands "and those claimed under foreign ti tile"
 Judging from much apparent evi dence, there must be large tracts oi land in Arizona with valid titles un der Spanish and Mexican laws. Fol reasons stated in my annual report foI 1871, have taken no action regarding them, as contemplated by act of Con gress of July 15, 1870; and after giy ing the subject fair consideration, endorse your suggestion, Gin your re port for 1S71D "that the creation by !" Congress of commission similar tC that instigated by the Act of March s" 3, 1851, for California, would best conduce to speedy and just settle " ment of claims of this kind, and pro "mOte the rapid growth of these young and enterprising Territories"
 Here is all that was said on the sub ject on the report for 1873:
 Regarding claims of land under the laws of Spain and Mexico, 1 have nothing new to present What appears in my report for 1872, will aptly apply BOW.
 In 1874, the report contains these remarks:
 There is urgent necessity for distinct ly defining what land does and what does not, come under this head (Pri vate land claims.) The proviso to the Act of July 15, 1870, making appro priation for survey of public lands in Arizona, makes it the duty of this of.
 fee, under proper instructions, to eX anime into the origin, validity, &c., of all land claims under the laws of SpaIn and Mexico. Hon. Willis DrummOnd dld not regard this a wise provision and as in 1872, 1 now hold a like opin ion of It. Beyond executing the sur. yeys of such claims, 1 am firmly of the opinion that all matters pertain. ing to the adjudication of titles to such lands should Ie vested in some other office or tribunal. Therefore 1 trust that tue bill which passed the Senate, May 1, 1874, and is now pend. ing before the Committee on Private Land Claims in the House of Repre- may become a law. Under that bill believe the interests of right ful claimants and the public at large, would be as safely and more rapidly promoted than under present legisla- tion.
 The report for 1875 contains these rather interesting references to the sub ject:
 Present legislation on this subject is deemed unsatisfactory by some if not all claimants, by Congress, by your and by yourself, (as per annual report,) by the Surveyor Gener- al of New Mexico and also by myself. The more thought I give 10 it, the firm CT is my conviction that adjudication of titles to this class of land should not be proceeded with under eXis.ing laws. l find the House Committee on Private Land Claims, on May 2S, 1858, declared the people of New Mexico " Ghen embracing the Territory now AriZona,) "are not at all pleased with the law, the same which is now in force in Arizona, and the Committee unreservedly expressed its of it. (See General Land Office Report, 1871, page 63) The Commissioner in the same report suggests, as the best way to insure q {" just settlement of claims of this kind, the creation of a commission similar that instituted by Act of March 8, " 1851" In the report for 1872, the Commissioner declared that "the in '' adequacy of the laws now in force '' for thIS purpose, is well known In 1873, he urged upon Congress the ne cessity for a commission like that for before referred to; and in your report for 1874, you refer to and concur in the recommendation of your