The Arizona sentinel., 1879-02-08
ARIZONA SENTINEL.
SATURDAY., FEBRUARY s, 1879.
Private Land Claims.

disposing of the vexatious ques- tion of private land claims in Ari- zona, is not by denying its exist ence as question, nor by smoth- ering all discussion of it in bursts of sand-lot rhetoric. There are several valid grants of land in Arizona; they are extensive and, under United States Supreme Court decisions, they include title to all mines within their boun- daries. There are also a number offraudulent or defective claims to large tracts of our Territory. If the miners and settlers of South ern Arizona are like lot of China men, they will follow the course marked out by Hon. Kirkpatrick and approved by the Citiz en; they will keep on trying to eXor- clse this demon of private land claims with shouting, tom-toms and stink-pots. But we believe they will do nothing of the kind. From personal contact we have found them men of higher ave- rage of intelligence and sagacity than is usual in more populous countries. We think they will follow the wiser course advised by the SENTINEL. That is to de- mand and work for a prompt and searching judicial investigation of the whole matter. Let every claimant be compelled at once to put his claim on record, where every one can see what he asks, upon what pfetensions he bases it, and by what bounds he defines it. Have the validity of these claims promptly adjudieated; the few valid ones to be promptly con- firrned and surveyed, to give mo- tice of their lines to settlers and miners; the defective ones tG be rejected, and forgers of tke fraud ulen6 ones to be vigorously pun ished. This is the rational and business-like way of dealing with the matter. The subject is not a new one to us, nor have we ever looked upon private land grants otherwise than as repugnant to republican principles, and fraught with danger to the best interests of Arizona.
 But they exist and can not be whistled down the wind. Eight years ago, before Hon. Kirkpat- rick had arranged his baggage for a visit to Arizona, and before the erudite editor of the Citizen had shed his chevrons at Santa Fe, we agitated this very subject in the interest of settlers and miners. Our Eucubrations com handed the attention of Con- gressiohal committees, and secur- ed the publicity of being printed at expense of the Government. AS we had nothing to "put in sight" of members or lobby, a measure was defeated that would long ago have settled the ques- tion of grants in Arizona; before their lands acquired n1arket-value and while few of their mines had been discovered, to whet the cupidity of pretended or actual grantees. At that session clause, conferring upon the Surveyor General of Arizona the same juris- diction and powers in respect of private land claims that were vested in the Surveyor General of New Mexico by Act of Con- gress some years previous, was smuggled into the appropriation bill. There it stands,' hidden away, among appropriations for lighthouses and revenue cutters. That law, if enforced, would Have been better than nothing; it would ere this have carried the question, on its way to solution, beyond the frothy philippics of rural legisla- tors; past the puerile discussion of reformed Signal Service men; and out of reach of pretended