New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-15
IN NEW-NEXICO.
MANIFESTATIONS GRANTS OF LAND.

UHGEvr MED or DEFINITE AND IMMEDIATE
! LEGISLATION.
| frsoM a STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THT rnInUNEl
| SANTA FIR Z. w.. Sept 3.-No series Of letters
from this Territory would be complete that did not
/ treat of the system OF Mexican land grants by
winch largo tracts Of country were given to private
/ individuals before the acquisition Of NewMezico
| by the United States and their effect upon tho
present condition and future prospects OF this en-
bryo State. The public policy of the Mexican
/ Government in regard to the disposition OF Its
/ lands before the American conquest. was entirely
/ different from that OF the United States. We aim
| to place every citizen on the same footing on the
| pubhc domain and the who viii improve his
/ farm OF bis mne is the one to whom the Govern-
rucnt would Dee most generous Large tracts OF land
/ have been granted only that Others near them
might De made more accessible and more valuable
! TO the settler.
! I'm Mexico great bodies of land were given to
military and civil officers M rewards for their ser
vices or 10 the relatives and favortes OF Governors
/ and other high officials who had done nothing TO
cuttle them 10 such recognition and who were not
/ required 70 make any of the estates which they
/ received. This practice reached its climax Just be-
/ fore the control of The Territory passed into the
| hands of thc United states. The Mexican author
itics apparently expecting no fyOrs from heir con
| querors. and possibly desiring none. undertook to
! make ample pr1vi~ou for themselves while they
still possessed the power aRl secured most liberal
grants of land 20 members of their families and
/ other llyoritcs. The owners OF these grants have
as q general thing ever since acted the dog in the
/ manger They have not been able to improve the
lands themselves. and they have prevented other
| people from utilizing them. Many OF them nave
/ sD.d our io Ann riclns.
The United States, by the Guadalupe Hidalgo and
GadsGrn treaties. agreed 10 recoCniz; rs valid all
titles to land which were held to be good by Next
can law. but all grants OF land have 10 be formally
/ confirmed bv tlc 6overnm mo at Ishn9tOn and
patents issued Tor thc tracts covered Dy them be-
fore the titles Co them are held TO be completed.
number %, these grants have already been con-
Hrucd bat tie titles to by far the larger part OF
them are still unaIudicltcd. one Of the greatest
needs of this Territory is that the Government
shall taAe mp at once and dispose. az speedily as
possible of all claims for land grants under the old
sieXirlu lHwi The present uncertainty that hangs
over the tias To- al lands supposed to belong 20 the
/ Government holds back immigration. paralyzes
/ enterprise. ana leads TO endless disputes. Con
gr.,s la5 already neglected this matter too long.
UNRELIABLE SURVEY.
Great difficulty hl- been experienced Ia detcrmin-
/ ile Old. c.tan- and boundaries o. most OF the
/ usau. IHe r4e-- of land coded by the Mexican
I G8r.rlu at v.r. generally very indefinitely dee
/ H.-ulng %. som. ro.z OF Tree, and extending TO
Sold. o..r1acs OR tr.-. to some hole IN the ground
or a bend u al arroyo which DO ], ei.irr difficult %
T -lL or impossible TO- identify Nobody but Mczi-
I can residents knows anything about these land
/ marks. and It d. rtcI. with truth. 10 Doubt
/ that ID memories have sometimes been sJimu-
/ lated .r i.es I,is popular belief III tins Terri
/ tory tlat tae owner OF Mexican grant who was
willing to s.el- 70 .t,lo money, could formerly have
survey. l..o . almost as --'Ic Ia-N "' Ire plel~eu
of secure cA iA Afi4 mont Oh l'' .'.'n Larry ''H''
/ a5 lo --A. d-e4 -AtiAd' 1i' i'o-' '''"''i' 3 ''
( or mines I'D He i'-il anywhere In thri DE -h''r-
/ hood. and which ought to nave been -t-. '' ID pare
I o. tle uu Dr. domain.
a- -o. inclined 10 believe al t.a stories Of
/ --,rf .r connection with land GRANTS that are
f.,-7 I,rf ..s streets OF Santa lie and I'm the min
/ ind, c---us OF View 3Iarieo. To should be rcuem-
/ I.I.l tlat DO each instance i'm which grant has
+ been confirmed. there ils been an Investigation BIZ
agents OF tle United 5rltes and tie rights OF the
/ grantee or VI DIS SUCCESSORS baYe been apparently
| gsta.l sloI. do coIrst. II TO could now o' prO'ed
that -Ier Was -laul ID running tAe boundaries Oi
such grants that u.l 1Iate tine titles, but such
/ rrc1. uow difficult TO obtain. 80 one VIII be-
/ come q pro cu5or in orc OF these cases unless DE
/ has 10 adverse claim OF ls bl1ckmaaer and the
/ testimony brought forward un1cr such cir,un-
stances generally Of as suspicious a character IS
that by which tbc original boundaries were lorated
/ While therefore 10 woud be only prudent Tor any
/ one contemplating On investment IN a Mezican
grant or n any property the ti'le 10 which may be
affected by tho Yalilicy OF Mexican grant, TO have
q careful investigation made think 1t altogether
/ probable that the titles to tAe confirmed c0nces-
] si0ns VIII stand against all attacks.
RIGHT. oP TIE GRANTEES.
/ r. ID constantly asserted that orlinary Mexican
]
/ - f,, ,r,l+,,-,l ar oro7ino rurnoses and estab-
-, - 4.+I, ,,7i,er,Is t,at miglt he found
80, +bo lands. also rbat when a mineral grant
/ 80 -,odo IL wa confined 70 the mine or mines