Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-03-06
SUNDAY
LOS MORALES DE ELIAS.
|. :. surveyOr-Generals Opinion ana
 Recommendation in the Case

This is a grant for the exact quan- tity of seven and one-half square leagues and two short caballerias, not withstanding the petition was for va cant land lying between the northern boundary of the '' Casita and west erly boundary of the ranch of Gala bazas and Mission of Tumacacori. IL was clearly the intention of the petl- tioners to purchase the vacant land between tue limits of the ranches named, without definite easterly and westerly boundaries. The proceed ines show that as a preliminary to the measurement of the said vacant land, the. re.measurement of the " Casita was necessary and actually made, and ipasmuch as the southern limit of . Los Nogales de Elias depends, upon the northern limit of the Casita, my examination reaches back to the measurements of Casila in 1742 and 1S41. The Casita ranch lies wholly in the Mexican State of Sonora, and that of the Nogales de Elias partly in Sonora and partly in Arizona.
 At the tiLe of the proceedings ID this case, what was known as the cen tral system prevailed. The States of the Republic were called Depart ments, but notwithstanding the change in the form of government, the meth cd of dispOsing of the public lands remained substantially the same as before.
 LAWS RESULTING FROM CHANGE OF
 GOVERNMENT.
 IL is regarded as somewhat import ant to refer to laws etiecling change in the administration Of the Treasury | Department under which the dispOsi- ton of the lands continued 10 be made. ! Although its fundamental basis was not published until December 29, ! 1886, centrsliZstIOn was established by the law of October 3, 1885. On it's publication the Treasury Department
 issued circular to regulate the clos l ing of the treasury offices of the Stale:
 now converted into Departments, anc
 to mako them dependent upon the | Central Government through the Coy | ernors of the Departments. The law o
 September 20, 1856, authorized the | Executive to dictate all measures tba might be consider ed necessary tor IhC regulation of the treasury system o
 the Republic, until the organic law IT
 relation thereto should be published,
 without giving any power to impose l new contributions or 10 increase thost
 already imposed. Under this author ity, April 1T, 1887, the Executive is sued the decree ceDtraliZing the Treas ury Department. This decree cOnsol' iuatea into one mass all lhe revenues
 whether in their origin they perIsinec
 10 the Central Government or 10 tho ! Departments.
 The administration of the public 1 property was divided into IwC
 branches-CollectiOn and Distribu'
 tiOn. Two special offices were estab-
 lished TOT their management; the frs
 having in charge the administration of the revenues and the second that oi
 the Departmental Treasury. The ad- | minisIIation of ihe revenues was d. | lided into principal and subordinate l In every DepGrlm ent there was Su' ! perior Chief of Hacienda 10 whom lhs l administration Of the revenues anC | Departmental Treasury was subordi.
 nate. In every Department a Treas l ury Board was established for the
 management of the Treasury Depart
 ment, which Board was composed oi the Superior Chief of Hacienda, tho l Departmental Treasurer, the principa l administrator of the revenues and the l Controller who also acted as Secretary, ! By law of December l6, lS41, the
 office of Superior Chief of Haciend1
 was abolished, and it's functions were transferred to the Departmental Treas.
 urer and the Commandant-General.
 The central system was of but shorI
 duration. During its continuance
 the changes in the revenue admins ! tration did not affect the system oI dispusing of he public lands in SO-
 nora IL simply involved a change oI l officers without any. material change
 in the law and proceedings. The | State of Sonora, under ihe act of the l Mexican Congress Of August 4, 1894, ! still clalmed the public lands within | her limits, and still continued 10 dis
 pose of them under the provisional | law of 1895 and the organic law Oi 1 1884. both of which had been passed | by the State Legislature 10 regulate the disposition Of the public land:
 granted to the State by law of the Re. ! public ol August f, 1924.
 WHAT THE SONORA ARCHIVES SHOW IN THIS CASE.
 The Sonora archives show: ThaI ] October II, 1854, Jose Elias, one ol heirs of the original grantee of the rancho of Casita, made a petition IC | the Treasurer General, setting oul as follows: That in the year lS4l he applied 10 the Treasurer General foI an order for the re-measurement oi ! the Casita rancho, to the end that fl 1 there should be found demdsidS (sur- plus land) within the boundaries as | anciently surveyed, it might be adju- ! dicated to hlm, and also asked that the raldios (vacant land) lying be- tween the boundary of the rancho ol ] Casila and that of the rancho of Las ! Calabazas and Mission of Tumacacori ! be also adJudicated 10 him. Ia accord. ance with the said petition, Francisco | Navamuel was commissioned to take the necessary proceedings for the re- measurement of Casits and also for the measurement of the vacant land lying between that of Cssits and Las Calabazas and Tumscarori mission. Separate expedIentes were formed of these two proceedings and transmitted othe Superior Junta of Hacienda. The one in relation 10 the pdldIOs (vacani land) was concluded and the land sold