The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-09-21

tablished for nearly one hundred chill
dren. which make no distinction on ac
count of religious opinions, they are di
vided between Catholics and Protes
tants IN substantially fair proportions
These schools are satisfactorily con.
Quoted bythose employed to teach
them. The legislature at the same
session also passed an act authorizing
the creation of separate school dis
tricts in seven of the counties of the
territory, by vote of the people.
Under this law some towns have fair
schools, others none and the compulsory
attendance clause is practically dead
letter. The scattered population in
many localities is sufficient excuse for
the non-establishment of schools, but
statistics are not at hand to illustrate
the point. The census of 1880 shows
the greatest percentage of illiteracy in
the United States is in New Mexico,
and public sentiment here, is in favor
of a speedy change for the better in
that respect. If the legislature delays
much longer, congress is urged to legis-
late directly and effectively on the SUBJ
ject, for it is due the the people of the
whole country that this great common
wealth should be relieved from the
odium of such exceptional illitearcy and
that the children of New Mexico shall
have opportunity to stand on the edu-
cational advantages that are enjoyed
elsewhere in the republic.
Congress is urged to make an appro-
priatiOn early in the session in order
that the legislature may convene in
January next. Among the important
matters to be brought before the body
are, the school question; the coditica-
tion of the laws and provision for the
criminal. insane and pauper classes.
New Mexico is largely plastered with
grants of land, real or pretended, made
by Spanish and Mexican governments.
BY law these grants are segregated
from the public domain, and must con-
tinue in the condition of practical
mortmain until final action Is taken to
determine their validity. The claim
ants do nothing to develop or improve
or pay taxes on them, and satisfac-
tory title cannot be acquired by others.
In some cases the grants overlap which
leads to disputes and occasionally to
acts of violence. Combinations have
been carelessly made, and it is general
ly believed that error and fraud have
been practiced and apparently legal
lied through want of knowledge of, or
attention to the subject. Grants have
been confirmed of greater dimensions
than the Spanish and Mexican laws
seem to justify, and though mineral
ands were not aliented in fee simple
by these governments, still confirma-
tory acts have been passed and patents
issued under which it is claimed min
erals pass to the patentees. Success in
securing confirmation of grants of
a doubtful character so encouraged
and emboldened the covet0us. that it is
alleged the manufacture of grant pa
pers has become an occupation and
surveys have been so enormously made
as to lead to belief that these grants
are endowed with India rubber quail
ties. No one will attempt to acquire
any lands in the vicinity of these al
legged grants for fear that the stretch
ing process will be applied. Pr0spec-
tors avoid the grants because it is as
sumed that in accordance with the
practice in former combinations the
minerals will fall to the claimants.
Doubt and uncertainty seriously retard
settlement. More than third of a
century has passed since the territory
was acquired, and still large numbers
of the grants reman undisposed of. An
early and fnall settlement of this ques-
ton would be great service to this
people.
AS the most practical and satisfac,
tory way to settle these matters, he ur-
ges that congress create a special tri-
bunal in the nature of commission to
hear and decide upon these claims. The
power to summon witnesses and CON-
pei their attendance, and to order the
production of documents, and order
surveys, should be conferred. All per-
sons having claims to grants should be
required to present them before the
commission within one year from the
time of organization, or the claim
should be forever prescribed. When
the decision is adverse to the United |
States an appeal to the supreme court
of the United States should be direct
and compulsory, on law and fact, and
optional with the claimant when adj
verse to him. Such cases should have
a privileged hearing in the appellate
court. BY this method just results will
he speedily attained and a condition of
and perplexity removed.
Homestead and pre-e nption laws
were designed to distribute lands among
the people and to prevent land mono