New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-30
A CHARGE OF CORRUPTION.
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE ATTACKED.
MILLIONS OF ACRES OF PUBLIC LANDS IN NEW
MEXICO AND COLORADO SAID TO HAVE BEEN

MILLIONS OF ACRES OF PUBLIC LANDS IN NEW
MEXICO AND COLORADO SAID TO HAVE BEEN
CONVERTED To PRIVATE USE
WAsHINGToN March 29.-h1embers elect of
the New-Mexico Legislature have sent to Representa-
tive Springer to be presented IN Congress, memorial
charging that millions Of acres OF land I'm New-Mexico
and Colorado have been converted TO private use The
memorial prepared by O. F. McMans, Representa-
tive in the Legislature OF New-Mexic0 1t will be pre-
the House shortly and It is thought that special
oomisee will be asked for to Investigate the charges
Mr. McNaius says: appeal to the record to sustain me
in the charge of corruption Herewith prefer against tho
General Land Office I charge that the General Land
Office, without authority OF law has held in reserve IN
the interest OF private land claimants some 4OOo'OOo
Of public lapd in NcyMexico and Colorado; that
patents TO large portion Of said public land 30 held In
reserve have been frauduenty obtained from the United
States by private land claimants through the corruption
said General Land Office; and further charge that IN
numerous instances and great extent on mineral lands
favored parties have unlawfuy been permitted by the
General Land Office 10 make homestead and preeinpon
entries upon public lands held in reserve by said office,
and TO receive patents from the United States therefor
Six specifications accompany the memorial In the first
Mr. McMains saws: martin Andrews "a relative OF eX-
President Rutherford b. Hayes In letter without date
and headed Executive Mansion unavfnlly requested
Commissioner Villa TO have an estimate made fora
preliminary survey unconArmed private land claim NO.
80 lin Pueblo County CooradoG that deposit might he
sented to the next Congress- for confirmation and Com
missioner Williamson unlawfuly compiled with this re-
quest and public land TO the extent OF about 6Ooooo
acres hereby held to the injury of bona hde
settlers on the public domain"
The second specification refers 10 grant NO II
in Southern Colorado The memorial Gays: Through
the manaG cement Of exSenators jerome b. Chance ana
George NJ. Chicott. OF Colorado, and ex-Deegate to
Congress from New-Mexco stephen B. Elkins, about
600 OF the public and surveyed lands were I'M
lawfully permitted by Commissioner Williamson to be in-
Guided within the limits of private land claim TO which
was unlawfuly issued United States patent The third
specification refers to the Maxwell Grant Go 49, In
Northern New-MexicO Mr. McMains says : Three
years after the Department Of the Interior had formally
and legally declared tho land within the claimed limits
Of the Maxwell Grant he public land aud ordered 10
surveyed as SUCH Commissioner Williamson, without au-
thory of law, had this public land to tho extent OF
nearly 100000 acres, surveyed as private
land claim NO. 10, and United States
patent was unlawfuly Issued 10 the same
The contract for the illegal survey Of the Maxwell claim
b. Elkins-and said stephen H. EkInS is not only surety
OH his brothers land but had personal interest In h&y
Inc fourth specification relates the Uno de Cato tract
claim, No. 40, iu Coax County, New-eiexiSeo; INC
memorial says: when Stephen T. Elkins was delegate
to Congress from New-NeXico he sought TO have con
fned list Of seventy four private land CLAIMS ana IN
this list published in the Congressman Rec1rd the Ino
de Cato tract put down containing 100 acres me
no T T S rtrac TO for me snryer of The same as
private land clem No. 81 awarded TO EllIns and
MarmOn and said survey when made revealed the TACT
that instead OF the Uno de Cato tract being a
claim of '150 acres represented by
stephen B. Flkus IL claim for 100000 acres.
stephen =. Eikns ntcrc ted for speculative ptI-
poses in having surveyed the UnOde Cato tract or Ell lin
No 49, and the contract with ms brother John l. Ekln5,
to make the survey, suggests TIC idea OF very good u-
dcrstanding the time between the said stephen H. FL
kius and the Commissioner OF the General Land ONCE
The fifth specialization relates to Mora Grant In Mora
County. New-MoyicO The memorial says: " II Is cen
orally understood that the Illegal claimants OF hs oOO
acre tract of public domain Thomas - CALVIN OF
Ncw-McxicO, and stephen r. IlEins, OF Ncw-No1k'
The sixth specification is the Saugre dc CrlsO grant
claim No. II, I'm n rthcrn NeW-hcNoo ana So,thfln
Colorado. The memorial says: " Lewis Lee ana Mar
ci-so Beauhien pctitiOned Manuel ArmliO, Governor
General First DemarcaOn or Taos In 1913 for a
tract Of land to each within the aiOre-
mentioned boundaries Congress in the case ot claim
No. 10 in the statute (June u, iSOO
decided that tract under the Mexican colonization
of 1S2i could not exceed eleven square leagues or
about 800 acres. Instead of Surveying to each claim
ant eleven square leagues OF land $1,000 acres 10 bot
agrceaby With the act OF confirmation, the General iAd
OF surveying 10 each claimant tr7c OF land within the
aforementioned boundaries said ohco unawllIy sur
yeved to said aiuJuts ~! the lana IN tAc aiOLemen,
toned boundaries Tho supreme curt OF the United
state upheld this unlawful action OF The Department OF
the Interior by deciding, contrary "a the tact iuat inc
confirmation by Congress OF 30. IL was absolute ana
unconditional The condition couttircd IN the act OF
june 81 1850, Is follows 'PTOyn2d. that this con
snail construed only frat claim or re-
adverse rights OF any other person OF per-
stu