Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-02-20
MEXICAN LAND GRANTS.
y1,a; ES-Surveyor General Wasson has
 to Say of Them
TucsoN. Feb. l2. lSS6.

TUCsoN, Feb. l2, 1886
 TprT1B CTTIzES:-ReferrinG to the
 ~Tras AIsmos" land claim or grant on
 +la san Pedro, the Tombstone Epitaph
 s-.,,s cf my public action in derogatory
 ,.-,os aud wholly unwRrranted by the
 f.s.s Daring the twelve years was
 sr-r5yor general. DO application was
 .,e7s sar an examination of the title to
 .-i claim. It was, during all that pe-
 -.,f understood iu the office that there
 ws- 10 suca grant CT sale made ss the
 r-.s A.ar1s. The records of the treas
 --.- -e1e-al's office of Sonora, were sev-
 .-f nu.s searched by competent
 s.-sttlLc United States to enable
 .r-,f.sIs o5 t4e government to act
 -,-,l, uYou spanish and Mexican pri-
 r...r rs.I claims ID Arizona, and noth-
 ..-r.s ouua therein to even raise the
 .-... non that aly claim covering Tres
 ,r.~.s, OF that any clam Of that name.
 ,.,,.-ai m A-Iz0ua. But . record was
 f1r95 re .atiuc to such a ciglm, contain
 ---the following iRc;s: JIne I5, 1851
 Issgs-do Escalaute fer himself and
 .,-rf others petltiOued the treasurer
 general of Sonora for the land on the
 Sso Pedro north O1 the 'BoqulllRs" to
 1- tilla rlver. west to the preSidio of
 a-,.ln, and to an indefinite point east
 Es-5 containing the petition said) fifty
 e.,.t sduare leagues, but as matter of
 f,.t much larger area. As the treas urer general was only authorized to sell and not grant lands, he declined to take the proc sedlnss requested. The peti- uoners presented tleIr case to the legis- Iatu-e of the state. N LicA body ordered inc treasurer general T. take testimony as to their ablhty ;O comply with the ronditIa.s uiallrd iu The petition. Proceedings wtrr had n pursuance of this order. bgt The last entry, winch was made Sept -l 1853, by the treasurer general, ls as follows: "rhe proceedings 1 are suspended On account uf the upris- | ing oi ,le ApacLes, until such time as | the parties interested shall ask to have them res med There Is no record | Il Al. I taIu.y no grant WAS made ln pursuance of the proceedings lad.
 "Ouly thIs and nothing more" touch | iug ny action and knowledge of the "Ires Alamos" land claim.
 By reference to the U. $. surveyor generals office h this city, 1t will be | seen that proceedings were had after 1 | bee me "defunct surveyor general" on 8 petition for confirmation of a grant of | rgElt leagues, by the name of "Ires | A.amos, and covering a portion of the | land before referred to. This grant | plrp5rts to have been made Sept. 20. | l,52, by the governor Of the state of So- | 2ora under authority of special Act of | he sovereign congress of the state, pass sl January 29, 1852. After proceedings | a The case. Surveyor General Robbins | commended t for confirmation. II lave not famIliarizei myself with the | merits Of the case, and therefore will | pt express an opInion for or against I le claim. The EpitRph insInuGtes that I am one of the present owners of the grant" 1 [ 1t Is valid, 1 would like to be a large wner in It, but unfortunately fo. me l I -4tt On l 'A AAu4AAA anu AAGNCA hAu ONu T claim, directly or indirectly, any and ID any part of the San Pedro val | -!.
 After an ample investigation, I did | .ecJnmeni the confirmation Of two | claims in San Pedro valley, viz.-The Sau Juan BoquIllas (embracing Con- iy4tllu, Fairbank and CharIeston), and l. San Rafael del Ealle, lying south oi Charleston. Any intelligent and just officer would have done likewise in these cases, and thereby have proven him self better friend to the actual settler than Is any man who tries to make hIm believe that the land belongs to the Un- Iiei >'.tes and therefore subject to set tr- uf.
 congress Is almost cClminally derelict ll lts neglect 10 confirm the titles to tle clalm- and exact quantity thereof, sod or granted by the Spanish and Mex lean authorities, and reject fraudulent | titles and al excess of quantity claimed b. owners 5f valid titles. It Is now over .-lriy years since the United States by l solemn treaty agreed to confirm such l IT. es, and Yet Lot one has been confirm ri Il Arg n8. lt l. base folly to say | .l-re are uo valid claims ID thIs Terri iory. As the law uow stands, Congress s.'le ls empowered to confirm or reject. l aud that body will not act pro. or con. The press Is generally just and tries to liTGnce the Intre-ts of the people, but | ' then its tendency Is to mislead the set Hers into the Dei'et that there are no 7ahd titles to land granted or sold by opaln gud Mex,co, IL Is ID the worst pos able business. IL thereby encourages innocent men to claim the property of ltlrr7, and often Co defend such claims t the sacrifice of human life Great brItAin, France and Spain made large grants of lant all over our broad coun ,Ty rom the Gulf Of Mexico to British America, and from the Atlantic to the ( f'rllc. ] am quite sure that the estate 'ftl which George Washington lived Ana died and upOn which is his tomb, E4s a grant by yIhe British Government. l 1neTe is no better O: just principle gov e'llng nations than the one which re- stec's utes to prIvate property, and ! LrDce The United States solemulY bound ( i-et Co act upon 1t the case of every -' ials.ti0n of territory from foreign na- l.3ls' and lt Is G national shame, if not a terrible crime, that It has so long neg i7c'7d this duty in many other parts Of I ''r country as well as Tn Arizona.
 l tlluk f pardonable m me to here say mat l recommended much more I5Ii Tor rejection than confirmation: ho. ,''t 5' leagues Of which was claimed , ,-- llaeT forged titles and large amount { " "-ltA was claimed in excess of that sold 'f granted hy the Mexican authorities. ,
 Respectfully,
 ,JOUN WASSOS ,