Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-04-10
PRIVATE LAND CLAIMS.
EN-SarNeyor General Nasson treats "i them Generally Will hereafter treat
 of Arizona Case, in Particular

Ex-Sarveyor General wasson treats of
 them Generally win hereafter treat
 ofAriEona Case, in Particular
 OAKLAND, Cal. Msrch 3l, 1SSG.
 EDITOR CITIzES:-F0r the possible benefit of many settlers who have not the opportunity to learn the usages and customs of Spain ard Mexico in dispos- ing of ,heir lands, and the obligations of the United S. .tes n relation thereto, [ have concluded to write tue CITIZEN a fex letters. This one will deal with the subjects generally and subsequent ones be gwen particular application to An- zonH cases.
 The papers sho~ that the settlers of Tres AlsmOs and Nogales are protest ing against the confirmation ot claims covering their homes, the former by public meeting and sen ling Gn agent to Washington and the latter by a memor- ial to congress. At the same time, some owners of bona iide claims are urging confirmation to much more laUd than they are entitled to or any just tribunal will ever confirm to them, and are also harrssssing settlers wbo so far Gs the pub lie records show, are upon public land. IL IS manifest inst both sides are pursuing an unwIse course m important particulars. Ihoir actions have the ef. feet Cf pUstponing what IS best for all, viz: A final settlement and survey which shall show exactly Thst is private and what IS pub!Ic lAnt- The claim to more land than the Mexican govern ment ever sold or crGuts u, IS 50 palpably
 wrong, that it incltes the settlers 10 too sweeping oppOsiuOn and raises m their minds the belief that all Mexican titles are bad, or so destitute Of merit
 as to be unworthy of respect.
 This kind of contention has occurred in nearly every state of the unlOn from | a date prior to Great BritaIn's RcknOEl- ! edgment of American independence, | and ID several Of them 10 this day. The
 early settlers m what IS nog the UDlted ! states. better understood, and recon ciled themselves tO the legality ! of large grants of land, than those of | the present day. Many Of our people are unwilling to acknowledge any land | title INslid that does not originally em-
 anate from the United States. and con
 veys anything but small tracts in accord auce with our system of rectangular sur
 veys, yet these same people freely speak | of large valid grants m MeIIco and 1 scout the idea that there are any such | in Arizona, the lands of winch for hun | dreds of years were subject to dispOsl-
 ton under Spanish and Mexican lsvs. usages and customs.
 A moments reflection should Bbso-
 lutely convince any man that possibly Spain and surely Mexico issuei valid | titles to large tracts of land m Arizona,
 as both did ID New Mexico and Califor-
 mia and m all the states of Mexico. As
 early ss l7UO the king of Spain sent mIs-
 sionsries, with troops to protect them, | Tn what Is now Arizona. To promote | settlement and the growth of food, mil l itary officers were authorized tO make grants, snd the power was exercised toy various Spanish and MexIcsn officials down to the time of the cesslOn Uf tie country to the United States. Under | these well-known circumstances. It Is
 amazing that all settlers do not unhes- itatingly admit that vRlId grants exist ID Arizona Those who persIst iu con | trary course, should show why Arizona. which was once a part of the Mexican | state of Sonora, was exempt; and also | show why II was that settlers in the val ! leys of San Pedro, Santa Cruz, ArIvAca, 1 Babacomari and Sonoita, did not apply ; for titles to the lands they occupied as settlers did m other portions of the same state of Sonora. Would 1t not be
 much more effective opposition. to make
 a showing of specific legal and bistori-
 cal facts that no such grants were m.de, or if made upon unfulflled conditions,
 what they were, than to call public meet ings and deuOuDce claimants and pass
 resolutions framed to agree with the wishes or even interests of anybody ? Will they not understand that | the United States IS bound | 10 recognize titles to land issued by foreign governments when
 they owned the land! Comparatively ' speaking the valid foreign titles are | fewer ID number and embrace less land | n ArlzpDa, than in most other States
 and Territories of the present United States.
 A few facts in point: Up 10 1880, thirty-three claims in New Mexico, sud | Colorado, had been confirmed by Con grsss for an aggregate of 1, ,615, ,1I3 acres. gHd Gt that d.te sixty were before
 that hCdy fOTsctiOn amounting 10 i,Z9i.-
 G72 acres.
 Prior to 1880 the United States con- | frmed J3s claims ID California, covering over eight millions of acres, and at that time there were thirty-oDe unsettled | claims for over i0lUOO acres. Claims | Oveflauped each other. Questions of | bOundarIes which are very simple and are readily understood Ey iut-liigeut
 and honest men m ArlZOna, were diti- cult of solution m this s; ate Many for tunes have been sQuandered ID litigg- ton over boundaries, and lives lost. and shot gun and other violent coDte-ts age -tIll pending with occasional outb. eafs. AnZOna need have none of these bnG sf common sense prevails, vIll nave none.
 The United States aquired with other land Michigan from Virginia ir l1o1. and yet ID lS>O. tbera We're pending In
 the General Land Ufiic, one huniT, d
 unsettled titles to as many British grants in that state.
 Louisiana was acquired from France ID lSt3, prior 10 which date Spain and France hsd issued titles to 7Si tracts cf land, each embracing from few acres to few ihOussnds. many of which are still unsettled as to boundaries. In lSS0 and 1881, the surveyor general of Louis jana, urged final action iu these eases 30 that true boundaries miEbt be known and respected. It Arz'us settlers de- sire to Eerpetuste coGtests for one hun- dred or more years, at great expenss. they have it ID their power to do SO, uu- less the United States wakes up 10 tue necessity. and ot summariiy and arbi- trsrily, If need be, setting all disputed points of title and bouutaTy.
 The "HIstory of flurida' shows that the vsrions surveyors general had sur veyed and made plats ot S66 private land claims m that state, embracing r. o-O BIO ,or..