Tombstone epitaph., 1888-03-17
LAND TITLES.
ARIZONA DOCTORS DISAGREE.
The Resolutions Adopted by the Tucson Bar Gall Forth Vigorous Protests from the
 Salt River Country.

One day last week the members of the Tucson bar held meeting to discuss the pill now before Congress having for its object the settlement of titles to land grants and private land claims in the Territories, and after the customary Tue son method, proceeded to pass string of resolutions as follows:
 Whereas, There are in the Territory of Arizona vasts tracts of agricultural land which are covered by Mexican grants, and
 Whereas, The prosperity of said ter- ritory is dependent upon acton by the United States, whereby the title to said lands can once and forever be deter m,ned and adjudicated. Therefore be it
 Resolved. That the bar of Pima county, Arizona Territory, earnestly rec cmmend to congress the passage of an act establishing a court or tribunal to determine all claims to such lands and land grants, such courts to hold sessions, take testimony and hear argument, in, the territories where such grants are sit uated, with the right to appeal from the judgment of such court or tribunal to the supreme court of the United States.
 No sooner were these resolutions pub lished than the rampant Hassayampers of the raging Salt also proceeded to "meet and resolve" their conclusions being directly opposite. Thus there seems to be wide difference of opinion as to the proper method of settling this vexed title question. In New Mexico the people are largely in favor of the bill now pending before Congress for the establishment of land court, while the Salt River country isholding meetings to protest against it.
 Surveyor General Julian, of New Mex. ico, questions the wisdom of the pend- ing bill and thinks the proposed Court entirely superAuous. He believes the Interior Department of the Govern. ment is abundantIy able to cope with all the questions arising, and much better equipped for such a duty than would be the court which 1t is proposed to create His plan is set forth as follows:
 What is obviously wanted is bfiel enactment ot Congress referring all these cases to the land department tor decls. ion, on the basls of acton thus supplied
 Congress refuses to adjudicate an, more of them; but this certainly does mol make nugatory the records thus prepar- ed, but only necessltates their submission to another tribunal. That tribunal is al hand in the department of the interior In urging this plan of settlement, as have done during the past two years, l am now supported by Secretary Lam in his late annual report. He says thai 'as at present organized and equipped with slight increase of force, this de partment is fully equal to dealing with and determining all legal questions aris ing under these grants. It has at it's dis posal legal talents trained and familiar with questions of law, and in the habit O acting judicially in other cases. Repre- sen:ing the executive power of the gov ernment, thls department must, in any event, be a large participant in an, action concerning these grants. The official documents, the archives, ancient and modern, relating to the public land: and foreign grants are in custody, anc must there remain. Such plan, in m, opinion, would be simple, inexpensive and accomplish the settlement of thes, claims in a much more expeditions and satisfactory manner than any of those heretofore suggested" If these view! are sound, the expensive and dialitorl machinery of a court or commission i wholly superHuous. Should any such tribunal be established, it will be obliged to dispose of the the cases on the paper on file in the general land office. NJ other method of proceeding is possible since the witnesses are nearly all dead and the record of their evidence must b. received.
 The people of this section desire thi vexed land tit'e question settled in som' J way, and would not object to submitting their claims to either the proposed Cour or to the Interior Department. Th growth of the country is being seriousl' l retarded by unsettled titles, and th earnest desire of all is to have the ques ton settled speedily. If the propose' Court will give relief the soonest, then WI shall favor it. It is not so much ques ton of "how" as "when."