Arizona weekly citizen., 1889-08-10

can be DO doubt, the owner IS legally entitled to the land with all the lm- provements thereon regardless or Wno II hurts. Here is where the trouble lies The grant claimant wax indignant be- cause the settler or our delegate will not help claimants to their legal rights at the expense of the settlers own natural and moral rights. What an absurd propositionl The idea of any one getting indignant becauseI won't help hang my self when I don't believe l deserve hanging, and can see no good Tn 1t ex- cept for the other man. | say to all grant claimants therefore, you
 MUST MEET THE SETTLER HALF WAY
 if you want justice. They are willing to help you to justice but not to your so called legal rights. It will be seen then that there are two sides to this ques- tion The grant claimant is clamorous for his legal rights, and not satisfied to await the slow Eaction of congress-; he desires tribunal before which he can assert these rights q refer to those who believe they own valid grants, l do not believe Reavis wants to adiudicate his title.) The settler wants hfsnatural, equitable and moral rights respected and protected even at the expense of legal justice, ,and as rule demands both the claimant and his claim.
 As legislative action Is required the remedy as have stated is simple. It lies between the two extremes. Let Congress create court, commission or other tribunal before which tho grant claimant can prove his title, limit the duration of that tribunal to one or two years and let it take testimony in Arl zona. Provide for an appeal to the supreme court of the United States. Provide that no grant claimant can have any standing in said tribunal until he first agrees to the
 FOLLOWING CONDITIONS NAMELY;
 1st If the land in controversy has been held open to entry by the U. S- government and there are settlers upon any portion thereof, in pursuance to the land laws of the U. $. the claimant agrees. in case the grant be held valid, to take the remainder of said land and to accept in lieu land script for the part so occupied by settlers; or take in lieu land script for the whole grant, at claimants option: the settlers to retain their lands in any event and the claimant to be paid for his improvements by the govern ment. if he takes script for the entire grant: End. if the land has not been held open to entry. but settlers are in posses sion of parts of it who went thereon prior to the open and notorious occupa- tiop of said grant by the claimant or hie grantorS. and prior to the recording of the title papers in the County Recorders office Of the County in which the land Is then, in case the grant be held valid. the claimant agrees to sell the land so occupied to the settlers at price to be ascertained as the reasonable value thereof by said tribunal or by a jury called for the purpose. or to purchase the improvements of the settler at a price to be ascertained in the same way. The claimant should be
 REQUIRED TO ADVANCE ALL COSTS in the first instance; but should be re- imbursed by the government if he wins.
 Settlers who are in possession of any land laws of the U. S.. ought in no case to be made parties to a suit, as under this plan they have no practical interest III Ile result 1ut SONSiIiulcut CtiL SUI protect its own interests. The further details of such plan require no discussion here. Will the grant claimants agree to these terms and join with us in seeking speedy enforcement of them? Land script now on the mar ket is worth from ten to forty dollars an acre. If this script were made locatahle only in Arizona, and in a compact bOcy, if desired, to the extent of any single grant, it would be worth at least twenty dollars per acre. which is ten times the value of any land grant in the Territory. This script would render practicable | and profitable enterprises inI olving vast | outlays of capital which cannot now be | entered into with any prospect of getting | returns.
 THE STORING OF WATER l and taking out of ditches could be un- dertaken on scale If such magnitude | as we never dreamed of or hoped for, in | the near future. There need be no fear | that this land would be retained in bulk l It would be far more valuable to sell off l in small farms. The selling of water for | irrigation purposes to these small hold | ers would be enormously profitable. I'm | migration to an extent hitherto unknown l in Arizona would inevitably be the re- suit of such enterprises for the reclama- ! ton of desert land. Yours, &c
 FRANCIS !. HENEY.
 Letter List.