Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-12-02
lie PRESIDENT ON THE LAND GRANTS,

TIE PRESIDENT ON THE LAND GRANTS
For a second time President Harrison
takes occasion in his message to congress
to cad attention to the necessity OF some
action by that body having for its object
the final adjustment of titles affecting the
Spanish and Mexican land grants in Col
oradO, New Mexico and Arizona. This is
no ordinary step for the chief executive
Of tie nation to take; in fact, Gen. Har-
rison is the first and only president who
( has ever thus demonstrated his kindly in
terest in the welfare of the people of the
/ southwest, and it does seem that some
good for this patient and long suffering
people ought to come out of it. Much of
the presidents interest in this matter
comes OF his long service in congress
AS member of the private lands COM
mlttee and committee on territories, he
had opportunity to thoroughly familiarize
himself with the true status of this sub
Ject and he has never since failed to ex-
ercise bis influence and raise his
voice in behalf Of justice in the premises.
In his message laid before congress yes
terday the president goes even further
than III his previous method and espe-
clalIy urges upon the attention of con-
gress the suggestions Of Gov. Prince with
reference to the policy that should be
pursued by the government in dealing
with the small holdings" OF land in
New Mexico. The several bills touching
the subject and which were introduced in
congress at the last session were all more
or less defective respecting the settlement
OF these smaller claims. In his recent
message to the secretary OF the interior
the governor noted this fact and made a
strong plea in behalf OF the poorer class
OF land grant claimants. The governor
explains at some length how the early
Mexican colonists were compelled to To-
cate these lands in narrow strips extend
ing from the river fronts back to the
mountains and how as generations
have succeeded each other these farms
have been subdivided between the
heirs, the dividing lines always running
ength"ise, so that each should have q
sbaro OF the river frontage and bottom
lands as well as the grazing region further
back from the streams The title under
which these lands are now held isprecise-
ly OF the same nature as the ordinary
titles to land in New York or New En-
gland or any of the older states in which
the United States never had any public
domain and where consequently titles are
not derived from United States patents.
They can be traced sufficient distance
to make them good against all the world,
and they are absolutely good as against
individuals. The only difficulty regarding
them is because they are continually
menaced by the United States. AS the
governor we'll says, such Il condition Of
Things is palpably unjust and unworthy of
the American government.
All that is required, with regard to
these small holdings, is that the United
States surveyors should delineate them
on the official plats as private property,
so that they would be distinctly .segre-
gated from the public domain, and that
the United States would thus renounce all
claim to their ownership.
The holders thereof should not even be
required to 60 to the expense OF securing
government patent, for certainly twenty
Years undisturbed possession of lands in
this country ought to suffice to make
good these titles as against all the
world when ten years do it in the older
states.