Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-12-30

aCh member OF the legislature.
MEMORIALS TO CONGRESS.
Before proceeding to speak OF some sub
ects OF legislation which hope will en-"
,age your attention, few words may not
,e inappropriate relative to matters now
before the national congress, as to which |
IN expression of opinion by this legisla.
lure may be beneficial. Whatever Is done
in this regard requires promptitude, as the
session closes on March =.
|. The first and most important OF
these subjects is that Of the settlement Of
our
LAND TITLES.
1t is unnecessary to dwell on the vast
Importance OF this subject to our territory
and people. In my annual reports have
given quite full history of the attempts
during the last forty years to settle these
titles, and to them | beg to refer any who
are not familiar with the subject. Suffice
it to say that the system proposed by the
act OF July 90, 1854, has been miserable
failure. Down to the present time, 2l5
grants have been presented to the survey
or general for action in 1852 cases he has
taken testimony and made reports In
1853 congress confirmed five OF these
grants, in 1860 thirty-one. during the
next ten years but seven were confirmed,
and since 1870 only one.
Even the most sanguine have long since
been convinced that no relief was possible
under the existing law. For years our
people have been applying to congress
for q redress of this wrong and the estab-
lishment of some tribunal which could
quickly and Justly adjudicate as to these
titles, but nothing has been accomplished.
At last, however, there is a prospect OF
relief. After all these years OF patient
waiting, | am glad to be able to congratu'
late you on the substantial progress made
during this year. For the first time IN
the history of New Mexico, the president
of the United States has shown warm in
terest in the welfare OF the territory anC
has given us earnest support in his mes
sage to congress; and in this he has beer
actively followed by the secretary OF the
interior and other members OF the ad
ministration. In his message OF Decem
Der , 1889, he urged that "provisoI
should be made by law for the promp
trial and final adjustment OF all claim
based upon Mexican grants. 1t Is no
Just TO an intelligent and enterprislnl
people that their peace should be dis
turbed and their prosperity retarded b.
these old contentious. This emphati
recommendation followed as it was by
special message on the LIST OF last May
and by vigorous reports from the secre
tary OF state and secretary of the interior
had powerful effect.
A bill to establish land court wa
pressed forward in the senate and woul'
have passed last fall but for the opposition
of two southern senators. In the hous
the "Wickham bill, similar in its genera
provisions, has actually passed, and ther
seems bnt little doubt that before the ad
: journment OF congress, a practical system
for settling these titles will be established
1t will certainly aid in this result shout
the legislature pass resolutions expressly
of our urgent desire for the prompt enact
ment OF such law, and it would seem n
more than appropriate to express in som
way the special obligations of our poop
to the president and administration
; which has been the first in our Who'll
history to manifest an earnest interest i
our welfare. 1t should be added here this
both the senate and house bills now cor
;; tain the provisions as to the free estat
lishment of the titles to the multitude
small farms and ranches which line tn
banks of our rivers, which L had Tn
honor to submit to the congressional con
mittee in May last, and an account
which may be found on page 6 and 7 {
my report fer 1890.
2. The second subject ON which
would seem desirable to memorable col
gress is as to
STATEHOOD.
The last legislature passed an act for
constitutional convention, and that bod
met in the fall Of 1889, and prepared
constitution which BIAS won admiratio
, wherever it has been read. Circun
stances which need not be discusse
here, caused the rejection of that const
tuition at an election held in Octobt
last, but it was distinctly stated by thos
opposing it, that their opposition was M
to the idea Of statehood itself. In fac
it can not be conceived that any frien
. Of New Mexico would. not favor hi
, emancipation from q territorial conditio
and her assumption Of the full power
and dignity Of statehood. Apart fror
/ the fact that self-government is the no
, NAL attribute OF the American either
and that territorial condition In an VI
natural one, only intended as ten
porary expedient until community
ready to assume its position as stat
we all know that there is little hope |
. New Mexico for the full prosperit
, which. an influx of population and cal
, ital will bring to US 80 long as we al
kept in the unlnviting portion OF til
territory. While our enemies contlnu
to assert that we are not worthy OF statt
hood or capable of self-government, notl
ing could be more false. Our people al
; mainly the descendants of the two gre,
nations which insisted on the rights {
, the people in England under Magn
= Charta, and drove the Moors out
Spain that self-government should reg
, there. They are descendants OF tn
patriots who fought for the independent
OF the United States in 1915, and OF Mel
leo from 1910 to 1921. Is it possible that tn
sons of such sires are not capable OF sci
government when they are united? Tn
very thought is treason against our PEI
pie. And yet with population larg'
than any territory but one ever contalne
at its admission, with financial resource
far beyond those Of the newest state
and with special guarantees of the trea,
of Guadalupe Hidalgo, We are still d
pnved of the equal rights which "
should enjoy in the union, are without
vote of influence in congress, and thu
lose all the advantages which the gu
rounding states possess. Every patriot
New Mexican longs to hasten the da
of our emancipation, and if disappointe
, In one attempt, will be the more anxiot