Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1894-04-27
THE LAS VEGAS GRANT.
Effect of the Land Courts Decision Ill
the San Miguel del BadO Case
Light on Complicated
Question.

Hon. J. d. W. Veeder, the Las Vegas at
torney who SO successfully defended the
San Miguel del Bado grant of $4,000
acres in San Miguel county, on the Pecos
river, before the U. s. court of private
land claims, gave reporter for the New
MEXICAN last night an outline of the status
of the Las Vegas grant case. Mr.. Veeder
said: "The Las Vegas grant is grant in
all respects like the San Miguel del Bado
grant, and was made for the purpose of
founding settlement and given not only
to the petitioners, but to all others who
were without lands to cultivate. 1t is
stronger than the San Miguel del Bado
grant, in the evidence it bears of being
made to a community, because in the case
of the Las Vegas grant the archives in the
surveyor generals Office show that the al.
caldes under the Mexican government
distributed lands to the settlers for culti-
vation with the common right of pasture
and water, from the time the grant was
first given down to the treaty of Guada-
lupe Hidalge.
THE LAS VEGAS GRANT
was passed upon by congress and con-
firmed in clear terms to the town of Las
Vegas, but notwithstanding these inter
ests have been purchased from the origin
al petitioners for the grant, their heirs
and assigns, and an attempt is now be-
ing made upon the part of such purchas-
ers to pervert the plain intention Of the
grant and of congress into an absolute
grant to the original petitioners number
ing about thirty ty-seven. After the Las
Vegas grant had been confirmed by con-
gress it was surveyed but no patent has
ever been issued because of the fact that
the purchasers and pretended claimants
of the grant through purchases from
THE ORIGINAL GRANTEES,
heirs and ass igns, opposed the issuance
of any patent to the town of Las Vegas
but insisted that it should be issued to the
original grantees, their heirs and assigns.
Political influence in the department has
down to the present time successfully
prevented the issuance of patent in ac-
cordance with the act of congress con-
irming the grant. During the last few
years application was made by one Meill-
iser. one of the purchasers from the
heirs of the so-called original grantees,
to the department of the interior for the
issuance of patent to the original
grantees. This brought about hearing
in the department of the interior and after
much time Sec. Noble declined to issue
patent to the original grantees, holding
that the grant had been confirmed to
THE TOWN OF LAS VEGAS,
and that inasmuch as the area of the
grant confirmed by act of congress was
uncertain it was his opinion that the only
portion of such grant that congress did
confirm was the portion which had been
assigned by the alcal6es to the settlers
upon the grant in severalty prior to the
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This was
the first decision of the interior
department and upon it rehear-
ing was had after which the first
the area of land confirmed to the town of
tion of the secretary of the interior as to
decision was affirmed. This interpreta-
Las Vegas by act OF congress reduces the
grant from some 5,000,U00 acres down to
about 5000 or 10000 acres. The ruling
of the secretary of the interior in this way
was because he held that under the laws
of Mexico the title to the
VACANT AND uNoccUpIED LANDS
within the exterior boundaries of the real
grant, which are known as the commons
for pasture and water, still rested in the
Mexican government and by change of
sovereignty passed to the United States
and became public domain.
The San Miguel del Bado grant just
confirmed by the land court for the full
area, $4,000 acres, to the settlers upon
this grant, thus giving to these settlers
not only the lands given to them in sew
crafty, but also the vacant and unoccu-
pied lands known as the commons for
pasture and water show that the secretary
of the interior was wrong in his construc.
tion of the rights of the settlers under
the treaty. The government in the San
Miguel del Bado case claimed under the
ruling of the secretary of the interior in
the Las Vegas grant case that the COM
mons and vacant lands of the grants
should go to the government, being over
ruled in this and the whole area being
confirmed to the settlers the court estah-
fishes a precedent which the courts will
no doubt follow in the case of the Las
Vegas grant as suits are now pending IN
the district court of San Miguel county
for and in behalf of the town of
Las Vegas to establish the title of
the Las Vegas grant, in the town of Las
Vegas, and likewise to recover for the
town the whole area of the grant. Inas-
much as the predecessor of the present
secretary of the interior determined
the area to which the town Of Las Vegas
is entitled, and ordered the survey ef the
grant in accordance with this decision,
the only means the town of Las Vegas
now possesses to set aside the ruling of
the secretary is by instituting suit In
the courts which when carried to the su-
preme court of the United States and
there determined in favor of the town will
be adopted by the secretary, and his rul-
ings changed in conformity with the iudg-
ment of the aupreme court"
If out of order, use Beecham's Pills.