Graham guardian., 1895-05-18

bnaJ JlIle OF new opaln, on the ZUtf
of January, 1853. The Viceroy's
action had been confirmed, accord
ing to Hopkins, by King Charles
ILL.,, on the goth of January, 1772
Mr.. Hopkins showed the Mexican
authorities what he claimed was q
copy of the grant bearing the seal
of the Inquisition and certified to
by August Anthony Carilla y Col
lantes and Joseph de la Ceda v De
bago as witnesses, and by Joseph
de Avail as notary. This is certain
ly good prima facie evidence of the
existence of Peralta grant. The
Mexican Government directed q
search to be made. This search
was extended through all of the
archives relating to "grants," I"
Glands" and "royal DEGREES and in
ternal provinces" Nothing was
found that IN any way showed that
such grant had ever been made.
Mr. Hopkins wanted to see an
original signature of King Charles
Ill, in order to compare it with
the signature on the Peralta papers,
which he had. The Mexican Gov
ernment was obliged to inform him
that all signatures of the King in
the archives were printed, and not
writtHn, as appeared on the Peralta
papers. Hopkins went away. A
year later, on the request of Secre-
tary of State Frelinghuysen, pre-
ferred through the United States
Minister at the City of Mexico, Mr..
Morgan, the Mexican Government
undertook another and more thor
ough search for some trace of the
Peralta grant. This time Mr.. Hop
kins appeared in company with a
Mr.. A Zabioski.
Thus every possible facility was
given for the confirmation of the
grant. The search was made, and
the report was as follows:
"Twice, with due care, search
has been made for the grant made
to Mr. Micbeal Peralta in 1853,
without having found anything re-
lating to said grant,"
Then the State and Interior De-
partments at Washington turned to
Spain to pursue the phantom Par
alta claim. The United States
Minister at Madrid entered into
negotiations with the Spanish Gov
ernment for an examination of the
archives at Seville. He also made
a comparison of photograph of
the signature Of king Charles on
the Peralta claim forwarded to him
from the United States. No copy
Of the grant was found in the ar
chives at Seville, but the COMPARE
son of the photograph with an or
iginal signature of the King show
ed "a similarity" The chief ofthe
at Seville, unable to find
any trace of Peralta grant, sug-
gested that the search be extended
to the archives at Simancas. This
was done. The director ofarchiv-
rs at Simancas reported "that care
2ul search has been made, and that
.he so-called Peralta grant does
lot exist among these archives"
SO the investigation proceeded.
Every step was q defeat for the
claimant. Not trace of such
grant was found in either SPAN or
Mexico.
No such petition was ever seen in
my court in the United States.
The copy of the grant, the chain of
leeds, the transcripts of records,
he photographs Of signatures and
# places, the affidavits, and the
lepositions are handsomely, even
bound in a great
-olume. The book is of the pro-
portions of two or three unabrldg-
ID dictionaries in one. tits inclos-
d in tin box which locks. In
his form Mr.. Reavis presented his
lain to the Clerk of the court,
autioning him to see that the Peral-
a case was not filed with the papers
n other cases, but was preserved
n safe until the Court was ready
o try it.
Impressed by the costly binding
nd, perhaps, to some extent, by
he manner of Mr.. Reaves, the
ourt officials gave the tin box a
'lace in the safe, and treated the
'eralta record as of much con-
equence. Hundreds of dollars, it
) said, must have been spent upon
he arrangement and binding of
he Peralta record. /
The document, not less than the
manner of the claimant, are such
8 to impress strongly on sight.
hey bear evidence, in their APP
earance, of genuineness. When
leavis first produced his papers '
ONE of them were mere scraps and l
alters. They looked as if they
hight have been subject to raw I,
ges of time. A liberal translation !
f portions might read as follows: :
"We therefore pray you to be {
leased (eaten bV mice1 at that S