Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-23
Official Proceedings Of the Board OIL
County Commissioners.

Santa Fe, N. NJ, April IL, 1sos.-The
honorable board of county commissions
ers met at 2 o'clock p. N. as per ad journ-
ment. Present: Hon. Chas. W. Dud-
row, chairman, and Hons. Jose AmadO
Lucero and j. T. Mclaughlin, commits
s%ioners, and Atanasio Romero, clerk.
The minutes of the last session of
April 4, 1898, were read and approved.
In the matter of the sale of property
| for delinquent taxes, e. A. Fiske, ESQ.,,
| appeared for himself and others and ar
| gued that inasmuch as the city of Santa
Fe was located upon a rejected grant,
only the Improvements on lands could
be taxed ond therefore assessments
should be reduced to a fair ratio,
that settlements could be made. The
matter was taken under advisement by
the board.
Geo. w. Knaebel, Esq, as attorney of
John j. Lamburn, receiver of the Bank
of Wilcox, presented Il petition asking a
reduction of the assessment of said bank
for reasons specified in the petition, and
the board after due consideration re-
duced said assessments as follows: For
1895 to 81, $50; for 1896 to 81 1925, and for
1897 to 81, 1926.
The following resolution was adopted:
Whereas, 1t is of great Importance to
the people of Santa Fe county to en-
| courage the establishment of fruit can
neries and evaporators to utilize our
fruit product and give employment to
our people,
Resolved, That every establishment
for the canning, drying, evaporating or
otherwise preserving fruit. commenced
in good faith and in IA substantial man
ner within one year from the passage of
this resolution, shall be exempt from all
county taxation for the period of six
! years after the completion thereof.
Collector Fred Muller presented a bill
against the county for S9s4.35 for com-
mission on taxes collected by the dis
trict attorney, and turned over to the
county treasurer. The matter was tax
en- under advisement.
The sum of $500 exemption was. re-
duced in the assessment of Isaac Ash
ford for 1897.
The following resolution was adopted:
BE it resolved by the board of county
commissioners of the county of Santa
| Fe, territory of New Mexico,
Whereas, Within the limits of the in
corporated city of Santa Fe, in said
county, is contained about twO-thirds
of the taxable property of said county,
from which revenues for carrying on
the business of said city and county and
paying its debts are derived, and
Whereas, The said city has been rec
ognized as a municipal corporation un-
L l,, Al, non, nf Cnnin Mnyinn nnI thn
United States for a period of 300 years
and much of the property within said
limits has been actually occupied by
buildings thereon during all that period,
and has been sold, transferred by in
heritance and otherwise and has been
taxed as real estate since the American
occupation of New Mexico and lasting
and valuable improvements have been
| placed thereon, and
Whereas. Under a decision of the SUI
preme court of the United States in the
matter of the Santa Fe grant reported
in 165 U. S. statutes, page 675. it was held
that there was no Spanish grant Of four
| square leagues under the Spanish law,
from which decision certain persons,
property holders and taxpayers, within
the limits of said city, claim that there
is no title to the real estate that they
so hold, but that the title to said'real es-
tate is vested in the United States, and
| for that reason decline and refuse to
pay the taxes duly levied and assessed
against said real estate, which greatly
hampers and embarrasses the said city
and county in its revenue, and If gener-
ally adopted by property owners, will re-
| suit in a total failure of revenue to both
the city and county of Santa Fe, where
by incalculable harm will arise for
lack of means to carry oil the local
government, courts will be unable to be
held. tails maintained, and the ordinary
process of law can not be enforced:
| Now, therefore, for the purpose of pre-
venting these evils and on grounds OF
public policy and justice. be it
Resolved. That our delegate In con-
gress, Hon. H. b. Ferguson, be most
earnestly petitioned to, at the earliest
| possible moment. present a proper bill in
congress for our relief in this respect.
and we would respectfully suggest to him
that such bill provides that the United
States by its act of congress relinquishes
any claim or right of title to each and
every lot, parcel or tract of land within
the present limits of the city of Santa
| Fe which have been actually occupied
and in the possession of the present
| claimants or their grantors, for a period
of 20 years, prior to the date of the APP
proval of the said act, and providing
| further that such release should not APP
ply to any single tract of land compris-
ing more than ten (1O acres, not any
tract embraced within the claimed
boundaries of any land grant which is
now pending before the court of private
land claims, and that a copy of this
resolution be sent forthwith to our said
delegate by the clerk of this board un-
der its seal.
Facundo Ortiz was appointed %janitor
! of the county court house, the appoint
ment to take effect May /, 1898.
The chairman of the board was in