The Arizona sentinel., 1899-06-17
Official Paper of Yuma County
AS TO THE GRANT DECISION.


 people are seeking homes in this part of Arizona, and more parti cularly in the Colorado valley, a large portion of which is claimed to be covered by what is generally known as the "Algodones Land Grant," the leading points decided by the supreme court of the U. s. in the case of appellant vs. Earl B.. Coe, might not be miss.
 The case just referred to was com menced February ?, 1892, by the Algodones Land company in the court of Private Land claims Pending the litigation, the Algodo- nes Land company transferred all its property to Earl B. COe. and, upon motion, the action was revived in hIs name.
 On the 18th day of April, 1888, Fernando Rodrigues, under peti- tien presented by him on January 4, of the same year, to the treasurer general of the State of Sonora, Mexico, received what is commonly known as grant title" to track of vacant desert lands on the north ern frontier of said state, said lands ,. being situated between the Colorado and Gila rivers, and including the tract from the Southern side of the Gila river, in front of the junction of the same with the Colorado river as far as the crossing of the Alge- dones, and from said point following the eastern margin of the Colorado as far as the junction of the same with the Gila, a distance of five leagues.
 The Algodones Land company, Succeeded by Earl B. Coe, ] alleges Tn its petition before the Land court among other things, as follows: "Your petitioner further represents that it owns, holds, and possesses said land under and by virtue Of a certain instrument in writing, now and hereafter designated as grant title," bearing date the 12th day of April, 1888, duly made and executed by and on behalf of the State of Sonora in the republic of Mexico, under and by virtue of article two of the sovereign decree, number seventy of August the 4th 1924, therein cOnceding to the state the revenues which by law are not re- served to the general government, one of which is the vacant land in the respective districts pertaining to the same" x.
 The source ef title is therefore alleged to be in the State of Sonora, and pursuant to that condition of affairs, the Treasurer General of Sonora executed the "certain in trument in writing" described Tn the complaint, and in that "intru- ment in writing" we ind deserip- tien of the land west ot Yuma and commonly designated the Colorado Valley" Mir. Justice McKenna delivered the opinion ct the court in which he uses the following language.
 We shall assume the genuine ness of the title papers. It was so found by all of the judges of the court below and notwithstanding some irregularities in them, we are disposed to concur in the finding The question which remains is, dId the officers who made the grant have the power to do so? The petition states, that under and by virtue of said laws and derrees, such proceedings were thereunder re- gularly had as that the government of the State of Sonora, by it's officers duly authorized regu- lsrlY and for a good and valuable consideration m said grant set forth did on the 12th day of A April, 1888, issue and convey to one Senor Don Fernando Rodrigues, the land hereinbefors mentioned The allegation or claim then is grant from the atate Of Sonora. There is no claim of grant from the Mexican Gov ernmeat. The grant however re- cites that t i5 done 'iD the name of tas free and inaependsnt sovereign sz4t4 of Sonora as yell ss the sasu,t lE-xiean nation
 eauc.l42 thot tbe owaer-