Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-05-06
.R0DEY TAKES
AFFIRM STAND
Hs Will Not Of His Own volition 30 Party 70
Bsopsniug tho Land Grant
Question.
he WRITES ASTRONG LETTER
The Delegate Refuses 10 Help Legislation That Would
Reopen tho San Miguel del Bado PrvaM Land
Grant Matter or Any Other Land Grant
Already Disposed Of.

4
stand against reopening any of tn
private land grant questions alread,
disposed of by the court of private lan'
claims and the United States supreme
court. He recently wrote the following
letter in reference to this question::
Washington, D. c., May 8, 1902
Don Roman Gallegos. San Jose, isai
Miguel County, New Mexico.
My Dear Mr.. Gallegos: have your
kind letter of the 2Sth ultimo, as also
the clipping from La Voz del Pueblo OF
the 10Th, ell referring to the matter OF
the San Miguel del Bado land grant.
| Answering the same, I desire to state
that it is true that Mr.. Money was here
in Washington and tried to induce me
| to introduce bill in the house of rep
resentatives to confirm that grant tc
the claimants. His father, Senator
Money, had introduced the bill in the
senate previously, but demurred about
Introducing 1t. at least until I would
learn more about the desire of the peo-
pie Of New Mexico with reference to
|reopening land grants,
Ever since this session of congress
has opened, the newspapers Of New
Mexico, and many Of the people, have
been warning me against permitting
the land grant question which has re-
tarded our territory for half century.
being reopened There are many land
grants in New Mexico that have been
rejected by the court Of private land
claims, that are now owned by people
| in the eastern states, and these people
want them all confirmed by congress,
and this, although the highest court in
| the land said they had no title. These
people, in many cases, paid large for
tunes Of their good money, and paid 1t
in good faith, for these land grants
which the courts afterwards annuled
Several bills are now either introduced
| in congress, or are ready to be intro
duced whenever there appears to be
any chance to have them passed. The
claimants of the Antonio Chaves grant
who live in New York and Indiana
| have had q bill in all this session for
its confirmation 1t Is for 100000 acres
of land down at Socorro. The claimants
paid large fortune In good money Tor
| it, and paid 1t in the best Of faith, yet
the people down at Socorro have delug-
ed me with petitions and letters against
permitting it to be confirmed, and l
have been fighting 1t as hard as can
Hon. Pedro Perea had the same fight
on his hands during the last session OF
congress. If introduced any bill In
| the house to confirm any land grant
the claimants Of this grant would al
once argue before the same committee
that they had as much right to have
their land, which they bought In good
faith, as any one else had. The court OF
private land claims rejected many land
grants, amounting in all to about 7,OOO,-
900 acres, and every one Of the grants
which it rejected have some claim
which they think in equity entities
them to have congress give them what
the courts refused them. might men,
ton some Of these grants. They are
first the one in question, the San MI
fguel del Bado for 100000 acres; next the
Antonio Chaves grant for about 1SO,oO(
acres, also the Antonio Sandoval gram
for about 100000 acres, the La Joye
grant, the Canon dc Chama grant, the
San Joaquin del Nacimiento grant
the Petaca grant, the vallecito grant
the Ell Rito tract, and dozens Of others
Personally. having been before thu
Icommittee on private land claims Of
the house many times on other matter:
+ know what the sentiments Of tht
members of that committee are, and
they are each and every one radically
opposed to confirming any land, OF
claim for land, which the supreme
court of the United States has decided
that the claimants have no title to
and therefore am of the opinion tha
It would do no good for me to try tt
get this San Miguel del Bado land
grant confirmed, because it cannot b.
done.
Every village that Is situated on tn
San Miguel del Bado grant, has had 1T
own lands right around the village
which are cultivated and used, con
f1rmed to it, and only the outside lands
amounting to $4,000 acres, were reject
ed. All the citizens Of these villages
have the same.rights as any other citi
zen of the United States to go ant
take up any Of those outside lands the.
may want at any time. It Is a question
for the people there to decide, II thi
privilege OF being able to take up thos
lands as individuals Is not in fact bet
ter for them, than to have 1t confirmed
as grant and tie up the title, and hav
to give half Of 1t to attorneys for set
hling the title for them, and to retar'
the settlement Of the country. and no
know who really owns It for man!
years.
| The cities Of Santa Fe and Albuquer
que had acts passed confirming th'
Hand upon which they are situated, ant
that is just exactly what all the towns
on the san Miguel del Bado grant hat
done by the court
| II the people Of New Mexico want y
reopen the land grant question. whlcl