Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-02-03

The House.
The roll call in the afternoon showed
that Messrs. Bowie, Dalies, Howard,
Martinez. and Pollard were absent.
Prayer by the chaplain.
Mr.. Baca introduced house joint me-
mortal No 1, to the president of the
United States, asking that the Fort
Marcy reservation be granted to the
city of Santa Fe for public use. The
following is the text of the memorial:
Be it Resolved, That the following
joint memorial be adopted by the
Thirty fifth legislative assembly of the
Territory of New Mexico:
To the President of the United States:
Your memorialist, the Thirty-fifth
legislative assembly of the Territory
of New Mexico, submit for your con-
sideration in behalf of the people of
the territory
That situate in the ancient and his
toric city OF Santa Fe, cornering on the
main public square or plaza" is a
tract of government land consisting Of
some fifteen acres. more or less, on
which was established a military post
by executive order dated August 2S,
1868, but which hau been used for mill
tary purposes by the Spaniards, Mexi-
can and American authorities success
sively for more than a century prior
to that date. Ii was relinquished by
executive order October /, 1891, and by
similar order June 10, 1895, was trans
ferred to the interior department. The
buildings on this tract of land number
twenty or more, and with the excep-
tion of a small brick cottage are con-
structed of adobe mud, and are in a
dilapidated, tumbled-down and most
unsightly condition.
That ever since this post was first
abandoned by executive order, nearly
twelve years ago, it has been the sub
ject of grave agitation among the peo-
pie of the Capital City of this Terri
tory; it has long served as an eye
sore for strangers and visitors in the
city, causing adverse comment upon
the people of that community, upon the
territory and upon the federal govern
ment and has stood as bone of con-
tention among citizens, not only of the
city, but of the territory, and has di-
vided that community into contending
factions and engendered bitter feelings
because of the various divergent opin-
ions touching its final disposition.
Repeated efforts have been made to
induce the interior department, so long
in control of the property, to make
some disposition of 1t, but representa-
tives of local factions with more or
less influence have presented the sub
ject at Washington from time to time
and so plausibly colored these oppos-
ing positions as to create confusion in
the minds of the federal officials;
hence year after year has passed, the
improvements on the property, none
too good at the beginning, have fallen
into decay and still the matter is held
in allegiance. SO that at best the mon
etary value of this remnant of the old
post, if sold by the interior department
would amount TO but mere pittance
to our great national government.
Your memorialist would further re,
spectfully represent, that the govern
ment of the United States now has in
its employ thousands of public school
teachers in Porto Rico and the Philip
pines, whereas during all the long
years New Mexico has been a part OF
United States territory, absolutely
nothing has been done by the present
government for the education of heI
children. For more than half a cen
tury this people have been left to meet
and overcome the most serious obsta
cles-obstacles which no other people
within the domain of the United States
have ever had to contend within or
der to attain whatever of enlighten
ment and the spirit of progressive
American citizenship they today pos
sess; they have been compelled TO de
pend upon their own limited resources
! cOntendlng against an arid climate, In