Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-03-04
TO INVESTIGATE
LAND SALES
By Governor Re
solution Passes
House
RY VIVA V0CF VOTE
BY VIVA vOCE VOTE
Alleged 1000 Acres Of Tim.
Der Have Been Disposed of
Without Authority Of Law.

A Republican House caucus was III
session this afternoon from half-past
one to half-past three The House
met at that hour. The first business
was the introduction of a resolution
by Representative Beach.
The House adopted the resolution
by viva voce vote
The following were named as the
committee on resolution:
Z. C. Abbott, of Santa Fe, chair
man; and Messrs. AldricH, Beach
Mullens and Ramon Sanchez.
The resolution reads:
House Resolution No. 7.
Providing for the Appointment Of 2
Committee to Investigate the Al
legged Unlawful Disposal and Sale Of
Certain Territorial Lands by Hon
Herbert ]. Hagerman, Governor of
New Mexico.
Whereas, There was granted by the
act of Congress approved June 2l,
1898, large portion of the public do
main of the United States in New
Mexico, for the benefit of certain edu'
cational and eleemosynary institutions
Of said Territory; and,
Whereas, Said act Of Congress,
among other things, provided that not
more than one hundred and sixty
acres of land should be sold to any
one person, corporation or association
Of persons; and,
Whereas, 1t is currently reported
and has become a matter of general
knowledge that the Hon. Herbert j.
Hagerman, Governor of New Mexico
without the knowledge and consent OF
the Commissioner of Public Lands of
this Territory, who, under the law OF
the Territory, is solely vested with
jurisdiction over and power to dispose
of such lands, and during the temper
airy absence from his Office of such
Commissioner of public lands, pro
cured from the Office of such commits
soner and delivered to w. s. Hope
well. general manager or agent of the
Pennsylvania Development Company
certain deeds conveying to salu com
I pany seven thousand or more acres OF
timber lands, in the Manzano Noun
tains, in the County of Torrance
Heretofore selected under said act ol
Congress, and belonging to said Terri
tory, at the price of three dollars pei
acre, In contravention Of said act o.
Congress; and,
Whereas, 1t is also reported tha
the said Governor, during the afore
said absence of the said COMMISSIONS
of Public Lands, also procured from
the Office Of such commissioner, who
under the law, was and is the sole Gus
todian thereof, the official seal of thu
Board of Public Lands of this Terri
tory, AID unlawfully affixed such sea
to the said deeds conveying salt
lands; and,
Whereas. It is also reported that a
the time of affixing such seal and de
livering such deeds, as aforesaid. th'
Governor then and there accepted
from the said Hopewell check for ;
large amount Of money on account o
the aforesaid purchase price of sail
lands, made payable to the order 0
the said Governor, which was after
wards by said Governor endorsed owe
to the said Commissioner Of Publ
lands; and,
Whereas it is also reported that tn
said Commissioner of Public Land
has up to this time declined to acced
TO repeated demands by said Governc
that he distribute the proceeds of tn
Aforesaid check to the credit of tn
several Territorial institutions in b.
half of which the lands were so a
aforesaid selected and alleged t
have been illegally disposed of, an
that said commissioner is holding th
proceeds of such check intact as
separate deposit, giving as his reaso
for so doing that said lands were b
said Governor disposed of and sol
as aforesaid IN contravention Of tn
said act Of Congress; and,
Whereas it is reliably asserted ths
the said several acts Of said Cove
nor, named herein, were in defiant
Of law, by reason whereof the Teri
tory has been deprived of a large are
Of its lands, worth, on account of I'll
valuable timber thereon, from tive
ty-five to one hundred dollars pt
acre; and,
Whereas, It appears that the sever
Territorial institutions in behalf /.
which said lands were selected, ha,
been defrauded of their rights by vi
tue Of the totally inadequate price
which said lands were so sold
aforesaid;
Therefore, be 1t resolved by II
House of Representatives of the Thi
ty-seventh Legislative Assembly
the Territory Of New Mexico, That II
Speaker of said House be, and he
hereby, empowered and requested
forthwith appoint a committee co
sisting of five members of this bot
to examine into the truth Of sa
several alleged unlawful acts Of sa
Governor which said commits