Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1922-01-17
BANCO BILL now
ENACTED, GOES
TO white House
Measure Finally Passes Con-
gress; Has Wide Effect
Along the Rio Grande

Senate bill No. 2133. entitled "a
bill ceding jurisdiction to the state
Of Texas Of certain lands or bancos
acquired by the United States Of
America from the United States Of
Mexico" which passed the senate in
August, yesterday was finally ap-
proved in the lower house and sent
to President Harding for his sigma
ture, according to a message late
Monday to former State Representa-
tive J.>T. CanaIes.
The measure, according to Mr..
Canales, for the first time gives the
state of Texas civil and criminal
jurisdiction over some one hundred
bancos along the Rio Grande be-
tween Brownsville and FL Paso
These bancos were ceded to the
United States by the boundary treaty
OF 1907. by which all bodies of land
transferred to the Mexican side Of
the river by the changes in the river
bed became Mexico territory, and
by the same condition all Mexican
territory transferred to American
territory became American property.
In the meantime, while there was
federal jurisdiction over the prop
erty, the state had no control over
ii whatever, according to Mr.. Can
aies, thus preventing adjustment of
titles, tax matters and other civil
actions in connection with the trans
ferred lands. insofar as the state was
concerned.
"The bancos were a sort Of No
Mans land,' said Mr.. Cauales.
Take, for example, what is known
as the Cana,e's banco. which is 10
Gated within the city limits Of
Brownsville. Had the owner Of the
property permitted it, a person
might have set up gambling house
or other illegal resort on this banco.
i'm violation of the state laws, but
not in violation of the federal laws.
and neither the city, the county nor
the state could have interferred with
it. The passage of this measure
means, then, that state laws Will
when this measure has finally be
come law, be supreme on all the
bancos from Brownsville to III Paso.'
The important feature of tho
measure, according to Mr.. Canales.
is in the fact that the measure will
now allow litigation in the state
courts to settle many disputes as to
tax &c
the transfer Of these. bancos from
Mexico to the United States.
Efforts to bring about action 70
give the state jurisdiction over these
bancos were first started by Mr..
Canales while he was a member Of
the legislature, about two years ago.
However, he was unable to bring
about the desired result there. and
finally Brought the situation to tho
attention of Senator Morris Shep-
pard, who Responded by asking Mr..
Canales to prepare a. bill to cover
the situation. This was done. and
the matter was promptly introduced
in the senate by Senator Sheppard,
and when the time arrived for il 20
be handled in the house il was turn
ed over to Representative Tom Con
nally, who saw it through the lower
house.
Mr.. Canales today spoke in high
terms of the rapidity With which
the representatives in congress Sc
cured the final passage Of the law,
which is regarded by attorneys here
as opening up the avenue for the set
tlement of numerous land disputes
along the Rio Grande, especially in
the territory east of Roma.