Speech #510169316

The surveyor general of New M1exico in 1874 strongly painted the existing state of affairs (Report Commissioner General Land Of- fice. 1874. page 113): For want of a feeling of security as to title. sales of land.either by Government or grant claimants. in such regions are practically closed out. and will so remain until some relief Is afforded by Congress. The Commissioner of the General Land Office. in his -report for 1876. used this language (page 27): In addition to the foregoing. I might add that while these private land claims remain in their present unsettled condition it will continue to retard immigration to and settlement in said Territories. for. until the titles thereto are ascertained and the land segregated from the public domain. it will be impossible to determine which is public land subject to appropriation and settlement under the publicland laws and which is not. The surveyor generAl in the same year thus spoke of the increase of difficulty with lapse of time (Report Commissioner General Land Office. 1876. page 231): The longer the investigation of these titles and adjustment of these claims are deferred the morediflfcultdoes it becometo distinguish between the legitimate and the illegitimate grants. and the greater the opportunity for perpetrating frauds and imposing manufactured paper titles upon the Government. It is also an injustice to the proper claimant who desires to perfect his title. as it becomes more difficult to prove up his case as time lapses. and. should he desire to dispose of his estate. its real value is depreciated from the fact that be can not show a perfect title by reason of the nonaction of Congress in confirm. ing his right to the same.