MEXICAN GJiA^'TS. 459 



ment is postponed for an indefinite time ; the owners aro 

 burdened with new htigation, with indefinite deferment of 

 their hopes, with increased costs ; and the country is again 

 cheated out of quiet titles, permanent settlers, permanent im- 

 provements, and all those blessings of inestimable value which 

 come only with numerous fixed and happy homes, and the 

 best regulated social order. 



While the government has thus, during twelve years, not 

 simply refused to confirm the l;md -titles granted by Mexico, 

 but made bitter and unceasing w^ar upon them, and compelled 

 the claimants to bear the expense of the w^arfiire, these Claim- 

 ants have had to suffer from the assaults of other and still 

 more dangerous and vexatious enemies — the squatters ; who, 

 while ostensibly left without countenance by the lav/, were 

 really often engaged in an offensive and defensive alliance 

 with the officers of the government. The squatters took the 

 land, occupied it, drove away the owner's cattle, cut down 

 his trees, fenced in his springs, paid him no rent, paid no 

 taxes, by their infliience forced him to pay the taxes on the 

 land they were occupying, and assessed the taxes at most ex- 

 orbitant rates. This system was not rare, but frequent — it 

 was practised on not one, but a hundred ranches. And then, 

 with the money derived from the land thus obtained, they 

 paid lawyers to appear in the name of the United States, 

 contest the owner's title, and delay a decision ; and, after 

 decision, to get up a contest about the survey and delay a 

 settlement of the boundaries. I do not mean to say that every 

 Mexican claim is good, or every squatter wrong ; my purpose 

 in this article is only to complain of the vast injustice done 

 to the owners of honest and legally valid claims, which are the 

 great majority of all presented to the cou; ts. 



It is fourteen years since Americans became the rulers of 

 California, and land-titles are no nearer a settlement than they 

 should have been twelve years ago, if a proper system had been 

 adopted. The great question about the boundaries, which 

 should have been the main subject of action, is now just where 



