156 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



** A superficial view of the matter would be very apt 

 to lead to the supposition that the Jesuits, so cele- 

 brated for wisdom and cunning, would not fail to 

 secure that which, at that time, would probably have 

 been obtained by merely asking for it — a royal decree, 

 granting to them all the lands they might require in 

 that remote country for ecclesiastical purposes. There 

 have been some intimations to that effect, but nothing 

 is distinctly known. These missions embrace within 

 their limits some of the most valuable lands in the 

 Territory, and it is very important that it should be 

 ascertained whether they belong to the Government, 

 or may be justly claimed by individals. 



'' Most of the land fit for cultivation, south of lati- 

 tude 39°, and west of the valley of the Sacranlento 

 and San Joaquin, is claimed under what purport to 

 be grants from the Mexican government. 



" On most of these grants, the minerals and metals 

 are reserved to the government : conditions were 

 coupled with many of them which have not been com- 

 plied with. In others, the boundaries described em- 

 brace two or three times as much land as the grant 

 conveys. 



" The Mexican law required all grants made by the 

 provincial government, with few exceptions, to be 

 confirmed by the supreme government. The great 

 distance which separated them, and the unfrequent or 

 difficult means of communication, made a compliance 

 with the law so expensive and tardy that it came to be 

 almost disregarded. 



" There were other causes which ]cd to this neglect. 



" Previous to the treaty with Mexico and the immi- 

 gration of American citizens to that country, land 

 was not regarded as of much value, except for grazing 



