566 



NEW YORK (STATE). 



laws seem to justify, and though mineral lands were 

 not alienated in lee-simple by those governments, 

 still confirmatory acts have been passed and patents 

 issued, under which it is claimed that minerals pass 

 to patentees. Success in securing confirmation of 

 grants of a doubtful character so encouraged and em- 

 boldened the covetous, that it is alleged the manufac- 

 ture of grant-papers became an occupation, and sur- 

 veys have been so erroneously made as to lead to a 

 belief that these grants are endowed with India-rubber 

 qualities. No one will attempt to acquire any lands 

 in the vicinity of these alleged grants, for fear that 

 the stretching process will be applied. Prospectors 

 avoid the grants because it is assumed that, in ac- 

 cordance with the practice in former confirmations, 

 the minerals will pass to the claimants. Doubt ana 

 uncertainty seriously retard settlement and develop- 

 ment. More than a third of a century has passed since 

 this Territory was acquired, and still large numbers 

 of the grants remain undisposed of. 



The homestead and pre-emption laws were designed 

 to distribute lands among the people, and to prevent 

 land monopoly. In those localities where the great 

 body of the land is productive of the necessaries of 

 life, the intended result has been experienced. In 

 the dry and mountainous country the contrary effect 

 has been produced, and under the operation of the 

 homestead and pre-emption laws the greatest land 

 monopoly exists. Locations are made which embrace 

 a spring, or extend along a stream, and the surround- 

 ing lands are valueless to any one but the locators of 

 the water. Hence, the man who obtains one hundred 

 and sixty acres controls the usufruct of a vast tract 

 without cost, and without paying any tax to support 

 the local government. A cattle company or an indi- 

 vidual may, by owning a few acres, have the occu- 

 pancy of a tract as large as some of the States. 



Indians and Outlaws. On tliese subjects the 

 Governor, in his report for 1883, says : 



At the time my last report was made, Oct. 31, 1881, 

 New Mexico had recently been relieved from pro- 

 longed and destructive raids by hostile Indians. Since 

 that time no raids have been made into the Territory, 

 and no citizen has been killed on the soil of New Mex- 

 ico, except Judge McComas and wife, which occurred 

 in April last. The Indians then did not enter the 

 Territory for the purpose of a raid, but were driven 

 into it from Arizona by the forces in pursuit, and 

 murdered the persons named while fleeing from the 

 troops, and making their way by a circuitous route 

 into Mexico. Preparations are so complete, and means 

 so ample, that any hostile movement can be met, and 

 crushed speedily and effectually. 



Also, at the time my last report was made, the Ter- 

 ritory in many parts was overrun by numerous des- 

 perate and criminal characters. Life and property 

 were at their mercy, and they acted in defiance of the 

 authorities. The condition was so bad, that good citi- 

 zens felt justified in organizing vigilance committees, 

 and lynch-law was frequently administered. The 

 desperado and thieving element has substantially dis- 

 appeared, and nothing more is heard of vigilantes, or 

 lynch-law. Thirty militia companies are organized, 

 armed, and officered by good men, under excellent 

 discipline, and as favorably located over the Territory 

 as the condition of the population will permit. 



NEW YORK (STATE). Grover Cleveland, who 

 was elected Governor in November, 1882, by 

 an unprecedented majority, was inaugurated 

 on the 1st of January. On the following day 

 the Legislature was organized. The organi- 

 zation of the Senate, as made the year before, 

 was left undisturbed, except that the new 

 Lieuten ant-Governor presided. Alfred C. Cha- 

 pin, of Kings county, was chosen Speaker of 

 the Assembly. For the first time in many 



years the Democratic party had control at 

 once of the chief executive office and both 

 branches of the Legislature. There were sev- 

 eral contested seats in the Assembly, but only 

 one case excited special interest. In one of 

 the election districts of the Thirteenth Assem- 

 bly District of New York city, 173 votes were 

 returned as cast for Thales S. Bliss, Demo- 

 crat, and 120 for Henry L. Sprague, Republi- 

 can. It was claimed in behalf of Sprague that 

 the figures had been transposed through an 

 error of a poll-clerk, which reversed the result 

 of the election in the entire Assembly district. 

 The county canvassers had refused to correct 

 the error, and given the certificate to Bliss. 

 The Assembly Committee on Privileges and 

 Elections, consisting of five Democrats and four 

 Republicans, reported, after a full investiga- 

 tion, in favor of Sprague's right to the seat, 

 seven members signing the report. Two mem- 

 bers of the committee, without disputing the 

 facts established by the majority, reported in 

 favor of Bliss, and after debate this minority 

 report was adopted, 14 Democrats voting with 

 the Republicans against the motion. 



Legislative Action. A subject which occupied 

 a good deal of attention during the session was 

 that of convict-labor, an effort being made to 

 abolish the employment of inmates of the 

 State Prisons by contract. An investigation 

 of the alleged abuses of the system was made 

 by a committee of the Assembly, and at one 

 time thirteen bills affecting the subject were 

 pending. A bill was passed forbidding the 

 renewal of the contract for making hats at the 

 Clinton Prison, but beyond that the system 

 was not interfered with. An act was passed, 

 however, near the end of the session, referring 

 the question whether contract- labor should be 

 abolished from the prisons to a vote of the 

 people at the next regular election. 



Two important acts affecting the civil ser- 

 vice of the State were passed. One of these 

 prohibited assessments for political purposes 

 upon persons holding office or employment in 

 the service of the State, or the collection of 

 contributions for political purposes in any pub- 

 lic office or institution. Although this act be- 

 came a law r the same object was still more 

 effectually provided for in the other bill, the 

 main purpose of which was to regulate appoint- 

 ments to and removals from office. This bill 

 was prepared under the advice of the New 

 York Civil-Service Reform League, and was 

 modeled on the national law. It was intro- 

 duced simultaneously by a Republican in the 

 Senate and by a Democrat in the Assembly, on 

 the 25th of January. It was referred to the 

 Judiciary Committees, whence it was favorably 

 reported in the Assembly February 28th, two 

 Democratic members of the committee dissent- 

 ing. It was not acted on until April, when, 

 through the efforts mainly of Republican mem- 

 bers,it wasbrought under consideration, amend- 

 ments having been added from another bill, 

 which extended its provisions somewhat. "When 



