Whereas, the court of private land claims, at a session of said court held in the city of Santa Fe, in the month of August, in the year 1892, did make and enter of record its decree granting and confirming to the city of Socorro and Candelario Garcia, in trust, for the beenfit [benefit] of said city and the inhabitants thereof, four square Spanish leagues of land, having for their center the center of the Roman Catholic church of the city of Socorro, and have [having] for their boundaries one Spanish league distant from the center of said Roman Catholic church to each cardinal point of the compass; and

Whereas, said decree confirmed said land to the city of Socorro and to Candelario Garcia, in trust, for the use and benefit of the holders thereon and those holding any portion of said land from or under any lawful authority, and as to those lands not held by private ownership under any lawful deed or grant, were decreed to be held by said city and said Candelario Garcia, in trust, for the whole people of said grant; and

Whereas, there is a large quantity of said lands so confirmed as aforesaid held in severalty by persons claiming ownership thereof or interest therein, and such persons are entitled to deeds to the same from said trustees and are entitled to have their titles perfected to said lands so held in severalty, and there is also a large portion of the said lands within the limits of said grant not claimed or held in severalty, and the title to which is held by said trustees, in trust, as aforesaid; and

Whereas, there is no power or authority given to said city or said Candelario Garcia by said decree or by law to carry out said trust, or to make deeds to the persons owning portions of said grant in severalty, or to sell or to dispose of the portion of such grant the title to which is held by said trustees as aforesaid, and it is necessary that such power and authority should be given to the said trustees; wherefore,

Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid that said Candelario Garcia, who is the cotrustee with said city, shall have the right and power, if he so desires, to surrender and convey his trust in said lands to said city of Socorro, and in case he, the said cotrustee with said city, shall decline, neglect, refuse or be unable because of death or otherwise, or unwilling to act in conjunction with said city to carry out said trust in the manner and under authority herein given, then in such case said city of Socorro shall be and is hereby made the sole trustee herein to carry out said trust; and that said city, in the event of said cotrustee failing, neglecting or being unable to act as aforesaid, be and it is hereby vested with the sole and full power to carry out and execute said trust.

And the said city council of said city, in the event it becomes the sole trustee, shall by its mayor and city clerk make, execute and deliver a deed or deeds conveying to any individual, company or corporation applying for the same a full and complete title to all of the property so conveyed, the said individual or corporation or company first satisfying said city council that he or it is entitled to such deed or deeds for which the land or lands or some portion thereof or interest therein for which application for deed or deeds have been so made: provided, that if the said cotrustee acts with said city in the execution of this trust he shall sign and execute said deed or deeds in conjunction with said city.

History: Laws 1893, ch. 77, § 1; 1909, ch. 143, § 1; Code 1915, § 866; C.S. 1929, § 29-1001; 1941 Comp., § 9-901; 1953 Comp., § 8-9-1.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Compiler's notes. — This article was derived from Article 8 of Chapter 22 of the 1915 Code and was not reenacted by its inclusion in that compilation, but was compiled for convenience only.

Legislative purpose. — It was the purpose of the legislature hereby to authorize and define a procedure whereby the various claimants to lots in the Socorro grant might acquire deeds to the same upon establishing their rights thereto. City of Socorro v. Cook, 1918-NMSC-072, 24 N.M. 202, 173 P. 682.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 73B C.J.S. Public Lands § 205.