The land of the _ranchos_ was always either a royal grant of Spain or of the supreme government of Mexico, or latterly of the Governor of California; all these grants practically had the same effect; the possessor of the tract of land thus granted was always in the full enjoyment of his rights and privileges, and no authority could disturb him in his possessions. As the country was frequently disturbed by revolutions, when it was not uncommon for one of the contending parties to burn up or carry away or destroy the archives of a town or even of the country, the land proprietors were not molested in their possessions, although they could not show their property enregistered in the records. Besides the officers of the Mexican government being proverbially negligent of their duties, may not have paid sufficient attention to proper order in these matters. Under such circumstances it would not be surprising if some proprietors should find their property unregistered in the archives of the country. Whatever land is left that has not been disposed of in one of the ways aforesaid, is public land at the disposal of the government. Such being the disposition of landed property in California, the American government, if it be just and does not wish to create a general disaffection among the people towards itself, must recognize the actual possessors in their possessions by a summary act of legislation recognizing the rights they claim, and to prevent all future difficulties, giving them the fee-simple title to their possessions. The _ranchos_ must be acknowledged to be the property of private individuals; the towns must have their rights to their town lands, and the Missions, if they yet have any Indians, ought to retain their tracts of land; or if these exist no longer, the church and public education have the next and best right to them. The lands of the Missions were always considered as Indian lands, or lands devoted for the benefit of the Indians living at the Missions; the priest was but a steward of the Mission. When the riches of the Missions excited the envy of some high persons in office, they set themselves to work to secularize them--and they succeeded under the Mexican government. The Missions were secularized and circumscribed, and received laymen for their administrators, who superintended and administered them so well that the riches of the Missions fled, their buildings were ruined, their Indians scattered, and at present scarcely their shadow is left; yet they do exist just to remind the world of their former opulence. With the exception of two or three, on all of them there are yet some Indians and a Priest left shorn of their former glory.