Heading: -1854
Author: Hawes, Horace
Title: Brief of argument made by Horace Hawes, on behalf of United States, before U.S. Board of Land Commissioners for California, no. 280, at the request of the U.S. Law Agent. City of San Francisco vs. the United States. Delivered May 29, 30, 31, and June 2, 1854
Place Published: San Francisco
Publisher:Times and Transcript Steam Presses
Date Published: 1854
Description:

62 pp. 21.5x13 cm (8½x5¼"), modern three-quarter gilt-ruled red morocco & cloth, spine lettered in gilt. First Edition.

A key California land case, about which Streeter writes, "Hawes was on the losing side in this famous case for which Dwinelle's brief for the City, The Colonial History of the City of San Francisco, being a Narrative Argument..., has become a California classic (the 3rd edition published in 1866). It was Hawes's contention that San Francisco had not been a pueblo within the meaning of the laws of Spain and hence not entitled to the four square leagues it claimed. The real property in interest was not the United States but the large number of people who had filed claims on the land under the land laws of the United States." Greenwood notes the brief cites "important documents of Fages, Peralta, and others, dating from Monterey in the 1780's." OCLC/WorldCat locates ten copies. Greenwood 527; Streeter 2763.

Occasional light foxing, faint dampstain to lower gutter corners, library call numbers on title-page verso; very good in fine binding.