The decisions, however, which caused for the time the greatest
irritation, and excited the bitterest denunciation of the judges,
related to the titles to land in the city of San Francisco, though
in the end they proved to be of incalculable benefit. Upon the
acquisition of California, there was a Mexican Pueblo upon the site
of the city. The term _pueblo_ is aptly translated by the English
word _town_. It has all the vagueness of that term, and is equally
applicable to a settlement of a few individuals at a particular
place, or to a regularly organized municipality. The _Pueblo_ of San
Francisco was composed of a small population; but, as early as 1835,
it was of sufficient importance to have an _Ayuntamiento_ or Town
Council, composed of alcaldes and other officers, for its government.
At the time of our acquisition of the country it was under the
government of alcaldes or justices of the peace. By the laws of
Mexico, then in force, _pueblos_ or towns, when once officially
recognized as such by the appointment of municipal magistrates,
became entitled to four square leagues of land, to be measured off and
assigned to them by the officers of the government. Under these
laws the city of San Francisco, as successor of the Mexican Pueblo,
asserted a claim to such lands, to be measured off from the northern
portion of the peninsula upon which the city is situated. And
the alcaldes, assuming an authority similar to that possessed by
_alcaldes_ in other _pueblos_, exercised the power of distributing
these municipal lands in small parcels to settlers for building,
cultivation, and other uses.

When the forces of the United States took possession of the city, the
alcaldes, holding under the Mexican government, were superseded by
persons appointed by our military or naval officers having command
of the place. With the increase of population which followed the
discovery of gold, these magistrates were besieged by applicants
for grants of land; and it was refreshing to see with what generous
liberality they disposed of lots in the city--a liberality not
infrequent when exercised with reference to other people's property.
Lots, varying in size from fifty to one hundred varas square, (a
measure nearly equal to our yard,) were given away as freely as they
were asked, only a small fee to meet necessary charges for preparing
and recording the transfers being demanded. Thus, for the lot occupied
by the Lick House, and worth now nea