Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-08-07

Stats two tull years after survey to Sc
II lect these lands. A large quantity OF
lands have already been selected
aud sold by the State and the money
puid into the school fund. By REFER
ence to the returns of the Surveyors It
will be found that these selections con-
sist almost entirely Of timber lands
and the lowest and Wettest
valley lands. The timber lands
being nearly exhausted, hereafter ting
low lands will be first selected, anu II
the State Il to find land within rea-
sonable time to satisfy the donations
already made these lands which would
be condemned as swamp must oe APP
propriated to that purpuse. II VIII oe
seen their that thi. swamp land act
would greatly impair the prospects OF
the school fund.
Again. the passage Of thia act and
the condemnation Of the valleys as
swamp land would involve 4 system OF
reclamation by which the water OF our
mountain streams would be diverted
from their natural channels under the
pretext Of reclamation, whereby many
now using the water tor irrigation ana
milling purposes would. be deprived
nf the same. and new aud fruitful
sourre Of dl.cord aud litigation would
be introduced In our State. Our pe-
culiar situation as u State requires the
reclamation OF the sagebrush lani oy
Irrigation, and forbids mnnopolizing
the water under any pretext what
ever. Whenever any feasible scheme
can be devised for reclaimlng tho
waste lands Of the great interior by ir.
rigatlon. aid may confidently be ex-
pected from the Federal Government.
But to make that aid effective all
available streams must be Lett free
from such legislation rs will prevent
their dedication to this purpose. Our
real want Il more water rather than
more dry land. 4 proper distribution
of the water we now have for the pnr-
pose OF irrigation will drain all the
swamps without supplying one-half Of
the demand. The dry lands, still re-.
maining after such distribution Will
exhaust every artificial resource which
can be devised. .
But we are told that other States
hnd this grant AMI Nevada Is as much
entitled to It as they were. Why
should Nevada suffer because other
States have been afflicted by bad legts-
Iation? 1t is a mistake to suppose
that the Act Of 1850 has been extended
to all other States. know OF no Act
extending 1t to Nebraska, and the DEL
egation In Congress from Kansas has
perslstently refused to allow It's exteI.-
zion to that State. OIL the ground that
it was most injurious IN its operations.
1t must not be supposed that the pro-
ceed5 OF these lands uRder the swamp
land Act. 90 Into the treasury Of the
State. Such Is not the fact. Tho
theory Of the law Il. that the proceeds
are to be used to reclaim the land.
The Act OF Nevada above referred TO
provides that the lands shall be paid
for within three months from the ap-
pioval of the application unless the
purchaser desires a credit, In which
case twenty per cent. shall be advanced
and q credit OF five years allowed upon
the balance and If reclamation OF the
lands Is made tlie 20 per cent. shall be
paid back, aud the obligation for the
balance Of purchase money Cancelled.
In all cases, whether credit Is OBJ
taincd or not, the entire proceeds are
to be used In reclaimlng the lands, or
under pretense of so doing. Under
similar statutes In the various States,
over 80, 900, 900 of acres Of choice lands
have fallen into tlre hands Of specula-
| tors, upon ut least four-fifths Of which
no improvements appear In the nature
Of reclamation. .. .........-...
1t Is suggested that the opposition to
this Act comes from the railroad conf
panles. This Is only pretext. The
tact that the railroad company has re-
ceived u land grant OF the alternate
.ectlons along the line Of the road.
furnishes no reason tor squanderiug
the balance of the valley lands In the
State. although by so doing some In.
jury might be done to the railroad
company.
Thls land grant to the Pacific Rail-
road was made before Nevada was ad-
united as a State. and your delegation
la Congress deserve none OF the credit
or blame which may attach to that
legislation. But, suppose the property
uf the railroad company could DO taken
and donated to other purposes, under
pretext OF having 1t reclaimed, and
that the courts would sanction sucll
legislation, tho same law would also
take the even SECTIONS. belonging to
the Government, q large portion oi
which tile State has already selected
and sold to innocent purchasers
Aside from all other considerations,
the want of a proper definition Of the
phrase swamp aud overilowed lands'
/ haI harassed settlers aud kept titles In
confu.lon from the date OF their grant
until the present time, In every State
receiving the donation. The establish
ment of the meandering lines. segrc.
eating swamp from other lands de-
pends wholly upon the di4cretion, ih'
terest or caprice Of deputy surveyor:
aud Spectators. It Is held that The
Department ut Washington Is power.
less to prevent frauds. OH the ground
chat It Is compelled by law to act OIL
the reports forwarded. and cannot see
the land or understand the motives OI
pavties engaged In these transactions
Congress Is ilooded with petitions al
every session, Of settlers who have 10.
Gated under the homestead or pre-
emption laws, cultivated and improved
their homes, and, in many case.
bought and paid for their laud, who
tiud their pre-emptions and homestead;
included In these swamp land surveys
Will, have the honor Of holding Z
place as United States Senator troir
Nevada, 1 shall Oil all occasions repre-
sent, TO the best OF my ability, tht
wishes or my constituents. But, whel
legislation Is asked which seems to mt
clearly injurious. aud when that re-
quest Is made upon what seems to mt
to TO a. .mistake of facts. ieel calieL
upon to submit the case fairly to tht
people, and II, upon mature consldera
ton. they desire the legislation, my
duty Is plain to resign my place ol
carry out their expressed will.
Let this swamp land project he dis
cusssd. and let the people decide with
full knowledge Of all the facts, ant
their will shall be law governing IN!
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