The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-11-20
1uzE PUBLIC LANDS.
AnMassl R9ePOrG Of she COsA.
maiSsf0meP of 1Ae General
-s l.aa6 DGce.

Annasl HsePOrs Of she COsz
naiSsfoner Of lhe eSeReraa
Land OMce.
Washington Dispatch to the philadelphia
| Press
Commissioner Burdett, of tn
general land Office, in his annua
report now submitted to the sec
rotary OF the interior, concur
heartily with the recommends
tions made by his predecessor 70
consolidation of the existing
homestead and presumption laws
He says the experience of every
year confirms the conclusion Ions
since reached, that the MACHINERY
Of presumption laws furnishe:
ready means of fraud, and ought
for that reason to be changed
whilst the now well settled policy
OF holding public domain for the
benefit OF actual and productive
use may well be aided by the Ger.
tainty and simplicity incident to O
single method of disposal as con
tenipiated by the proposed legisla-
ton. He calls the attention OF
congress to the necessity OF
repeating the law requiring
claimants OF confirmed private
land claims to defray the cost of
the survey of their claims. Such
legislation, he says, is now urgent
ly needed, as would enable this Of
fice5at once to cause segregation
of the private from the public
lands, and thereby bring into mar
ketSa region Of country now un-
lawfully monopolized under indef-
mite grants from foreign govern
ments. Legislation is also recon-
mended having in view the aboli-
tiOn of the present system of Ad-
judication of private land-claims
in the territories of New Mexico,
Colorado and Arizona, and the
adopting of a system something
similar to that which was estab-
lished for California.
Commissioner Burdett in this re-
port discusses the interesting ques-
ton of the right of Indians to &C
quire title to public lands after they
have abandoned tribal relations.
He quotes from q decision of the
Hon. j. ID. Cox, when secretary
ofthe interior, in February, 1870, in
accordance with which the general
land Office issued q circular of in
structions to registers and receiv-
ers, extending the right of home
stead entry to Indians who
brought themselves within the
conditions laid down in that de-
cision. Under this authority
number of this class of persons
have availed themselves of the
privilege offered, and their entries
are awaiting final proof. 1t is now
learned that the question of the
status of such individual Indians
as may elect to abandon their
tribal relationship to the question
of citizenship has, though not in
any matter having connection with
the administration of the affairs
of this office, been again brought
to the attention of the depart
ment, and that a decision has been
reached by Secretary Delano in
respect to it opposite to that on
which the present practice is based.
Entertaining no doubt whatever
of the correctness of the latter de-
cision, Commissioner Burdett says
he "shall be compelled to revoke the
circular of April 1, 1870, and to
hold for cancellation all entries of
this class now pending, unless con-
gress shall, by appropriate legisla-
ton, give them validity" He
further says, on the invitation of
this office, that these persons have
been induced to renounce their
tribal relations, with all attendant
privileges and benefits, and they
should not now be deprived of the
equivalent offered. /, therefore,
recommend that such legislation
be had as shall give stability to all
homestead affairs, which, other
wise being in accordance with law,
are subject to be defeated, on ac-
count of the Indian descent of the
claimant. / venture the sugges-
ton that the homestead laws be
SO amended as to invest this class
of persons with the full right of
participation in their benefits, upon
the severance Of their tribal rela-
ton and REIMBURSEMENT of bene-
fits, incident thereto. To such as
have given the problem of Indian
civilization and citizenship careful
study, it has long been manifest
that q chief obstacle to the adj
vancement of the race is found in
the system of Ownership in COM
mon" of all landed property claims
by the tribe, and the consequent
absence of all those inducements
70 frugality and industry incident
to the methods of our tenures,
and which are the founda-
ton of our material civilization.
The process of the homestead law
presents the exact schooling re-
quired to correct a vicious system
prevailing among the tribes from
their earliest history. It corrects
the rowing instinct by requiring a
residence in the same place for
five years. It enforces habits of
industry by the requirement of
improvement and cultivation of
land, and must result in that adj
ded self.respect and consequent
capacity for usefulness which own
ership brings with it. Such an
observance of the provisions of
the homestead law as would be
evidenced by the grant of a pat
ent-right well answers any neces-
sary conditions of naturalization,
and furnishes the best possible
test of capacity for citizenship.
1t is worthy of consideration
whether it would not be we'll and
just. not only to provide that the
homestead privilege be extended
in the manner before suggested,
and that the receipt of q patent
issued under the homestead Law
shall entitle the rights of a citizen
of the United States.
Lucy Hooper tells a story of 8
certain French nobleman who pre-.
sented a queen of the demi monde
with an elegant equipage, with
servants to match. During hi:
absence from the city he learned
that the gorgeous turnout had fire