Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-20
TAXATION OF LANDS GRANTED
TO RAILROADS.

State are to be taken into consideration,
the bill lately passed by the House Of
Representatives to so amend the Pacific
Railroad Act Of 1854 as to enable the
authorities of the States and Territories
through which said railroad passes to
assess and collect taxes upon the same,
that measure is of very considerable I'M
portance. Moreover. it is vinGication
of the attitude, assumed with emphasis.
in all his public speeches by Hon. F. A.
Tritle during his candidacy for the Cub
ernatorial office in 1870. The Republi-
can party then maintained, as he every
where clearly declared, that it was the
grossest injustice and inequality toward
the citizen tax payers of the States and
Territories through which the line and
lands of the Pacific Railroads lay. to
exempt these lanls from taxation. I'm
der the bill in question, should it become
revenue arising from the annual tax of
Pacific Railroad lands-or if not that.
something from the sales of the same
under delinquent foreclosures, and. sub
sequent to such sales, from taxes levied
against the purchaser. 1t mast be con-
fessed, however. that the prospect of
deriving any considerable income. in the
shape of taxes from the great bulk of
the lands granted to the Pacific Rail-
roads. and lying in Nevada. is not as
brilliant as could be wished. Unfortu-
nately. the larger part of these lands
are of the mere nominal value of the
unavailable sand and adulterated saler-
atus which they are composed of and
contain, together with the far-stretching
perspective of sage-brush and grease
wood which span them with a not valu-
able substitute for grass and timber.
Still the act in question is one of sub
stantial justice to all concerned; and it
should have been made simultaneous
with the enactment of the original
grants-possibly not to take effect until
after the roads were in operation and
earning profits to their stockholders.
Our readers are aware that this bill
passed the House of Represent
atives on the 11th inst, but it is quite
possible that they have not been fully
informed as to its precise nature and
bearings. A careful reading of the sub
Joined extract from the body of the bill
will probably convince the most skepti-
cal of the binding. unavoidable force of
the same as so far acted upon in Con-
gress. Wequote from the Congressional
Record of May Il. The bill, which was
read, provides that section q of the act
to amend the act entitled can act to aid
in the construction of railroad and
telegraph line from the Missouri River to
the Pacific Ocean, and to secure to the
Government the use of the same for pos
tai. military. and other purposes" ap-
proved July 2. 1864, be amended by add
ing thereto the following:
PROVIDED, ko,cerer, That the neglect of
any such company or parties In interest
to pay the costs Of such survey, select
ing. and conveying, as herein provided,
and take the patents therefor. shall not
prevent the legal title vesting in said
company or party in interest, subject to
the payment of such costs; and all lands
10 earned, and to which said company
or party in interest shall be entitled, in
accordance with the provisions of this
act, and the act of which this is amend
atory, shall Be subject to all legal taxes
imposed under authority Of any State or
Territory in which such lands are loca-
ted, from the time such company or par
II in interest shall have been or may be
entitled to . conveyance thereof, the
same - though no costs or fees
lad been imposed BY the provisions of
this section. and upon the sale of any
Of such lands for taxes 20 assessed which
may b found delinquent. the purchaser
thereof shall pay to the proper officer all
costs de thereon - herein provided,
and thsfsupoa letters-patent shall issue |
10 such company conveying said lands.
subject 70 The legal rights and title Of |
~ tox-ooA0 P0xC0o1c1S ooO t0As u ooAu
b IL duty of the Commissioner of the |
Gsossal Land O1Res to prepare and de- |
liver, without delay, patents for all lands |
applied for b any company. ~ afore-
nd, where the same arc clearly within !
he grant and free from conflicting |
.laims, and al legal fees and charges
have been paid By said company: that
4 any company shall fail to pay the
,roper costs or fees required BY law, and
T. H. o~n2~ l