The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-08-11

PASTURE LANDS.


San Francisco P1st
"Mr Lane, 81 Oregon. has Introduced
a bill into CouGre-s ior tie purpose of
settling t!la pasture i..sd qaestioa This
bill has been pronounced iy Professor
Powell. head Ut tlle geographical sur
geys Of the ncw @lstes aul Territories
to be ali that i, needed % feet the for
nation Of pas'trcla i triet Our
space does not admit ~ Fepgiating the
full text Of the bin in. Is il matter
Of great imp9f,aHee III many parts Il
the State ~e compile ummary
Clause cuaM alY 3s ~ more per
sons who may Be entitled g. COME citl-
zcns of the United state, 70 organize
and acquire title to pasture lands
Clause . provides tl4at eli lands, where
irrigation j. necc arg % agriculture
are, for the plrr0s. "a the see, chased
rs pasture lands. excepting tlr-t, all
lands that can De redeemed ag irriga-
ton. aud for which there l. accc -iblc
water for irrigstiag tract If hud OF
not less than go acre, secoad, all land
bearing timber of commercial value ;
third, all coal lands: aad fourth all
town sites or tracts Of pgohe land on
which towns have been bait and for
the sale and disposal Of which pr0yis
ION has been mad ~ Law. The right
10 mine on such land Is reserved Clause
confers The right If selecting from the
pastnrage lands for the purposo of set
Ting thereon, 1850 neges for each per
son organized under Clause / in one
continuous tract. T. be subject 10 such
rules and regulations as the pastGrage
district shall prescribe; provided that
no person shall bold more than 1850
acres. nor be cntitlei to greatcr guam
tity of water for irrigation purposes
than that suilicicn, lor the reclamation
and cultivation of - acres of land
Clause provide FIR the organization
of pasturage district, ana ioT the decla-
ration by citzcus tat They hHye made
selections IN aClur !1rce with She act.
with the intention ~ r ding thereon
aud obtaining a titie C.t8se caaCts
that detailed map 81 Il lu.targc dis
irict shall be made rs tha = dents
therein,. in their cgg. I'D capacity,
within three yclrsatfel jts organization,
To be- submitted e. the United States
Surveyor General Of the State ~ Terri
tory for veriiication aal record Clause
0 enacts that aay person applying for
the benefits ~ the acl must conform 10
the methods provided Is lass t5r the
aequiremvn, ~ "a HON ai Cluses
: and are uoimp eratt
The above bill lis nol x less impor-
lance to TIE pastoral eogmti4q of
Washington Territory east 81 the
Cascade N fountains than Is thc graz
ing districts of The other Pacific
States and Territories. Ia ole view,
the rapid absorption Is the public
domain is to he deplort1. The sys-
tenn of allowing spectators 10 absorb
large tracts of fertile lands in Iudi-
ana, Illinois and Iowa, aud more re-
Gently California had the eifec, Of
building mp large landed monopo-
lies TO the exclusion of the iaboring
poor, and of reta'ding tie settlement
Of the country.
In the ease Of the bunch grass
lands, however, there is this TO be
said that being in The main available
only for grazing purposes, aud not
inviting close settlement. there is
not much danger Of the creation Of
a monopoly IN giving 10 individuals
even sixteeu times rs much land as
is allowed by tae homestead law, as
this bin proposes TO do In fact it
probably takes sixteen acres Of the
average grass lands Of the plains aud
interior hills to Ks worth as much
rs one acre OF tie fertile alluyials Of
the valleys or The timber lands Of the
Puget Sound shore-line.
There is a great deal Of yagueuess
about the irrigation clause SIS quoted
above. 1t is very uncertain what
kind of lands are intended 10 be cx-
empted under tbe pursiea Of the bill,
as being such "as can be redeemed
by irrigation, aud for which there is
accessible water for irrigatiug 3 tract
of not less than 60 acres" Clearly.
from clause >. :, is designed 70 in
clude in the scheme all lands Of a
pastoral desert qt.oa Inclusive If those
susceptible Of irrigation.
Evidently there IS something Of
speculation in the measure. and
doubtless those Who are ready to
make prompt avail Of lis provisions
if ii should pass, VIII 30 well. How
ever, some favorable legislation Of
the kind is necessary to secure the
speedy settling MP 81 ,he vast regio~
in the interior BASIN II tie couti-
nent, and We should hail he passage
Of this bill with pleasure
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- The bark Beuna Vista sailed
frao. pa.f tsnn.f - 49,. esa.,s - g.