Arizona citizen., 1878-05-10
Taxing Hallway Lands.

The subject of taxation of lands ] granted to railways. whether patented I to the companies or not, has long been one of much interest, particularly in the Territories, and the subject IS now before Congress. Its importance to Arizona justifies pretty full report oi the action of Congress thereon. Fol lowing is from the Congressional Rec. ord of April 19
 The next bill on the Calendar was the bill (S. No. 195) to declare certain lands subject to taxation; which was considered as in Committee of the Whole.
 The bill was reported from the Com mittee on Public Lands with an amend ment, to add to the bill the following
 And provided further, That prior to the payment of such costs of survey ing by said railroad companies no taxes shall be imposed except in or ganized counties.
 The amendment was agreed to.
 The bill was reported to the Senate as amended, and the amendment was concurred in.
 The bill was ordered 10 be engrossed for a third reading.
 Mir. Edmunds. I should like as the bill is short to have it read at length the third time.
 The bill was read at length, as fol- lows:
 That all the lands granted by the act of July 1, 1862, entitled "An act to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, and to se- cure to the Government the use of the same for postal, military, and other purposes" and the act amendatory thereof, approved July ?, 1864, to the several railroad companies therein named, and to which said companies would have become entitled upon pay ment of the cost of surveying, select ing, and conveying the same, as pro vided by section 2l of said amendatory act of July ?, 1864, shall be subject to all legal taxes imposed under authority of any State or Territory in which such lands are located, to the same ex- tent as they would have been had such costs been paid and the lands conveyed to said railroad companies; Provided That this act shall not be construed as applying to lands already forfeited by said railroad companies or either of them; nor shall it operate to relieve any such company from any forfeiture heretofore incurred: And provided further, That prior to the payment of such costs of surveying by said rail road companies no taxes shall be i'm posed except in organized counties.
 Mir Edmunds. l am quite doubtful whether that bill ought to pass l know that in some instances there is hardship to localities in respect to such questions; but these lands were the property of the United States before they were granted to the railroad com panies. They were granted to the rail- roads conditionally, but patents have not issued for them in respect to what this bill covers. All that the railroad companies have become the absolute owners of are taxable, as 1 suppose. Now we all know the United States has pretty heavy lien upon all these lands for the payment of a great many millions of money. Whether it is right therefore for the States and Ter ritories to tax these lands, while the title is yet in the United States and while the United States has so heavy and equitable a hen upon them, so much more than they are worth alto gether, ten times over,-whether in such case the States and Territories ought to be authorized to tax the lands is in my opinion matter of very great doubt I think I must ask that the bill go over
 The President pro tempore. Objec- ton is made and the bill will be passed over
 A CALIFORNIA paper says: Al