New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-23
LIND GRHNTS.

A short time ago the country was surprised
and exasperated by the discovery that almost
the whole of the vast landed estate of the
nation, which we had been accustomed to
talk about as property boundless in extent
and fabulous i'll value, had been wasted or
otherwise got rid of. We still had miles upon
miles of arid and irreclaimable desert, which
added nothing TO our wealth and much TO our
expenses, but tho arabic lands were gone.
Some had been sold for a song; some had
been taken up by home stead settlers. OF the
loss of lands thus disposed of the people of
course, could not complain, for the
country was directly enriched by its own
liberalty. But there was third sort OF
prodigality which was sheer extravaganza and
wicked waste. Princcly domains were thrown
away upon adventurous railway corporations,
composed in some cases of Missionaries, in Others
of swindlcrs. As a rule the land grants did
not really enrich the companies they were in
tended to aid; but they became the nucleus
of vapory schemes and combinations. the fOun-
datlon Of fraudulent loan and construction
enterprises, out of which the road, if it was
specially fortunate, somehow struggled into
existence after a fnghtfu sacrifice of capital,
and a general pillaging of the credulous pub
lie.
The land-grant system IS so generally re-
copnized as a mOnstrous device of corruption
and dishonesty, that 1t has no longer any
rious defenders. The people look back with
regret and shame upon the ruin of characters
and fortunes, and the squandering of the Ma
tional patrlmony, which mark Its disglaceful
history, and resolve that what little remains of
hall lao .f,,I1,
guarded. 1t does not seem to be generally
known, however, that out of the wreck of the
estate something more may yet be recovered.
We publish Washington letter this
morning which tells the story. The sub
sidzed roads number more than eighty. The
grants of land reach the enormous total of
215,O0O,O00 acres But nearly all the com
panies have failed in the conditions upon
which the gifts were made. The grants to
only five roads have been fully adjusted; the
grants to only four out of the remainder have
been declared forfeit; and of TIE 215,0OO.-
900 acres conditionally appropriated to the sub
sdy roads, only onc-fifth part has been ccrti-
fled and patented to them, and that fifth was
more than they earned. The Commissioner of
the Land Office has published a list of twenty
COMPANIES whose grants and extensions Of
grants have now expired; some of them ran
out eleven or twelve years ago; more than
half of them have never built mile OF road,
although in some instances they have actually
received patents for large amounts OF the land
to which they had no just title. 1t appears to
have been popularity supposed that when
these grants ran out the title to the land re-
verted to the Government without further
process. decision of the Supreme Court,
however, establishes the important rule that
the grants, Notwithstanding the limitations
contained in them, remain valid until dec
laration of forfeiture is enforced by proper
legislative or judicial proceedings. There are
consequently defunct or bankrupt or unsuc-
cessful or fraudulent railway companies which
still hold the title to millions of acres of sub
sidy lands that they have not earned and
have no prospect or intention of earning
Mr.. Joyce, Of Vermont, has introduced i'll the