Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-11
Affairs a, the National Capital.

Especial to the REceRD-U NoS.l
WASHINGTON, February 10th.-The SEN
ate Public Lands Committee to-day unani-
mously agreed to recommend the passage OF a
bill introduced by Senator Booth, which is of
special Importance to a large number of set
tiers in California, and of interest to all other
persons concerned with land matters. 1t pro-
vides in its first section that any person who
has settled, or who shall hereafter settle, on
any public lands, whether surveyed or unsur-
veyed, with the intention of claiming the
same under the homestead laws, shall be al
lowed the same time to file his homestead ap-
plication and perfect his original entry in
the Land Office as is now allowed to
settlers under the presumption laws to put
their claims on record, and this right shall
relate back at the date of settlement, the
same as if he settled under the presumption
laws. The second section provides that where
lands have been applied for and the original
entry made under the homestead laws, and
where such entries have not been made in
good faith, or where no lands have been
abandoned after the original entry and before
the final entry, such lands shall be subject to
the claim, under the homestead or pre-emp-
ton laws, of the first settler, who has
settled. or shall hereafter settle on the same,
provided that such settler has taken, or
time of his settlement, take the necessary
steps to have said homestead entry cancelled,
and shall pay the Land Office fees in said
contest. The bill further provides that when
a homestead or timber-culture claimant shall
file a written REIMBURSEMENT of his claim in
the local Land Office, the land covered by
such claim shall be considered open to settle
ment and entry, without further action on the
part of the Commissioner of the General Land
Office, in the same manner as it would have
been if no entry under the homestead or tim
Der culture laws had ever been made.
The Senate Public Lands Committee also
to-day authorized Booth to report for passage
bill providing that every person entitled to
the benetitso of the homesteadlaw, who hashere-
tofore entered quantity of land less than
160 acres, shall have the privilege of entering
an additional quantity to make up the full
amount of 100 acres, provided that when
such additional entry cannot be made of
lands contiguous to the original entry of the
applicant, he may select lands elsewhere (;
but be shall not be entitled to a patent there
for without satisfactory proof to the General
Land Office of the planting and continuous
cultivation of forest or fruit trees ON an
area of the same equal to one acre for each
forty acres thereof during a period of three
wears. and provided further, that any person
who has entered less than 160 acres may il
he so elect, surrender his original entry to the
United States for cancellation, and thereupon
be entitled to enter lands under the home
stead law the same as if the surrendered entry
had not been made.
Senator Farley has prepared, and will
shortly introduce, bill providing for the
creation of a new customs district to consist
of all that portion of California south Of
Point Conception, except San Diego county.
The port of entry of the new district
is to be Wilmington. The bill re-
Gently introduced by Representative
Pacbeco proposed to make Wilmington
the sole por. of entry for all of California
south of Point Conception, thus abolishing
the Collectorship of Customs at San Diego.
Senator Farley's bill, while diminishing the
area of the San Diego district, leaves the
Custom house and Collectorship at that point
His object is TO divide the State into three
districts instead of two. 1t is of interest to
note in this connection that there are from
three to fourteen customs districts in each OF
the Atlantic seaboard States. Maine alone
has fourteen, and Farley thinks that Califor-
MIA, with her immense stretch of sea coast,
should have at least three ports Of entry.
The Regain bill concerning inter state COM
merce bv railroads, as foreshadowed last
week in these dispatches, was to-day defeated
in the House Committee on Commerce, but
the vote was very close, and its friends will
renew the struggle III the House, if any bill
on the same general subject is reported to
that body, which as yet is somewhat doubt
full.
Ex-senator Barnum, Chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, has arrived
here, to make preparations for the meeting
next week. 1t is said on good authority that
while he is not overfriendly to Governor Til
den. he believes Tilden is the strongest man
that can be put up, and viii receive the
Presidential nomination. He thinks Thur
man is out of the race; also Seymour, be-
cause he will not consent to have his Mans
used, and that Bayard cannot be nominated,
because the West viii not support him. He
also. thinks that the Tammany New York