National Republican., 1883-07-13
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC LAND
GRANT.
important Letter by the Secretary OF the

important Letter by the Secretary OF the
Interior 20 commIssioner Mcfarland.
The secretary Of the interior has written
tho following explanatory letter TO the COM
missioner Of the general land Office, under
date Of the eleventh instant:
SIR: call your attention to my letters Of
May IA and 2S last, relating to the Nolthorn
Pacific land grant, and particularly tho in
demnity part Of said grant.
In those letters | indicated that the in
demnity land should not be closed to sctte-
ment any longer than was necessary to enable
the company to make selection of lands in
lieu of those lost within the granted limits.
All lands lying within both limits in tho
states of Wisconsin and Minnesota are now
surveyed, and l see no reason why the com
pany should not at once complete its selections
within those states.
/ therefore direct you to give immediate
notice to said company that all selections
must bo made in those states within three
months from the timo you shall give such
notice. and at the end of that timo all orders
of Withdrawals heretofore made of findemnily
lands within those states, whether lying
within the first or second indemnity limits,
| will be revoked and set aside, and all such
lands will be restored to the public domain
and opened to settlement under the laws ro-
lating to public lands.
| charge of the duty imposed upon me by the
act which provides that the selections shall be
made under the direction of the secretary OF
| the interior, | deem IL best to indicate at the
outset what, in my opinion, the practice
should be in relation to selections. The
amount of lands lost within each Of tho states
should be made up by selections within such
state without regard to quality, il there be
sufficient within the indemnity limits fol
that purpose. do not think it was the in.
tention of the granting act, nor do l deem il
just or equitable to the government or to the
settlers, to permit tho company TO Gull the
lands within such limits, leaving portions un.
selected because they are poor, and then So
| lecting other lands, further along the line, in
place of lands lost within the granted limirs
in those states.
am aware that mt the expiration of tho
time herein fixed for completion of selec
tions, there will remain undetermined
large number of contests involving lands in
the granted and indemnity limits, ant
that new contests will arise, growing
out of selections and otherwise, aud tha
by reason Of such contests tho company
will not be able to complete its selections
within such time as to lands which it shall
lose in such contests. As these contests arc
from time to time determined tho company
shall have an equal right (but not a pref
erence right with the settlers to selec
lands within tho indemnity limits in those
states, although the orders of Withdrawal
shall at that time havo been revoked. AnC
for lands lost in such contests not made up b,
selections in that way, the company should
be allowed to make selections elsewhere
within indemnity limits upon the line of sale
road.
l have thus referred to such matters as
deem il important now to bo considered
Necessarily, many questions must bo reserved
until tho final adjustment of the grant.
What is herein said will apply TO the stat
of Wisconsin, only SO far as said road is bull
within that state, and the grant earned.
Very respectfully, IL. NJ. TELLER,
| Gncretarv