Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-28
eRrsr FOR eaINDrSe.
A Full Hopper Of Bills for the
Newly Appointed Committees
10 Grind UPOn-So Time for
Idieness aud Play.


WASHINGTON, December 25.-
When the House Committees, appoint
ed yesterday, meet and organize some
two weeks hence, all of them which
will ever have any business to do will
fnd'thGt much work has already been
cut out to which they can at once di
recttheir nergils.
The Committee on Public Lands, for
example, will fad nearly 100 bills on
its calendar. Several OF them provi lie
for the repeal of the presumption and
timber culture laws under which the
public domain is rapidly passing into
the hands Of non residents aud specu.
lators, to the exclusion OF bona hde
settlers. Other bills referred to the
committee look to reduction Of the
price Of public lands within railroad
limits, and to an expansion OF the
homestead privilege within the same
boundaries, and one bill a. least pro-
vides for an extension Of the time now
required to file proof under the "Des.
ert" Land Act. Another bill offered
by DR.. Beliord, now q member Of the
committee, directs the Secretary Of
War to appoint a commission OF army
engineers to make surveys "ior the
construction of reservoirs on the
Poudre, Platte aud st. Vrain
rivers'io for the storage Of surplus water.
to be used in irrigatlng and retaining
the public lands in Colorado, and
apprOpriates $4,000 for the survey.
Another member off committee, Mr..
Gates, Of Alabama, has several bills.
One Of them proposes SO TO amend
the homestead laws that patents may
issue after three years actual occu.
pancy by the settler, instead Of FIVE
years, as the law now requires
But this amendment is not all that
Mr.. Oates demands in behalf Of home.
stead settlers in his own State, for be
has offered another bill which pro-
vides that, within the State Of Ala.
bama, alter two years actual occu.
pancy patents may issue to home
steaders." When the committee be-
gins the consideration of his bill Mr.
Oates will probably be ready will
reasons why homestead settlers il
Alabama ought to enjoy greater priv
leges than the pioneer settlers o
Dakota, Montana. Nebraska and othel
new States and Territories. TIVE
members Of the committee, Chairman
Cobb and Mr.. Payson, have bill
which provide for the forfeiture o
numerous land grants. Fifteen o
Mr.. Payson's bills on this subjec
were referred to the Judiciary Com
mittee at time when he rather ex
pected to be q member OF it, but it i
understood he now intends TO havl
them transferred 10 the custody Of tn
Committee on Public Lands, whicl
has obtained jurisdiction Of suol
measures through the reference to i
Of bills aud resolutions offered b,
Messrs. Cobb. Holman and others
which seem to cover the whole ground
A joint resolution offered byChairmaI
Cobb forbids the Secretary Of the In
terror to issue patents for any publil
lands heretofore granted TO "anyState
railroad company or other corporation
or person, 10 aid in the construction
Of any railroad or other improvement
of any kind, when there is any lues
tion as towhether the railroad or othe
improvements we're completed With
the time fixed by the granting acts.
A bill offered by Chairman Cobb re
peals all laws and parts Of laws now il
force granting public lands to the fol
lowing railroad companies: Gulf ant
Ship Island, Alabama and Florida, Coo
sa and Tennessee, Mobile and Girard
Coosa and Chattanooga. Alabama AM
Chattanooga formerly Northeast AM
Southwest Alabama and Wills Vale,
railroads), Pensacola and Georgia
Florida, Atlantic and Cult Central
North LOuisiana aud Texas (formerl,
Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texa
railrosdl, New Orleans. Baton Roug
and Vicksburg, St. Louis and IroI
Mountain, Little Rock and For
Smith, Detroit and Milwaukee
Houghton and 0utOnagon (formerl
Marquette and 0ntonagon), Nortl
Wisconsin formerly st. Croix AM
Lake SUPERIOR and branch to Bay
field, Wisconsin Central (formerl
Portage, WiunebagO and Superior) 81
Paul and Pacific, 81. Vincent exteD
sion formerly branch TO Red River 0
the North), st. Paul and Pacif
Brsinerd branch formerly branch b
Lake SuperiOr) Hastings and Dakota
| Oregon Central, Atlantic aud Pacific
Texas Pacific and. Northern Ocean
Section two repeats all laws grantin
lands to any State for the benefit 0
any Of the companies above named
declares forfeiture and annulInent 0
all claim to title of said lands, or an
part thereof, by any State or any eth
railroads above mentioned, and pro
yides that all the forfeited lands shal
be disposed Of as other public lands
Section three requires the Secretar,
Of the Interior within thirty day
after the approval Of the act to caus
it 70 be published at least once i
every State and Territory 10 whicl
the forfeited lands are situated, an,
Immediately thereafter to take tn
necessary steps TO enforce the provi
sions Of the act by bringing suits,
necessary, agsinst any Of the compa
mics or States, or both. Mr.. Holman
bill is more elaborate Aitoeethe
about thirty bills have been ofere,
providing for the forfeiture Of Ian
grants
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