New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-26
AFFECTING THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
soME OF THE MEASURES THE PURLIc LAXDs COM
MTrEE WILL DEAL WITH.


MITTEE WILL DEAL WITH.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO TUE TRIBUNE.I
w,suINGToN Dec. 25.-When the House COM
mittees meet and organize, all OF them which VIII
ever have any business to do Will hnu that niucn
work has already been cut out for them. Inc Colh,
p,ittee on Public Lands, for example, VIII hhu
nearly one hundred bills on its calendar SeVeral
of them provide for the repeal OF the Pre-emptioh
and Timber Culture laws, under when the puoho
domain is rapidly passing into the handS Oh nom
residents and spectators, to the exclusion Oh oona
fd settlers Other bills referred to the committee
look To n reduction of the price of public landS
within railroad limits and to an expansion OF inc
homestead privilege within the same boundaries
One bill at least, provides for an extension VI 'ho
time now required to file proof under the DesolV
land Act. Another bill, offered by Mr.. Bei1ord'
now a member of the committee, directs the oecre-
tary of War to appoint commission OF army en-
gneers to make surveys for the construction ol
Teservoirsn on the Poudre, Platte and st. Nrain
Rivers for the storage of surplus water 10 De Scu
in irrirating and recaiming the public lands III
Colorado and approprlates $4,000 for the survey
TO AMEND THE HOMESTEAD LAWS.
Another member OF the committee MI Oates, ol
Alabama. has several bills. One OF them proposes
SO TO amend the Homestead laws that patents Lay
isue after three years of actual occupancy Dy INC
settler instead of five years. as the law no" IT,
ouires But-this amendment is not an 'h"O NJ
0,es demands in behalf of homestead settlers IN his
own State for he has offered another Dill' winch
nrovides that "within the State of Alabama alter
20 ,,eors, actual occupancy and cultivation
natents NAV issue to homosteaders." when the
u,nittee bepins the consideration OF this Dll, MI
oates will probably be ready with reasons why
homestead settlers in Alabama ought 10 chJoy
greater privileges than the pioneer Set'leIS Vi
Dakota. Montana Nebraska and other new o'alcs
and Territories o,. Co,,
Two members of the committee Chalrmdh OoD"
and Mr.. Payson, have bills which provide LOT tho
forfeitpre of numerous land grants. JOINT reSo-
lution offered by Chairman Cobb fOrDlus the Socio
tarv of the Interior 10 issue patents for any puo'
lands heretofore granted to any State, railroad
.omnonv or other CORPORATION or person TO ald III
the construction of any railroad or othcr IMPROVE
ment of any kind, when there is any qucstioh d
IN whether these railroads or other Improvement
wore ,omnleted within the time fixed BY the grant
ing acts.
A BLOW AT CERTAIN RAILROADS.
hill offered by Chairman Cobb repcalS all law
,ra narts of laws now i'll force granting puDllc
lands 70 the following railroad companies: Gun
ond Shin Island Alabama and Florida, Coosaw ahc
Tennessee Mobile and Girard, COosaw ana Chatta
nooca. Alabama and Chattanooga. formerly North
east and Southwest Alabama ana NiiIS '"io'
Railroads: Pensacola and Georgia fIorlani AZ
laItlc and Uull t6uJldl,NOI
formerly Vicksburg shreveport ana Texas Nc"
Orleans Baton Rouge and Vcksburg, 81: io4is ms anf
Iron Mountain Little Rock aud Fort SMITH De'ioI i
and liilwaukee, HOugton and Onth1hagon, lHl lil
merly Marquette and Ontonagon Ncrth " lsconIi1 !.
formerly ST Croix and Lake superior ana brlich Y
bayfield, Wisconsin Central formerly S yariIr rSr."s s
Vincent Extension formerly branch 10 lted hlNc
of the North Isl. Paul aud Pacific, Brannerd Diancn
farmerlv branch to Lake Superior; Hastings ano
Dakota, Oregon Central. Atlantic ana racine
Teyas Paciiic and Northern Pacific.
SECTION 2 repeals all laws granting lands 10 an
State for the benefit of any of the companies named
declares forfeiture and annuhnent OF all claims
title 10 said lands any part thereon ny any ota
or any of the railroad companies mehtlohfsu ai' i
nrovides that all the forfeited lands shall De dis
posed of as other public lands. 49,. I,.,r;o,
SectiOn 3 requires the Secretary OF tne iillcI o' y
within thirty days after the approval OF the act, !
it be published a. least once III arS gsGn are STR
ated and Immediately thereafter to take inc hecsf
sary steps TO enforce the provisions Oh si1 ioe ~
bringing suits if necessary against any ol 'hc Coin
panies or States or b0th. .,.o,o,bo
Mr. Holman's bill is more eiaootatc; o;i, AiiEse'FFo e.
the forfeiture of land grants.