New-York tribune., 1883-03-11

TUT EVIL EFFECTS OF AN ACT INCONsIDERATELY
PASSED BY CONGRESS.
rDY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I
WASHINGTON, March 10.-One of the last acts
passcd at the recent session of Congress was
that to exclude the public lands in Alabama from
the operation of the laws relatngt to mineral lands'
The act originated in the House, where it was
passed without any intelligent discussion. When
the measure was brought before the Senate on
Saturday Mr. Morgan, of Alabama, made long
speech in favor of it, while Messrs. Edmunds ana
Hawley vigorously opposed it. The bill passed.
however by a vote of 81 to 16, every Democrat
present voting for it. The new law provides 'ha'
all the public lands in Alabama shah oe
subject to disposal only as agricultural LANDS tnaV
all lands which have heretofore been reported "
the General Land Office as onanng coal ana IRON
shall first be offered at public sale and that patents
may be issued for any lands heretofore entered IN
good faith under the Homestead act.
The lands affected by the new law comprise, 1t is
estimated, about ,537 $50 acres OF coal iands ana
o24 600 acres of IRON lands. Many of the coal lands
are said TO be worth from to $20an acre and ex
Senator Warner, of Alabama, who is familiar with
the reon says that in his opinion little of the
area Is suitable for agricultural purposesA like opin-
ion was expressed by Special Agent Purdue, OF the
Interior Department, in report made last May.
For several years special agents of the Depart
ment have been investigating frauds upon The Gov
ernment in connection with these lands, and good
many persons have been indicted for conspiracy,
perjury etc. In conversation with TRIBUNE cor
respondent yesterday Commissioner Mcfarland, OF
the General Land Office, expressed the opinion that
these prosecutions would all fall account of the
passage of the new act.
In his speech against the bill, Mr.. Edmunds
showed that the provision that the " lands shall
first be offered at public sale would enable specu-
latOrs with large capital drive all small bidders
from the field, and enable men controlling large
capital to make their own terms with the Govern
ment. Mr.. Edmunds said
AHA great coal or iron combination there, or specu-
lating combination or railroad combination, mas 10 40
60 get these lands Is to have its employees, the men
who dig in the mines the men who run tne talns the
who keep up the road bed. go out wlthln these
twenty miles along the line OF the raroau ana
establish their homestead cabins. Here is the op-
pOrunity consolidate and perfect all these entries
As the reports OF the special agents show, nearly
every one of these so-called homestead entries is
fraudulent The pre-emptiOn entries are quite as
fraudulent and are still more numerous Com
missioner Mcfarland, however is of opinion that
these entries will not bar the offering of lands at
public sale under the law. The real design OF
the authors and promoters of this scheme, which
was vigorously pushed in Congress for several years
before it succeeded seems to he clear enough now.
The amount of puuder which they hope to carry off
nav be materially lessened if the law shall he ex-
cuted with honesty and vigilance, under the lmine-
dlate direction of the Secretary of the Interior and
the Commissioner Of the General Land Office.