Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-11
the P0ST-INTEllICENcER PUB. co
seattle June 10 1888.
rur <ORTuERN PACIFIC LAND
GRANT.

WASHINGTON. Feb. S.-By a vote Of 7
On 4 the House Committee OH Public
Lands agreed To report favorably bill
to forfeit all the granted land contIp1-
ana To that portion Of the Northern Pa
ci6c Railroad not completed July 4, 1873.
The vote was ~ follows:
For the bill-Messrs. Cobb. Payson.
Anderson, Henley, Strait, Lewis and
Scales.
Against it Messrs. BeifOrd. Oates.
Van Eaton and Shaw.
The following is the full text Of the
bill:
lst. That except as to the lands grant
cd for that portion of the road OF the
Northern Pacific railroad which was
completed before July 4. A. d.. 1879, the
grant of the public lands made In aid Of
the construction of the said Northern
Pacific railroad. by act of Congress ap-
proved July ., 1866, Thirteenth Statutes
at Large, page 465) be. and it ID hereby
forfeited and determined, and the said
net making the grant ia, SO far as the
said grant il concerned. hereby repeal
ed, and said lands are hereby restored
10 the public domain fer sale and set
tlement under the existing laws of the
United States: and all said lands shall
DO hold and treated as though the grant
and the Withdrawals under it bad never
been made. Provided, that in case any
lands embraced within the terms of this
act, to which the railroad company
would have been entitled had the said
road been constructed Al prescribed
in the act making the grant. have
been sold by said company prior to Jan.
l. 1884, the party or person so purchas
ing any of said lands. shall retain tho
right to the land 10 purchased upon
making proof of the fact OF such pur
chase before the Register Of the local
land Office of the district where said
land may be loo tted provided that all
unpaid purchase money on such sales
shall Le paid to the United States
through the receiver Of public moneys
at tho proper land office and upon
proof as above and payment OF such uu-
paid balance. if any, within twelve
months OF the passage OF this act,
patent shall Issue to the par lies entitled
thereto for the land provided, further,
that the unpaid balance of tn purch ase
shall be satisfied with the payment Of
$l.25 per acre for the land to the United
States II such unpaid balance equals or
exceeds that amount.
Seoond-ihat all persons who have
made actual settlement, or have made
valuable improvements upon the odd
numbered sections adjacent to the un
completed portion of said road or
branch thereof. without contract Of
purchase therefor, with bona fide in
tent TO secure title thereto by purchase
from said Northern Pacific Railroad
Company, when the said company had
earned the same by compliance with
the conditions and requirements OF
said act. and being citizen OF the
United States, or having declared his
inteation to become one in oOmpii anoe
with the naturalization laws OF the
United States, shall be entitled to enter
one quarter SETON, lGO acres, each, OF
land 80 settled upon or improved by
snch person, under the pre- emption or
homestead laws OF the United States
and in case such person has exha listed
his or her right under said laws, then
and in such case such persons may en-
ter one quarter section, l6O acres, OF
lands 40 settled upon or improved, by
paying therefor xl.25 per acre.
u IL not known exactly how much
land the bill will take from the compa-
nv, but the number of acres is varit usly
estimated ut from 30.0OO,OO0 to 40.UO,
OOO. Nearly the entire Northern Pacific
grant west of Bismarck, il the bill
passes, will be forfeited. MIR. Anderson.
ef Kansas. a member of the committee,
said today that the bill would undnubt
edly pass tho House, and probably tho
Senate. The HOUSE, has Oyerwi e IN
mgly declared in favcr of "a sweeping
sorfeltnre of all railroad grants not
earned IN the time required by law.
The Senate has taken no action on the
subject, but while it il more conserva'
tive. 1t IL very sensitive regarding public
sentiment, and will very likely pass the
forfeiture bill, although in n lnod,tied
fam,