The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-03-07

the Interior all tracts of land to which the
companies would be legally entitled upon
payment Of such costs will be subject to all
legal taxes under the authority of the States
and Territories In which they are located,
and to the sanie extent that they would have
been IL such costs had been paid and the
laEds actually conveyed.
The committee think this proceeding win
bring about selection Of the lands included
In the grant, or an abandonment Of many Of
them by the companies, and relieve the diff
culties now arising out of the strange condi-
ton in which these lands are.
Ample time and opportunity are given the
companies, and no Injustice Is done them;
while the Government is protected in its
| rights and saved harmless in all 1t is called
| upon TO do. While the committee could not
consent to do violence against the true IN
tent and meaning Of the grant, yet they can
| not agree to have these lands as they are
now, to be selected or not by the companies
as they might see nc. Out of the great num-
Der Of acres contained In these grants prob
ably not one-fortieth have been selected so
as TO separate them actually from the public
domain.
In any tax sale under this bill the Govern
ment preserves her first lien on the lands for
all proper costs, fees, SC, and when a patent
issues upon any tax sale, it operates only as
an evidence of the tax title, and that title
shall be subject and subordinate to all the
rights Of the Government in respect of the
subsidy tonds issued by IL in aid of the con-
struction of such roads, and these facts and
reservations are required to be stated In such
patents.
With these provisions the committee feel
that this vexed, and heretofore troublesome,
question will be concluded without any in
justice TO any party concerned
A diversity of opinion existing on features
of this question which could not be expressed
under the five minute rule, the bill aud re-
port was placed on the calendar, with the
understanding that owing to its Importance
1t should be called up aud made special
order at an early day. In the running dis
cussion incident TO the above, Ingalls, said of
the bill as follows:
"The practical operation is this: The diff
ferent railroad companies that have become
entitled to grants Of land under previous
acts Of Congress refuse to have them sur
veyed and patented and thus segregated
from the great mass of the public domain,
so that they can become liable to taxation.
The consequence is, that 10 many counties
In the State Of Kansas, In many others In the
State Of Nebraska, and In large portions of
the organized Territories of the Northwest
there are communities that are deprived of
the means of support In consequence Of the
refusal Of the railroads to take out patents
for the land TO which they claim themselves
to be entitled under the acts Of Congress.
OF course States cannot be permitted to tax
lands the title to which is in the Govern
ment Of the United States; and this Is
measure to compel the roads to pay the cost
of surveying and take on. titles to the lands
which they claim or else forfeit them, so
that the States and Territories where these
lands lie may be permitted to have these
lands entered by homestead and pre-. emption
settlers or else taxed to the railroads to carry
on the affairs Of local self-government."