The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-22
public lands heretofore granted to

public lands heretofore granted to
states, corporations. and for the con-
Struction of railroads, so far as the
same is subject to forfeiture by rea-
son Of .fulfillment Of the cOndi-
tons on which grants are made.
ought to be declared forfeited to the
United States and restored to the
public domain.
Resolved, That it is of the highest
public interest that the laws touch>
ing the public lands be so framed
and administered as ultim ately to
secure freeholds therein to the great.
est number of citizens, and to this
end all laws facilitating speculation
in public lands or authorizing or
permitting the entry or purchase
thereof in large bodies ought to be
repealed, and all public lands
adapted to agriculture, subject to
bounty grants and those of educa-
ton, ought to be reserved for the
benefit of actual and bona fde set
tiers, and disposed of under the pro-
visions OF the homestead laws only.
Resolved, that the committee on
public lands be instructed to report
to the House bills to carry into ef-
feet the views expressed in the FORE
going resolutions, and be author
lied to report such bills any time,
subject only to revenue and appro.
prlatlon bills, and the same shall be
in like order entitled to considera-
ton.
KaSSOn expressed concurrence in
the first resolution. but thought the
House should not act rashly on the
second, which might work iDj Try to
the Gait e industry.
Reed thought it dangerous for the
House to adopt alta moments notice
a resolution so sweeping in its pro-
visions.
Bedford supported the resolution,
especially the second provision. He
did not propose that four or five
cattle kings should own the west,
as four or five railroad monarch.
owned the east.
Howe opposed the resolution, be-
cause it might do injustice to some
road earnestly striving to earn it's
lands.
Dunn and Cobb supported the
resolution brit fly. though the latter
claimed there was no necessity for
il, as the committee on lands was
already working hard in the matter.
The resolution was adopted, yeas
PSI, nays Is.
The following was the negative
vote: Barksdale, Bingham, Bisbee,
George, HOrr, Kesn. Libbey, Limsn.
Morse, Muldrow, Poland, Ranney,
Reed, Rice. Russell, Stone, Van
Eaton and Whiting.
Cox, of New York, moved to sus-
pend the rules, and pass the bill
|lepealing the la VS. providing for the
ironclad oath.
Boutell opposed the bill. II the
repeal OF the test oath would have
the tendency Of fastening the eve
OF good feeling, he would heartily
favor 1T: but he believed the inter-
pretstiou that would be put upon
that action would be harmful to the
C 1untTy, where every concession of
this kind was interpreted south as
retrOgression from the standpoint
Of loyalty, and he must enter pro-
t3st.
Cox explained that the bill only
affected jurors, and men who take
the ironclad oath who have been in
secession did not take this oath,
therefore it did not affect southern
men. The ironclad oath was but
rotten reminder of clumsy buttress
of military lpower; it YVES deemed
necessary during the war as test,
but since men who fought against
the Union. were rehabilitated, the
same privileges should be extended
to Union men which disunionists
enjoyed. Why keep these old, bit
ter hates of the past? Why not
pour oil upon the old wound? He
appealed for support for the bill
from politics, FROM sectional hate,
from old uncharitableness. to bet
ter era of good feeling to be ushered
in.
The motion was agreed to and the
bill passed.
The Cincinnati correspondent Of