The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-05-23
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Report Of the Public L anas Comm ,t.ae

WASHINGTON, May IA report was
submitted to accompany the bill reported
from the house committee on public lands,
providing for the repeal of the pre.emption
and timber culture laws, and the amend.
ment of the homestead law. The COM
mlttee says: ssWe believe it should be the
policy of the government to give to those of
our citizens who are without homes such
| amount OF the public domain as will make
them comfortable homesteads, where they
enter it with good faith, intending to make
1t their homes, and cultivate and live on
the same for fixed period of time, and we
believe l6O acres should be the maximum
under the presumption, homestead and
timber culture laws. As they now stand
one person may become owner of 4SO acres
OF the public domain, l6O acres under each.
This is too large an amount of land, in our
opinion, for any person to acquire in this
manner. We think the policy of the gov
ernment should be to furnish as many of it's
citizens with comfortable homes as long in
the future as possible and l6O acres is suffi-
clent for this purpose. By giving this
amount it will not be many years till our
public domain will be taken up. The pre-.
emption law was passed in 1861, the home
stead law in 1867, and the timber culture
law In 1873. When the hom estead act was
enacted the pre- -emptiof law should have
been repealed; timber culture law should
never have been passed. We have, there
fore, In our substitute, provided for the
repeal OF the pre-emption and timber culture
acts and the amendment of the homestead
law"
Dolph's Northern Pacific Forfeiture Bill
WASHINGTON, May l9-The bill in re-
latlon to forfeiture of Northern Pacific
lands introduced to-day by Dolph, pro-
vides for the immediate restoration to the
public domain and cooperation of the public
land laws OF that portion of the ant lying
coterminus with its main line between
Wallula junction and Portland, distance
OF 2l4 miles. It also provides for forfeiture
at the end of five years from the passage of
the bill of all lands adjacent to that portion
OF the Cascade grant which shall then be
unbuilt. in effect giving the road five years
to build the Cascade branch. The bill
proposes to authorize persons in possession
OF any of these lands to purchase 32O acres,
II so much has been improved by them.
The railroad is requested to file its assent
to the conditions of the bill, so as to avoid
all questions as to the title of forfeited land
APa1r Of Defeats
WASHINGTON, May 2O.-The house yes
terday refused, by vote of 1877 to ll3 to
suspend the rules and fix day for consider
alton of the bill to establish uniform sys-
tenn OF bankruptcy. While majority of
the house were in favor of this motion the
necessary thirds could not be obtained.
1t is considered that this vote practically
ruins the chances for the enactment this
session. of a bankrupt law. It is possible
that in the ordinary course of business it
may be reached, but as the time for final
adjournment approaches the prospect for
securing the passage of the bill fades. As
was expected the democrats opposed fixing
day for consideration of the bill.
The failure to secure consideration of the
bankrupt bill was partially offset by the
overwhelming defeat of the ways and means
committee in its attempt to pass the bill to
reduce the rates of duty on works of art to
10 per cent. advalorem. A duty of 90 per
cent is at present imposed upon works of
art OF foreign artists, while the productions
of American painters abroad are admitted
free of duty. Hurd was the special champ
ion of the bill, which proposed to reduce
the rates of duties on costly pictures and |
other works of art, such as the very rich |
only are able to purchase. There has never
been an occasion in the house of represen-
tatives when bill of this character, en-
dorsed as it was by majority of the MEM
bers of the ways and means committee and |
with the recommendation and approval of |
that committee, has been SO signally de.
feated. 1t is matter of great surprise to
the friends of Judge Kelly that the great
protectionist leader in the house should
have voted for the passage of this bill.
Hurd's motion to suspend the rules and
pass the measure. although advocated by
Kasson and other prominent protectionists,
was defeated by vote of 50 10 49, Dunn
(Ark) and Warner (Ohio) opposed the mo-
tion in short speeches.