Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-22
Foreign Ownership Of United states
Lands.

Lands.
tBy telegraph to the Dispal HI
WASHINGTON, January 2l.-Rcpre-
sentative Oates. of the Committee on
Public Lands, has prepared report on
the bill to prohibit aliens and foreigners
from acquiring or owning lands within
the United States, which the committee
has reported to the House with the re-
commentator that it shall pass. Mr..
Oates says: Your committee have
ascertained with reasonable certainty
that certain noblemen Of Europe, princi-
pally Englshmen, have acquired and
now own in the aggregate abOut2l .OOO,-
600 acres Of land within the United
States. We have not sufficient informa-
ton to state the quantity owned
by untitled aliens, nor is it so i'm
portant, as it is generally held
in smaller bodies. This alien nom
resident ownership will in the course
of time lead to landlordism incom-
patible with the best interests of
free institutions of the United States.
The foundation for such system is be-
ing laid broadly in the western States
and Territories. A considerable num-
Der Of immigrants annually arriving i'll
this country are to become tenants and
herdSmen on the vast possessions OF
these foreign lords under contracts made
and entered into before they sail for our
shores. The avarice and enterprise of
European capitalists have caused them
to invest many millions in American
railroad and land bonds. covering, per-
haps, a hundred million acres, the
greater part of which. under fore
closure sales, will most likely, be-
fore many years. become the pro-
perty Of these foreign bondhOlders,
in addition to their present princely pos
sessions. 1t is thus manifest that if the
present large alien ownership is an evil,
of which we have no doubt, the proba-
biities of the near future still more i'm
peratiyely demand legislation for its
prevention. THIS aggressive foreign capt.
tai is not confined to the lands it has
purchased, but in overlapping its
boundaries has caused hundreds Of
miles of the public domain to he fenced
up for the grazing of vast herds Of cat
tie and set at defiance the rights of the
honest but humble settler. The policy Of
the Government heretofore toward aliens
has been characterized by great lberali
ty, and the different States of the Union.
each acting for itself, have gone still fur
Their upon the idea Of the desirability Of
arapid increase ofpOpulatiOn and wealth.
and by their legislation have conferred
upon aliens rights far beyond those they
enjoyed by treaty stipulations or the
common law or laws of nations.
The bill herewith reported, proposed
as part of the foreign policy Of this
country. is to operate only prospective
ly. and therefore not harshly, to pre-
vent absolutely the citizens or subjects
of other nations, so long as they adhere
TO and retain their allegiance to other
Powers. from acquiring ownership Of
American soil within the jurisdiction of
the United States. We maintain that
American soil should be owned exclu-
sively by American citizens. Perhaps
objection may be made to the bill on the
ground that its tendency will be to drive
foreign capital from this country. If it
were, we are not quite sure that any
permanent harm would result therefrom
to any one on this continent. The mort
cages and land bonds held by aliens
would not be materially impaired in |
value by the law proposed. They are
deeds oftrust, and can be foreclosed and
the lands sold in default of payment by
an alien holder as well as by citizen.
Neither can, according to law, buy his
own sale, because of conflict of interest
with duty, unless it is so stipulated in
the contract, and this being known. can
have no other effect upon future foreign
investors in this class Of securities than
to make them little more careful and
not TO rely upon the prospect of the
ultimate ownership of the lands mort
paOpd