The weekly Arizona miner., 1885-02-13
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

The bull to repeal the pre-emption d-sert iand and timber culture lsws ssd snend he homestead law las passed the Senate The first section provides for the repeal of the pre-eu'r,ion law; the appeal. however. not to affect ihe rights of any peraon which are accruiug on the pa~ags of the art. |. further provides that any person who has not heretofore had the ben. ft of the pre- emption law, and who has failed from any cause to perfect title to iand heretofore entered by him under the homestead laws may make tecond homestead entry in lien of tue pre-emp:ion privilege which is repealed. Section ? repeal. the timber cul. ture law, with the proyiso that 1t shall noi interfere with existing rights. Section } amends the Revised Statutes SO that per sons who have availed themselves of the home stead laws may pay the minimum price for lands after eighteen months fro,l date of entry, provided they file prelimin ary notice six months before. Section ( repeals the desert land act, except as to | claims which exist at the date oi the pas sage of the act. Section , provides that no public lands, exec pt abs.,si,oel military or other rcserv ati"ns, rGnera, L.nis and vihsf
 lands the sic of wh;c., have been author ized by special acts of Congress, shall be sold at public auction or by special prisa.e entry. All offered public ianls are with drawn from market and shall be Gssposed of as unoF.red public lands.
 Senator Dolph, is the report accompa- 1 nying the bill, says: Under the present
 laws, any pcrsoa can acquire title to lG0
 acres. under the pre-smp'i,u anl home
 stead and timber culture acts, or 4S0 acres | in all. The committee is Of the opinion
 that the time has come to limit tho ac quirement of Govet nsne mt land by ono per
 son to I60 acres. Another reasrn fIr tha
 repeal of the pre- cmp.i i,n l.w is tho alarm ing increase in fraudulent claims under 1t lately. The report sys: |. has been charged that tbis fault Was in the execu- lion of the law. But the committee IS O! the opinio<. kat the Ia. contains such in-
 herent affects that fraudulent entry cannot
 bs wholly prevented Ths increase of fraudulent entries, i'll its opin ion, n due to the increased Value of la.Is and tho conse-
 quent greater Inducements od-Ied for the
 evasion cf the law. The repeal of fh. Itimber culture law is recommended becaoss
 1t has proved failure. he report en- ltinaes- Experiment. has demonstrated that
 the desert land act, instead of securing tine settlement. and r, eiarnation of dsse:t lands
 by actual settlers has been mad, the
 means of securing fraudulent titles 10 ..
 riculrural lands. There IS Yspilly grow- ing seu.mc nc in this country for the TO
 peal of ali jaws providing for the disposal
 ef agricultural puh.e lands, GIG pt the
 homestead law, that the public a'main
 shall hereafter be reserved for homes for
 settlers. The committee N et she opinion
 that this should bo ths futuSv policy of the
 Government. Even it sei.iers are re-
 stric;el to I60 ac,es of i,ui, 1t would bs
 but comparatively . fev yeays before all 1 the public land, suitable f,r homes will be exhausted.
 Ii conclusion, the report says: ''The practical exhaustion of p.r public domain viii force upon the atten.i. .n of the people of this cnunt,y new, important and diff cult questicn,, and in ,ie opinion cf tine commute the iipse wheu rur rapidly in ere asing population, instead of beng abe to take up homestsads on public lands and make homes for themselves, shs'l be com y,elled to ind homes in our Over-crowded cities, should by wise Legislation, be post ponsd As long as possible.