Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-08-20
THE NORTHWEST
A PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAdA.
TION.
Ordering All Unlawful Enclosures of
Public Lands to be Immediate.
ly Removed.

WASHINGTON, August 10.-The fol.
lowing proclamation by the President
was issued to-day:
By the President of the United States
of America, proclamation:
Whereas, Public policy demands that
the public domain shall be reserved for
the occuhancy of actual settlers in good
faith, and that our people who seek
homes upon such domain shall in no
wise be prevented by any wrongful in
reference from the safe and free entry
thereon to which they may be entitled;
and
Whereas, To secure and maintain
this beneficent policy statute was
passed by the Congress of the United
States on the 25th day of February in
the year 1885, which declared to be un-
lawful all Enclosures of any public lands
in any State or Territory, to any of
which land included within said in
closure the person, party, association or
corporation making or controlling such
Enclosure, had no claim or color of title
made or acquired in good faith or an
asserted right thereto, by or under q
claim made in good faith, with view
to entry thereof at the proper land of
fee; and which statute also prohibited
any person by force, threats, intimida-
tion, or by any fencing Enclosure or
other unlawful means from preventing
or obstructing any person from peacea-
bly, entering upon or establishing set
tlement or residence on any tract of
public land subject to settlement or
entry under the laws of the United
States, and from preventing or obstruct-
ing the free passage over or through
the public lands; and
Whereas, 1t is by the fifth section of
said act provided as follows: That the
President is hereby authorized to take
such means as shall be necessary to re-
move and destroy any unlawful in
closure of any of said lands, and to en-
ploy civil or military force as may be
necessary for that purpose; and,
Whereas, 1t has been brought to my
knowledge that unlawful Enclosures,
and such as are prohibited by the terms
of the aforesaid statute, exist upon the
public domain, and that actual legal
settlement thereon is prevented and
obstructed by such Enclosures and by
force, threats and intimidation,
Now, therefore, l, Grover Cleveland,
President of the United States, do here
by order and direct that any and every
unlawful inclosure of the public lands
maintained by any person, association
or corporation be Immediately removed
and do hereby forbid any person, as
sociation or corporation from prevent
ing or obstructing by means of such
Enclosures or by force, threats or in
timidation any person entitled thereto.
from peaceably entering upon and
establishing a settlement or residence
on any part of such public land which
is subject to entry and settlement under
the laws of the United States.
And 1 command and require each
and every officer of the United States
upon whom the duty is legally devolv-
ed, to cause this order to be oheyed and
all the provisions of the act of Congress
herein mentioned to be faithfully en-
forced. In testimony whereof | have
hereunto set my hand and caused the
seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this
7th day of August, 1885, and of the
independence of the United States of
America the one hundred and TENTH"
GROVER CLEVELAND.
By the President:
T. f. BAYARD,
Secretary of State.