St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-12
ALIEN LAND OWNERSHIP.

The lower house of congress cannot al
ford to adjourn without passing the alien
land bill, which has already passed the
senate without dissenting vote. When
this bill becomes law one of the most
righteous acts in the history of modern leg
islatlon will have been accomplished. The
report of the house committee on public
lands shows that an aggregate Of over
90, 600, 900 acres of the public domain have
been gobbled up by alien corporations and
individuals. So far as the list has
been made up, the holdings are as
follows: The Holland company, 1850, 600
acres in New Mexico; an English
syndicate 1,SO0, 600 in Mississippi; another
English syndicate, 5000. 600 in Texas; Sir
T. Reds syndicate, 2.000 600 i'll Florida;
the Marquis of Tweeddale, 1,75O, 600;
London banking firm, 1,300, 900; German
syndicate, 1000, 900; an Anglo-American
syndicate of London. $50, 900; ELLER-
HAUsEN's company OF Halifax. 600, 600;
the EVANS company, London, 700, 900;
Scotch syndicate, 800, 600; the Duke of
Sutherland, 425, 900; the British Land
company, $4,000 in Kansas; Mr..
W. HALEY, NJ. p. for Peterboro, 310.-
600; an Edinburg company, 300,
900; the Dundee company, 247,0 900;
Mr.. TUUNENT of London, 23O, 900. These
figures are absolutely appalling, and they
appear the more so when we recall the fact
there is more land in the United States in
the possession Of foreign landlords than the
entire area of Ireland. It looks as if some
thing ought to be done to put stop to this
scandalous condition of affairs. The Brit
ish empire is in the throes of a great revo-
luton, growing out of the fact that 500
English aliens own II, 900. 900 acres of Irish
soil, and yet in this free country the Off
cial record shows that Twenty-Five
, alien corporations and individuals own over
/ 20. 100000 acres. The bill which has
passed the senate contains four sections.
The first prohibits the acquisition hereafter
of lands in any of the territories and in the
District of Columbia by aliens who have
not duly declared their intention to become
citizens, or by corporations not created un-
der the laws of the United States or the
territories. The second section makes a
like provision against corporations or asso-
Citations more than one-fifth of whose
stock is held by aliens. The
third section prohibits any corporation
except railroad, turnpike or canal COM
panies, from acquiring hereafter over 5, 600
acres of land in any of the territories,
while even such companies are only to
hold lands for the operation of their
routes, except where other lands have been
granted by congress. The last section
makes forfeiture the penalty for violating
the act.
The house has passed more stringent
bill, but as there is more likelihood of the
senate bill passing the house than there is
that the house bill will pass the senate, the
lower branch of congress should not stand
on its dignity, bat should Immediately pass
the senate bill. It's provisions are strong
enough, if properly enforced, to put an end
to the alien landlord iniquity in this
country. The soil of America is the her
itage of her people, and it is the duty, of
the Democratic administration to reclaim
what has been stealthily acquired by aliens.
and to reserve it for the homes of Amer
leans.