Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-01-28
KANSAS LAND GRANTS.

Important Bill Introduced By Hon. Johs
A. Anderson In the House.
WASHINGTON, January 12.-The follow
ing is the bill introduced by Hon. j. A.
Anderson, of Kansas, to provide for the adj
justment of land grants made by Congress
to aid in the construction Of railroads with
in the State of Kansas, and for the fOrfei.
ture of unearned lands and for other pur-
poses:
Be it enacted in the Senate and House OF
Representatives of the United States OF
Amerca, in Congress assembled:
That the Secretary of the Interior De ana IL
hereby authorized and directed. to immed1.
ately nd just, or cause to be adjusted, eacn OF
the railroad land grants heretofore made Dy
Congress to aid in the construction OF rail-
roads within the State of Kansas.
Sea-. That if it shall appear upon the COM
pletion of such adjustments, respectively,
that lands have been certified by the Secre.
tary of the Interior to or for the benent OF
either of said railroad companies. in excess
of the amount TO which it was lawfully en-
titled; or that lands have been SO certined:
which were reserved from the opeIatlons OF
said grants; or settled upon under the home-
stead, pre- emptiOn or timer culture laws,
By bona fide settlers, within the indemnify
limits, prior to the selections OF said lands oy
the railroad companies; or that lands ,not
granted, or lands not earned by said COM
panies have been go certified. all such lands
shall revert to the United States, and the
lists of all such lands. or parts OF SUCH hsts,
shall be deemed aud held to be null and void
and the Secretary of the Interior shall re-
yoke and cancel the same, commencing wNn
the list last certified and continuing on SUCH
list and lists next in their order until the en-.
tire amount of lands so wrOngfully certified
shall have been revoked and Cancelled.
See. ). That if in the adjustment or SAID
grants it shall appear that the homestead.
presumption OF timber culture claim or entry
of any bona fide settler has heretofore been
| enormously Cancelled, or his application de-
MED on account OF any railrOs!d grant or the
withdrawal of public lands for railroad pur-
poses, such settler, upon application, shail ne
reinstated in all his rights and allowed 10
perfect his entry and receive patent from
the United States for tn tract so settled
upon by complying with the puhiic iano
| laws; Provided that If any OF said settlers
| shall have removed from said State. or 90 not
! renew their application to perfect their titles
to said lands within reasonable time, to be
! fixed by the Secretary of the Interior, then
/ such of said lands as remain shall be re-
stored to market oy n me ths e Settlers
! residing thereon shall have priority or righ'
! under said laws.
/ Sec. 1. That all other lands which have been
! wrOngfully and without authority or law
! certified or patented to said railroad cOmpar
MES, and which have been sold by said com.
! panes or either Of them prior to the date OF
so purchasing shall have the right to the
lands so purchased upon making proof OF
/ the fact of such purchase to the United
States at the proper local land Once wltnln
/ one year after the adjustment of the grant
! relative to said lands, and patenta shall De
issued to the party entitled thereto. snd ne
/ Secretary of the Interior, on benAif OF the
/ United States, shall demand payment from
/ the railroad company or companies OF an
amount equal to So so per acre for all such
lands so sold within tho granted limits and
/ sI25 per acre for all such lands 80 sold with
in the indemnity limits of the grants, re
! spectyeiy; provided. said lands shall nave
been sold by said company or companies 10i
that or greater price per acre, ana II not solS
then said companies, respectively, snal
pay to the United States an amount eqUal t(
the price per acre received BY them IRON
such sales, provided however, that in al
cases where such lands wef sold by said
companies for less than the minimum Of
double minimum price of public lands, al
! above specified, the deiic: ency. whatever i
may be, shall be paid by such purchasers a.
the proper local land Office before patents
shall issue to said purchasers; ana in case o
neglect or refusal of said company or com
panies to make payment as herein proyldef
within one year after the demand shall nave
been made the Attorney General shall cause
suit or suits to be brought against such com
pany or companies for the amount so with
held Provided. that any y.s sum m. or sn sum-
to be paid to the Unte1 states py sac
companies, respectively, for tho lands 81
sold. which may have been received by thell
On account of such sales, shall be refunded
to such purchasers or their assigns by INT
company or companies receiving the same
and provided, that all lands so wrongful!
certified or patented and not sold BY the sait
companies or either of them under their re
spective grants but not certified or patented
which upon a proper adjustment shall 0,
found not to belong to said companies, al
such lands shall be restored to market unde
the public land laws and bona fde settler
residing thereon shall have priority OK rgh
under said laws.
Sec s. That nothing in this act, and M
previous decision or action OF the Genera
Land Office or Department of the Interior
canceling or holding for cancellation any en-
try. or rejecting any application TO enter an
lands by reason of conflict with railroad
grant or claim, shall be a bar to the allOwanc
OF such rejected application
Sec. s. That the title of all lands within tn
State of Kansas which have been granted D
Congress to aid in the construction OF raj
roads in said State. and lawfully certlfe
and patened to the ra rOad companies, ant
by said companies sold to bona hde purchas
ers, be and is hereby confirmed, ratified an
approved.
Sec T. That no. more lands shall be cert
fed or cOnVeycd to the State of Kansas, or
any corporation, or individual, for the bent
fit of either of the railroad companies here
mentioned by the Department of the Inter
Tor until the said grants respectively sha
have been adjusted as by this act required.