The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-10-21

railroads much. Neither does he ap-
pear to have become much more fami-
liar with the necessary forms Of legis-
latiOn for we find HMM this his fourth
term, IN January last, introducing a
bin, n. R sou to provide for the
costs Of surveying and selecting public
lands. This bill requires railway
companies or corporations receiving
a grant 10 pay within a certain period
"the cost Of surveying and selecting
all such lands 50 granted to it, or
tchich are claimed By Il under such
grant which have been surveyed and
upon which such costs have not already
been paid This is simply a mon
strous proposition and would enable
such companies TO get legal lien on
an az fieV claimed. 1t Is well known
that rail road companies have always
claimed a great deal more than they
ever got, OF were entitled to. Either
Mr.. Anderson deliberately intended to
pass this bill in the interests Of the
companies or else he IN his fourth
term. on this his great question did not
know how to draft a bill. OF course
no such measure could receive the
sanction Of the Senate. II would be
easy for him 10 say that the Senate had
murdered his bill, but there is not the
the slightest evidence in the records Of
the House that It received any atten-
ton from that body. Probably he in
troduced It merely to send TO his con-
stituants without giving himself
another thought about it. lam inclin-
ed to think this for / find a bill to tax
rail road lands was reported from the
House Committee by Mr.. Crisp, Feb.
rs, 1886. Mr.. Crisp introduced suehfa
bill, as did Mr.. Hanback,. In the report
Mr.. Crisp refers to House bills Nos.
276, 20, 141O and 37S but never even re-
fers to Mr.. Anderson's. The bill is a
erydifferent and a much more practical
measure than Mr.. Anderson's. It
came I'D for discussion and was passed
on March 10, last and the debate was
participated in by Messrs. Crisp, Han
back and Weaver, Of Nebraska. there
being no evidence that Mr.. Anderson
in any shape partieipated-see pages
2iT5 and 21T6, Congressional Record.
last session. The bill was amended in
the Senate, was referred 10 the House
Committee and reported back TO the
House. / read from their report the
closing portion which showed that it
was satisfactory:
''SectiOn further reserves in its
fullest extent, the right to amend the
acts Of 1854, 1878 or the present act.
The whole purpose Of the bill as now
reported 70 the House is to first, secure
the collection of these rail roads Of the
amount due by them to the Govern
ment for Surveying, selecting and con-
veying their land grants; and secondly,
TO grant to the States and Territories
in which these lands lie the right to
tax the same, Notwithstanding the
Government has not been paid, the
bin continuing a prOvisO that the
amOnnt due the Government for the
cost Of surveying, selecting and con-
veying shall remain a first lein upon
tee land to be paid by purchaser at tax
sale in such manner as the Secretary
Of the Interior may provide
CHARLES i. CRISP, (Of Georgia.
JAMES ID. RICHARDSON
! subjoin a portion Of Mr.. Crisp's
remarks showing the character Of the
bill:
'sMr. Crisp. SIN response to the
question Of the gentleman from Texas,
] win state that the FIRST section
provides that lands to which the COM
panies are entitled and which have
been surveyed shall be subject to taxa
ton. If the companies are not emit
tied TO the land-and by this bill we
do not propose or pretend to pass upon
that questiOn-if they are not entitled
to the lands. then under this bill the
lands would not be taxable. The sole
purpose Of the bill, sir, is to enable, in
the first place, the proper officers Of
the Government to collect from all
Immigrant railways the amount Of
money paid out by the United States
for their benefit in selecting. survey
and conveying the lands. As an incl
dent 10 that, apprehending that there
might he some delay about the cOllec-
tiOn of this money the bill provides
that the States and the Territories in
which the lands lie-lands 10 which
the railroads are entitled, lands that
they have earned-that those States
and Territories may subject the lands
to taxation, providing that the cost Of
selecting, surveying and conveying
shall remain first lien upon the lands,
10 be paid by the purchaser at the tax
sale in such manner as the Secretary
Of the the Interior may prescribe.
In the event that the Government has
collected from an individual purchaser
at taX-sale the cost Of selecting, sur
veying and and conveying the particu-
lar tract which he purchased, then If
the Government afterward by suit col
lects that cost from the company, the
Government is to reimburse the pur-
chaser at the tax-sale who had previ-
ously paid the cost This, Mr. Speaker,