Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-23

WASHINGTON May -hcpIebentatlf
Payssu OF Illinois has prepared repor
on Che bill to prevent aliens from acqulI
INK rial estate 10 the territories Of tn
United States 2'he report Gays the BIZ
has for it's basis the proposition tha
American soil shall be owned by Ameri
cabs so far CO congress can control IL
Inc committee ON public lands In this
| congress, rs In the last, is thoroughly
committed to the policy Of so administer.
/ ing our public-land system that the
agricultural lands OF the nation
shall not be parted with without cost to
be held Ia smnll tracts by sctual settlers
only for the purpose OF cSitiyation by
others, securing thereby the thrift of the
citizen and economy in his management
which ownership always stimulates. This
policy, the report submits, should be-
come national one. The experiences OF
so many thousands Of our people In
securing homes i'll the vast area OF public
/ lands has been so successful that the de-
sire for ownership OF homes capable Of
producing support for family is more
universal here than In any country in the
world. This, the report says, was the
prevalent idea when the homestead law,
one Of the most benefcent acts ever
adopted by congress, was passed IL was
due TO the government 10 furnish TO its
people cheap homes to aid the &C ual set
Tier, whose labor would make the land
fruitful and productive, giving wide
wealth TO the locality and stability and
strength TO the country.
These lands are becoming more and
more valuable year by year, ana tempted
by the promise sure TO be realized OF inn
mense PROFITS, as well as absolute securi-
ty Of investment, these lands by devious
methods la many cases have been secured
in great areas and are held by capitalists
and corporations, foreign as well as
domestic. The lands Of many Of these
foreign owners and holders are made sub.
iect 20 q system of landlordism and con.
ditions totally un-Anerlcan and kindred
to those existing in the old world, a
system and conditions which have spread
ruin and misery wherever they have ex-
listed In Europe. AS an Illustration of
this published statement showing that
20,7i5,000 acres OF land are held by
foreigners is appended. Among the
large holders mentioned are the marquis
Of Tweedsdale, Sir Edward Red,
the Holland company and several
foreign syndicates, the possession OF
e'ch numbering millions of acres.
There is no question, the report says, as
to the power Of cor gress over the sub
lect. England exercised it during all
the years OF her progress, and has only
recently granted the right to hold real
estate there to aliens. The question, the
report continues, Of how cheap homes for
poor can best be secured will soon be
upon us. At the present rate OF dis
posal this generation will see
the last acre OF public land WORTH
taking for home by Il farmer disposed
of. The bill which the report accompa-
MES provides that no alien or foreigner
who has not declared his Intention to be.
come citizen Of the United States, nor
any corporation, one-tenth of whose
stock is owned or controlled by aliens or
foreigners, shall have the right to acquire
real estate in any # the territories OF the
United States. The bill has been agreed
upon by the committee, and will probably
be reported one day this week.