, 1886-10-07
Dolph Bill.

The following IS the DOlph bill IN
full. which, if it had passed the
House, would have restored to the
public domain over 100000 acres
of land in Washington Territory:
4 bill restoring to the United
States certain of the lands granted
to the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company to aid in the construction
of railroad from Lake Superior to
Puget Sound, and to restore the same
to settlement, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Con-
gress assembled, That all the lands
heretofore granted to the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company by an act
entitled AN act granting lands to
aid in the construction of a rail
road and telegraph line from Lake
Superior to Puget Sound, on the
Pacific coast, by the northern route" "
approved July second, eighteen
hundred and sixty four, and subse-
quent acts and joint resolutions of
Congress. which appertain to and are
coterminous with that part of its main
line which extends from Wallula
junction, in Washington Territory.
to the city of Portland, in the state of
Oregon.
And also all lands which apper-
tain to and are coterminous with that
part of the branch line across the
Cascade Mountains which shall not
have been constructed at the date of
the passage of this act.
be and the same are hereby, resumed
by the United States and restored to
the public domain, and made subject
to the disposition and settlement IN
der the general laws relating to the
public lands
SEC. 2. That in all cases where
persons are in possession of any of
the lands affected by said grant and
hereby resumed by and restored 70
the United States, under deed, writ
ten contract with, or license from the
said Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany executed prior to January LIST,
eighteen hundred and eighty-six,
they shall be entitled to purchase the
same from the United States, in
quantities not exceeding three hund.
red and twenty acres to any one such
person, at the rate of two dollars and
fifty cents per acre, at any time with
IN two years from the passage of this
act, and on making said payment to
receive patents therefor.
Provided, That if it shall be found
that any lands so resumed by the
United States and restored to the
public domain lie north of the line
Known as the Harrison lire"
being a line drawn from Wallula,
W, T., easterly to the southwest cor
ner of the southeast quarter of the
southeast quarter of section 5, In
township Z north, of range 3S east of
the Willamette meridian.
all persons, or their heirs or assigns,
as the case may be, who had acquired
IN good faith the title of the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company to any
portion of said lands prior to Janu-
airy first, eighteen hundred and
elghty-six, or who at said date were
IN possession of any portion of said
lands or had improved the sane,
claiming the same under written con
tract with or license from said com.
pany, executed in good faith, shall be
entitled to purchase the lands SO &C
quired, possessed, or improved, from
the United States, at any time prior
t9 the expiration of one year after it
shall be finally judicially determined
that such lands are restored to the
public domain by the provisions of
this act, at the rate of two dollars and
htty cents per acre, and to receive
patents therefor upon proof before
the proper land-office of the fact of
such acquisition, possession or I'm
provement, and payment therefor,
without limitation as to quantityi
Prortded further, That in all cases
Whera parties, persons, Or corpora
tons, with the permission of said
Northern Pacific Railroad COMPANY.
are IN the possession of and have
made improvements upon any of the
lands hereby resumed and restored,
and are not entitled to enter the same
under the provisions of this act, such
parties, persons, or corporations shall
have SIX months in which to remove
any growing crop, and within which
time they shall also be entitled to re-
move all buildings and other move
able improvements from said lands.
! Sec. 3. That nothing in this act
shall be construed to waive or release
or in any way affect any right of the
United States to have any other Lands
granted by them to the said railroad
company forfeited for any failure of
said company to comply with the con.
ditions of the grant.
$ Sec. s. That the following words
IN the act of July 2, 1864, section 2
-and the right of way shall be exempt
from taxation within tho Territories
Of the United States" are hereby re
pealed.
= Van Wyck amendment.
I Amendment of Mitchell, of Ore
gon.
! Amendment of Beck, of Ken
tucky.
5 Amendment of Van Wyck, of
Nebraska.
Voters have been doing a good
deal of thinking for themselves dur
ing the last two years, the general
o. as.tU r L i