Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-07

over unadjusted wrongs This is especially so
regarding their lands. Matters arising from
the construction and operation of railroads
across some of the reservations and claims OF
title and right of occupancy set up by white
persons to some of the best land within other
reservations, require legislation for their final
adjustment. The settlement of these matters
will remove many embarrassments to progress
in the work Of leading the Indians to the
adoption of our institutions. and bringing them
under the operation, the influence and the pro-
lection OF the universal laws of our country.
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
The recommendations of the Secretary of the
Interior and of the Commissioner of the Gen
eral Land Office looking to the better protection
of public lands and of the public surveys; the
preservation OF national forests, the adjudica-
ton of grants to States and corporations, and of
private land claims and the increased efficiency
of the public service, are commended to the at
tention of Congress. To secure the widest dis
tri; ution of public land and thus make the
greatest number of individual homes. was the
primary object of the public land legislation in
the early days of the Republic. This system was
a simple one. 1t provided that the humblest
citizen could identify the tract upon which he
wished TO establish his home, and the price of
lands was placed within the reach of all the
enterprising, industrious and honest pioneer
citizens of the country. 1t was soon, however,
found that the object of the laws was perverted,
under the system of cash sales, from distribu-
ton of land among the people to an accumula-
ton of land capital by wealthy and speculative
persons. TO check this tendency preference
right OF purchase was given to settlers on the
land, plan which eliminated in the general
presumption Act of 1871. The foundation of
this system was actual residence and cultiva-
ton. Twenty years later the homestead laws,
devised to more surely place actual homes
in the possession of actual cuitivators of
the soil, were passed. The land was given
without price, the sole condition being
residence, improvement and cultivation.
Other laws have followed, each designed to en-
coursge the requirement and use OF land IN
limited individual qualities. But in later years
these laws, through vicious administrative
methods and under changed conditions of COM
munication and transportation, have been so
evaded and violated that their benefcent pur-
pose is threatened with entire defeat The
methods of such evasions and violations are set
forth in detail in the reports of the Secretary OF
the Interior and the Commissioner of the Cen
eral Land Office. The rapid appropriation OF
our public lands without bona tide settlements
or cultivation. and not only without intention
of residence, but for the purpose OF their aggre-
CATION in large holdings-in many cases IN the
hands of foreigners.lnyites the serious ana I'm.
mediate attention of Congress. The energies of
the land department hare been devoted, during
the present Administration, to remedying de-
fects and correcting abuses in the public land
service. The results of these efforts are so
largely in the nature of reforms in the process
and the methods of our land system as TO pre-
vent adequate estimates, but 1t appears by
compilation from the reports of the Commits
sioner of the General Land Office that the i'm
mediate effect in leading cases which have come
to a final termination has been the restoration
to the mass OF public lands of . $50 900 acres and
$4,000 acres are embraced in Investigations
now pending before the Department or the
Courts. Action by Congress has been asked to
effect the restoration Off $50 900 acres additional,
besides which 100000 acres have been with
held for reservation and the rights of entry
thereon maintained. / recommend the repeal
of the Presumption and Timber Culture Acts
and that the Homestead laws be so amended as
TO better secure compliance with, and cultiva-
ton for the period of five years from date of
entry, without communication or provision for
speculative REIMBURSEMENT. also recommend
the repeal of the Desert Land laws, unless it
shall be the pleasure of Congress to so amend
these laws as to render them less liable to
abuse As the chief motive for the evasion of
the laws and the principal cause of this result
in land distribution is the facility with which
transfers are made of the right intended to be
secured to settlers it may be deemed advisable
to provide, by legislation. some guards and
checks upon the alienation of vested rights and
lands covered thereby until the patents ISSUE
Last year an Executive proclamation was issued,
directing the removal of fences which inclosed
the public domain, and many of these have
been removed in obedience to such order but
much of the public land still remains within
the lines of the unlawful fences. The ingenious
methods resorted to in order to c0nuiT5 these
trespasses, and the hardihood of the pretenses
by which, in some cases. such Enclosures are
justified are fully detailed in the report of the
Secretary of the Interior. The removal of the
fences stili-remaining, which inclose public
lands, will be enforced with all the authority
and means with which the Executive branch of
the Government is or shall be invested by Con-
gress for that purpose.