Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-09-15
corps LAND REVIEW.
Pending LegisIatiOn-Mr. HOiman's
Latest.

In the beginning Of this series Of letters,
mention is made of what is known as the
Holman Public Land Bill, and Of the bill
FORGETTING railroad land grants, and it was
stated that neither would pass both Houses
Of Congress at the present session. Sub.
sequently the fact was announced that bills
had been passed by the House Of Repre-
santatives, and the opinion that they would
not get through the Senate was reiterated.
Mr.. Holman seems to have arrived at
conclusion in harmony with those opinions,
and has adopted very unusual-not to say
unwise-course with view to securing by
SUSPENSION the objects he fears will prove
unattainable by the ordinary methods Of re-
peal and straightforward declarations of for
! fixture.
| On August 28 he introduced ga Bill to
suspend all laws touching the disposal OF
public lands except the homestead law, and
for other purposes" by which it is provided
that the public lands of the United States
|
ing to the provisions of the homestead laws,
and that the Communication clause OF those
laws shall be imperative, until the pending
legislation affecting such lands shall be dis
posed of, or until the present session Of
Congress shall adjourn; and that any iso-
lated or disconnected tracts of public land
less than 100 acres may be ordered sold at
private or public sale for not less than $r2s
per acre when in the judgment Of the Com
missioner of the General Land Office it
would be proper to do so. That during and
after the tendency of measures now before
Congress relative to railroad grant forfeit
ures no act done by any Of the grantees
shall enlarge their right or claim to any
lands covered by the grants, nor shall this
provision be constructed to diminish or
waive any right of the United States to de-
clare forfeiture of any of the grants.
| In brief letter like this it would be i'm.
possible to point out all the errors embraced
in this proposed law. In the first place it
attempting to accomplish by indirection that
which has been found impossible to do in
direct legal manner. Next it undertakes to
prevent persons who have made homestead
entries from exercising the right to commute
their entries which is vouchsafed to them by
the laws under which the entries have been
! A. l. ~ tbeir
assigns) who for waivers Of legal rights to
valuable lands have accepted script from the
government, the right to locate such script in
the manner prescribed by law and the terms
of agreements between them and the govern
ment. 1t undertakes to wipe out Of exis-
tence that rule of law laid down by the Su.
preme Court Of the United States by which
contracts with the government are held to
run until legally revoked by competent au,
thority and to impair the rights of citizens.
Should it be carried into effect it would
work incalculable injury to the progressive
communities of the Northwest, and interfere
with private rights in every public land
State and Territory in the Union.
1t would stop proceedings towards CON-
pleting every entry that has been initiated
under any other than the homestead law,
and probably cause the suspension of work
on every line of uncompleted land grant
railroad. The Commissioner, in the repor,
which he will probably be called upon tc
make upon this bill, should emphatically
dsapprove its enactment into law.
HENRY N. COPP.