St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-01
Claiming the Title to Certain
Land Grants in Min
neSota.
Partisanship to Blame for
the Defeat Of the Omaha
Public Building Bill.
The Senate Struggles All
Day With the Sundry
Civil Bill.
The House Temporarily Lays
Aside the Deficiency
Bill.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 31.-The
house to-day passed bill repeating the
acts of 1864, 1865 and 1866, which ex-
tended the time for completing land
grant roads in Minnesota, and making
additional grants, etc. The report of
the committee states that 1.-THE public
interests, as well as the interests of all
parties concerned, demand that the
grants in question should be speedily
adjusted and the titles of the land eff
fected, which have remained in state
of uncertainty for nearly thirty years,
should be satisfied. The bill simply
removes what in the
OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE,
the department of the interior and the
chief executive constitutes an obstacle
to the due and proper discharge of the
business and duties of the department
by its secretary"
Section 3, containing the gist of the
new bill. was amended to read as fol-
lows:
Section 8. That whenever in the
opinion of the secretary of the interior
a grant of lands heretofore made by the
United States to aid in the construction
of any rail OF wagon road, canal or other
work of internal improvement has been
adjusted and
HE DEEMS ADVISABLE,
and that said adjustment shall be finally
closed on the books of the land office, he
shall cause such notice to be given by
advertisement or otherwise, as may seem
to him proper, warning parties inter
eSted to come forward within three
months and show cause why such adj
juStment should not be closed. Ii a
proper showing be made he shall, as
speedily as may be, determine the mat
tiers involved, awarding to said parties
whatever they may be entitled to, and
thereupon, or if no such showing be
made, he shall
AT ONCE DIRECT
the commissioner of the general land
Office to close the final adjustment OF
said grant, and the same shall not there
after be reopened, and after the closing
of any such adjustment the secretary
shall revoke all Withdrawals heretofore
made on such grant and restore to set
Element and entry all lands remaining
undisposed of; and all lands restored 10
the public domain under the provision
of this act shall be disposed of to bona
fide settlers only under the homestead
laws, except section 2301 of the revised
statutes:
Provided, That in case any such lands
shall be, at time of their restoration, as
aforesaid, actually
OCCUPIED IN GOOD FAITH,
as settler by any person who entered
upon such lands prior to Jan. 1, 1888,
and who had already exhausted his
homestead right under existing laws,
such person shall, Notwithstanding, be
allowed to enter again under the home
stead laws the tract so occupied, not eX-
ceeding 100 acres, provided the privilege
given hereby be exercised by formally
entering at the proper land Office
within six months after such restora-
ton.
Sec. q. Nothing in this act shall be
construed as ratifying or confirming
any grant or certifcation of lands here
tofore made by congress, or any ex-
ecutive order made touching any public
lands, or as to the validity of any such
executive order.