Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-04

honorable secretary Of the interior and o.
congress 10 respectfully called to the fac,
ehat there are over { q thousand mineral
locations already made upon odd numbered
sections claimed by the Northern Pacific
kaiir ad company.
In conclusion your committee, fully an.
preciating the vital Importance Of the crest
WORK undertakin by the convention, and
realizing the difficulties in the way az re
accomplishment, would respectable sno.
ges5 That the Mineral Land associ .tion, as
soon as organized, shall issue coll to the
people OF Montana requesting that public
meetings shall be held in every locality
throughout the state to the end that this
subject may be fully discussed and the peo-
pie correctly advised as to the serious
nature OF the threatened danger. We be-
iieve that such a course will not enly
arouse public interest, but that it viii
also result in generous aid being extended
In support oil the objects OF the association.
lSigned.l R. o. HICKMAN,
Chairman.
JOSEPH K. CLARK, JOHN A. WooDsoN,
JOHN ID. OwINGs, A. III. NELSON
=. X. GLlDDEN, WILL KENNEDY,
LEE MANTLE.
Col. W. F. Sanders took the floor to sug.
gest in addition to the report. He thought
that patents would not confer any title.
The title to all lands in the Nor hern Pa.
cific grant were conferred by the act OF
congress OF 1864, and patents would not
make that title and stronger. He
thought there was only one way out of the
difficulty, and that was to make the gov.
ernment and the Northern Pacific propo.
sition, viz, that the government cancel all |
land grants made to the railroad in Mon |
tana covering mineral lands, and take |
these lands back into the public domain by |
giving the Northern Pacific reasonable |
consideration therefor. He suggested that |
provision be added to the resolution en-
the Mineral Land association to
make such proposition.
Remarks were made by Gen. Harris, Will
Kennedy, A. 81. Nelson, G.. G.. Merrill and
Lee Mantle, urging prompt action to pre-.
vent the issuance of patents. Viii: Ken.
1edy offered a resolution to the effect that
The Mineral Land association be instructed
70 ask the secretary of the interior that in
obtaining patents to lands, railroad COM
'any be required to make the same proof
rs is exacted Of private individuals.
Adopted. |,
James Sullivan offered an amendment to
he resolutions, setting forth that it shall
10 the duty OF the Mineral Land Asso.
iation to take steps toward cancellation
y the government of the land grant of
he Northern Pacific in Montana, in so 4
ar as it applies to mineral lands. It
A long discussion ensued as to the pro. c
riety Of adopting this amendment, Messrs. q
ullivan and Sanders sustaining it and {
[essrs. Harris, W. A. Clark and others op- @
osing. ]
Mr.. Clark made an extended speech on O
he subject. which was loudly applauded. t
[e took the ground that the railroad r
ould not be after q patent unless that t
atent gave them better title than they q
nd now, and placed himself on record on o
lat side OF the question. a
Mr.. Mantle, with q view OF harmonizing d
le sentiment, offered resolution to the W
feet that the association should CORE. e,
Dond with the Northern Pa,ifc with a v
aw Of arriving at an amicahla adinstnan-A !
the difficulty il such q thing were pos. u
Bile. .e
No action was taken on Mantle's resolu- 8,
on. 81
Sullivan's resolution was voted down. a
The convention adjourned sine die. st
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