Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-11
ALIENS AND SCHOOL-SITES.
An Act Of Congress Necessary to Perfect
Title.

Attention has been called in The STAR to the
condition in which the title to the school site
on 5th street southeast has been left by the en-
ployment of o middleman in making the pur-
chase. This middleman, Mr.. Jas. A. Taylor,
according to ex-Commissioner Vests testimony
before the Taulbee committee, is not citizen
OF the United States, but of England. Under
what is known as the alien land act, approved
March 8, 1887, before the date Of the transac-
tion in which Mr.. Taylors name was used, it is
claimed that not only is the title derived by the
District through Mr.. Taylor of no value, but
the property is actually forfeited to the United
IAN act to restrict the ownership
of real estate in the territories to American
| citizens, and SO forth" This act provides
''that it shall be unlawful for any person or
persons not citizens of the United States. or
who have not lawfully declared their intention
to become such citizens, or for any corporation
not created by or under the laws of the United
States. or of some state territory of the
United States, to hereafter acquire. hold or own
real estate so hereafter acquired, or any interest
| therein, in any of the territories of the United
States or in the District of Columbia, except
such as may be acquired by inheritance or in
good faith in the ordinary course of Justice
in the collection of debts heretofore created 4"
The act declares that all property acquired
held or owned in violation of the provisions of
this act shall be forfeited to the United States,
and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General
to enforce every such forfeiture by bill in
equity or other proper process" well-known
expert i'll real-estate law, when asked by STAR
reporter for his opinion regarding the operation
OF TINS law under circumstances similar to those
testified to in the case of Mr.. Taylor. said that
undoubtedly the property was forfeited to the
United States. The proceedings in court con-
templated by the ACT, he said, were not neces-
sary to create the forfeiture The purpose
of that was. he said, to make the record COM
plete, so that the property could be sold or
otherwise disposed of by the government
When asked If the title could be made valid
by having Mr.. George Francis Dawson, who
sold to Mr.. Taylor. make out a new deed to the
District, the lawyer said ''No, Mr.. Dawson is
out of it altogether. He received his money
| and now has no claim upon the property what
ever: He is no more competent to convey title
to the land then you or any one else. The
purpose of the law would be entirely
defeated If such were the case. 1t is intended
to prevent the purchasing or acquiring of prop
erty by aliens. Now if it was simply provided
that the property should be forfeited only when
the alien was caught with it in his possession, it
would be evaded in many ways. But it provides
penalty from which there is no escape. It
declares property SO held to be absolutely
forfeited and warns everybody from purchas-
ing from an alien. There is no way to get
around 1t. 1t docs not matter either how many
hands the property may pass through after
| ward. A thousand years from now, as the stat
ute OF limitations does not run against the
United States, the government might as
sert its claim and dispossess in any one
in whom the title might then appear to be-"
The lawyer said that the only way by which
the Districts title could be made valid was by
means of an act of Congress, sort of legisla-
tive quit-ciaim. He would not, he said, be sur
prised to see an act introduced at the next ses-
sion for this purpose, with a clause perhaps
repeating the alien land act, SO far as the Dis
trict is concerned. The purpose of the law, he
said, was to prevent the acquiring of vast tracts
OF land in the west by foreign owners There
was no reason for such a law in the District,
He thought citizens of other lands should be
encouraged to buy property here.
Another real estate lawyer. speaking to a
STAR reporter, said: This point was seen by a
good many lawyers, and it has been generally
discussed by them, and think all are agreed
that if Mr.. Taylor is not citizen of the United
States, the District has no title. Several real
estate lawyers said that in searching titles
now care is always taken, especially if the name
Of any person acquiring property since the
approval of the alien land act has foreign
sound to inquire into the matter number of
cases have been found where titles were invali-
dated through violation of the act In such
cases sales have been stopped,