Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-14
IN THE LAND QUESTION
tbs ONE ABSORBING SUBJECT IN
THE CONVENTION SATURDAY,.

me Damaging and Absurd Statement
Made That the Ordinary Man Would
starve on 1sO Acres of Montana Land
In Favor of Giving Settlers $40 Acres
or Else all They Can Pay Fort-The
Capital Question.
HELENA, Mont, August 10.-The con.
yention met at 10 O'Clock, pursuant to ad.
iournment. A dispatch was received from
the town of Stuart, which ran as follows:
ITO the President OF the constitutional
convention: What is the matter with
Stuart for permanent capital? Citizens
getting wrathy because no attention has
been paid to them. Please read to conven.
ton, and oblige. Signed
BOARD OF TRADE"
The telegram was read and referred to
the committee on irrigation.
When unfinished business was reached,
imposition No. 35, relating to public land,
was taken up. Ramsdell thought the amend
msnt providing that land to q greater
amount than $50 acres shall not be sold to-
one party or corporation, was good one,
and be was in favor OF it.
Luce believed there should be a market
tor arid lands, and that it should not be
limited.
Parberry thought it had been left to the
legislature to govern this subject as it saw
At, He was opposed to selling 100 acres
to one person for reasons that bad been
before stated. III 160 acres OF arid lands
vrnuak h0 horad n will hp
difficult OF irrigation.
Hershfeld was opposed to the amend.
ment. He thought It should besold to any
persons, and as much as they want, pro-
Viding they pay for it.
Burleigh was OF the opinion that a man
coming here and wanting to settle
SHOULD HAVE As MUCH LAND
ss be could pay for. While these lands are
upsold, they are untaxable, and would not
increase our revenue, but as soon as sold
they were taxable.
Conrad thought the lands should not be
sold at n Limit, and said a man who
bought 100 acres with water frontage,
virtually owned the other 4SO acres with
out buying it. He agreed with Parberry on
the subject and was opposed to the amend.
ment.
J.K. Toole thought that il this amount
OF land was sold to any one party, he
should be made to reside on said land q
certain time, and offered an amendment.
Tooe's amendment as q proviso, after
line FIVE, was read. 1t provides that q per-
son in case Of default Of payment, after
ak months, shall forfeit said lands and
they shall be sold again.
Luce offered q substitute for Toole's
amendment.
Chessman said there was too much OF
detail about this matter, as it completely
tied the hands OF the legislature, and he
WAS oppoeed to any such amendment. He
thought it should be left to the legislative
body to make all the laws necessary to
cover the proposed
SALE OF ARID LANDS.
Collins thought it should be referred to a |
committee, with instructions to carefully |
examine the same aud then to make q re. |
port on thestep proposed to be taken. As
far as be was concerned he would move
TO strike out all OF sections ! and except |
the lines which provide that "all the public /
lands OF the state are held in trust for the
people," etc.
J.K. Toole thought that the agricultural
lands should go to the settler, and was in |
favor OF leaving the whole subject to the |
legislature, but il there was to be any &C. |
ton taken, he thought that the lands
should be occupied by actual settlers.
Luce withdrew his substitute, and offered
another. which was received and read.
Burleiph stated that the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Lewis and
Clarke did not 20 far enough or went too
far. he said this subject could be safely
left to the legislature to act upon.
Hershfield called the attention OF the con-
yeution to the last section OF proposition
%, in which the matter had already been
provided for, and the section adopted.
Witter thought the whole matter should
be left to the legislature.
Carpenter said the amendment and the
amendment to the amendment were very |
uuwise as they covered tue ga me ground.
The limitation to / 60 acres was absurd. and
the ordinary man would starve. Accord
ing to the amendment it ia very hard upon
the poor man. In case OF a hard season,
he would be unable to make his first or
second payment and there would be very
few actual settlers upon the land. He
favored leaving the matter to the legisla-
ture or fixing the amount of lands to be
sold to one person at $40 acres.
Luce said when he offered his substitute
he thought it
COVERED THE SCHOOL LANDS,
but upon reading section 8 OF proposition
% he found it had already been provided
for, and withdrew his amendment, the
enabling act provided that the legislature
was to act upon all such lands as had been
placed for settlement by the government.
Galloway offered q substitute for section
!, which was read.
], K. Toole stated that the gentleman
from Gallatiu had misconstrued his mean
ing, and that as it is provided this must be
left to the legislature to act upon, be with
drew his amendment.
Callaway's amendmentto the substitute
was read, when it was announced that an
amendment by Judge Luce, yesterday, had
been adopted, covering the amendments
offered by Galloway, and Galloway was
satisfied with the amendments OF Luce,
yesterday, and withdrew his amendment:
Myers offered an amendment to extend
the time for selling tine alternate lots 80
that the school lands would have the use
Of the extent of time, and moved to strike
out 1895 and substitute in place 1913.
Amendment was lost by vote OF ayes lS'
nays %. :,
Conrad moved to amend by extending it
to 1910, and stated he hoped this wouio
prevail, and that Gne nTb0 ioIS SuOuu -
sold as soon as the legislature could act,
and that the reserved lots be held OIL until
1910. 30 as to make their value greater.
Burleigh stated there was one objection
and only one. Take the city OF Missoula,
which s rapidly growing, and in this case
you would put the reserve lot In sucn q
way that they would not improve or en-
large their city.
Marshall said he was satisfied that vaiu'
able leases an0 improvements could DO
made -.-
UNDER THE ENABLING ACT.
He was not afraid it would ipiure the
school funde, but would iniure the whole
country as we'll as Missoula. de was IN
iavor OF holding the reserved lands until
1900.
Conrad's motion to make it 1910 was
carried.
Schmidt asked for the reading OF the Sec
ton as amended.
Luce offered an amendment to SETON q.
Section one as amended was adopted.
Luce's amendment was read. IL providee
that only the alternate odd numbered lots