Arizona silver belt., 1889-08-31
ARE LANDS sN THE ARIb RxGioN WITH.
 DRAWN FROM ENTRY.

Washington dispatches, nor ln oul Territorial exchanges, confirming the report that Acting Commissions, Stone had issned a circular conStruinG the Irrigation Act as susperding the land laws in the arid region, and ip. strueting Registers and Receivers to cancel all filings made since October ad, 1888. That such is the pla,n m. tent of the law, however, there can be no doubt. The language is so plmn that "he who runs may read /" and the General Land Office so long as it sees fit to ignore the law must accept the responsibility of its evasion. Seoreta. ry Noble has construed the law (n the Idaho case where speeulators attempt ed to gob6le up desirable landsl as withdrawing from entry lands sus- ceptible of irrigation, and before his decision had been announced the BELT stated that the speculaiors would tail Tn their purpose as the law prohibited entries. Then if lands in Idaho are withdrawn, how is it possible to per. mt filings to be made in other DOT tons of the arid region, inasmuch as the Irrigation law apples with equal force to all parts of the country west of the Tooth meridian. Or how is the Land Office to distinguish between the speculator and the bona tjde settler?
 Ii any further proof were needed 10 show that such is the intent of the law, 1t is furnished by the proceedings of Congress when thls very point (the eSpediency of withdrawing lands from entry( was under discussion, The ob- jectionable provision was formulated by Representative Symes, of Colorado, assisted by Mir. Breckenridge, of Ken. lucky, and the latter gentleman in- troduced 1t as as an amendment Mr. Symes, doubtless with the best inten. tions in the world, fell dupo to a coterie Tn the House that had pre-. viously made more than one ineffec- tual attempt 10 have the several land laws except the homestead law) re- pealed, and the Irrigation amendment offered them an opportunity to al least partially effect their purpose, and the Western representatives seem to have walked blndly into the trap set for them.
 Alter Breckenridge had offered the amendment withdrawIag lands from entry, the Western representatives realizing the blunder they had com mitted, offered another amendment to have the objectional clause stricken out, but m this attempt they were defeated by vote of 4 to 30 The amendment as it then stood complete. ly suspended the land laws in all the country west of the tooth meridian of longitude; the reservation was abso- lute, and the only change which the Western members subsequently, sue ceeded in having made was to en- power the President, at hls discretion, to authorize entries under the home. stead law.
 Senator Stewart in the Forum, for April, interprets the law as VIC have repeatedly stated lt. He says: Con gross at its last session appropriated Sl0O,000 for the commencement of the survey of reservoirs, dtches, and canals. and reserved all lands winch may bereafter be selected by the Gov ernment for these works. and also all lands to be irrigated by them. The reservation of lands to be irrigated was too extensive; i. prevents the con struction oi hydraulic works by pri. vatc parties by withholding htle to the land, but that error will be cor. rected at an early day" The repeal  of this reservation is certainly "a consummation devoutly to be wished, :" but We are of the opinion that 10 do this wIll not be such an easy matter as Senator Stewart seems to believe.
 There is formidable element in the lover house of Congress that will op- pose any effort to repeal that portion Of the Irrigation act suspending the land laws, and in order 10 overcome this opposition it will be necessary for Western representatives and thelr friends in Congress to muster their full strength when the question is brought up at the next session, and they should be supported by protests from every State and Territory in the ard region, against the withdrawal Of lands from entry, The present offers the best opportunity for the people of Arizona to express their disapprobation of the law, in view of the coming visit of the Senate committee, and every county in the Territory should send in a vigorous protest to the visiting Senators.
 The iunketing committee of U. s. Senators find themselves necessarily obliged to pass through Arizona on their return trip to Washington, and