Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-06-28
ARID LANDS
A PROPOSITION THAT SURVEYS BE
 DISCONTINUED.
Varying Opinions Were Expressed Re garding the Maintenance of the Present system, but Vote Showed a Majority in
 Its Favor--Other
 Matters.
Washington Post, June IA

consideration throughout the day the sundry civil appropriation bill, which was called up by Chairman Cannon immediately after the reading of the Journal. The only feature causing discussion was the appropriation for irrigation survey, and in this matter the House sustained the committee.
 In explaining the general character of the bill to the House MT. Cannon stated that the appropriations carried by it aggregated in round numbers, $2S,000,000. This wasI$l3, 100000 less than the regular and special esti mates. The sundry civil law for the current year provided for an eXpend- iture of S25 900, ,000 The apparent excess in this bill was largely more than accounted for by certain ex- traordinary items. Among these were expenditures s for the Lighthouse | Service, the Bureau of Engraving and | Printing, the eleventh census, the | irrigation survey, the library building, artificial limbs for soldiers, homes for disabled volunteer soldiers, and aid to State homes. These amounted to $3,700,000. The bill was liberal, ef- lective, and economical.
 Mir. Goodnight, of Kentucky, moved to strike out the clause relative to the irrigation survey.
 MT. Cookery, of Missouri, said that the only thing the committee had to determine was whether it would re- peal the existing law which segregated the arid lands and prohibited them , from settlement, or make this appro- priation.
 | Mir. McMillan, of Tennessee, Inquir- ed whether the bill did not leave the land tied up as securely as at pres ent
 MT. Cookery replied that it did not. Under the law the land was segregat- ed, and could only be settled after survey. He had opposed the in auguration of the irrigation system, but Congress owed to the Western country either to repeal the law or
 make the appropriation.
 Mr. McAillin, referring to the pres ent depressed condition of agriculture,
 said that it was proposed still further
 
 den the bankrupt farmers in order to
 raise money to be used in surveying
 lands not at present susceptible of
 agriculture. He protested against a
 system of survey which was useless
 if an appropriation was not made,
 and was vicious if an appropriation
 was made.
 Mir. Savers, of Texas, took the same
 position as that occupied by Mr.
 Dockery, arguing that the present law
 should be repealed, or that an appro- priat.on should be made to carry on
 the work of the survey
 MT. Picker, of South Dakota,
 thought it was strange that men should stand up in the House and
 openly contend that the settlement of the great West should cease. To cut
 off such appropriations as this would depopulate the country where many
 settlers had already taken up homes under promise of an act of Congress.
 Mr. Mansur, of Missouri, maintain ed that the arid lands should be held up from settlement until 8 compre-
 hensive survey had been made and reservoirs located.
 Mir Vandever, of California, spoke in favor of the irrigation system and Tn support of the appropriation made by the bill.
 Mir. Dubois, of Idaho, said that he ! would prefer the repeal of the exist t-s.a,s lew t'y- tf1v aPPrUprIatlOn. But al
 present the people were in the posi- ton of having withdrawn from them every foot of public land They could not take up any of the arid lands l and unless this appropriation were ) made the agriculture of the Territory would be destroyed. The people 0! the Territory could reclaim all theil
 lands. They were willing and able to do it without asking a dollar from the general Government; but they ) thought the Government owed it tC [ them to survey the public lands, just I as the Government had surveyed the | lands of other sections of the coun try.
 l. MT. Oates, of Alabama, thought l that the appropriation for survey o ' the arid regions should be discontin | ued. He was in favor of preserving T these arid lands for the future, wher e the need for public lands would bt 5 infinitely greater than it was at pres I ent.
 t MT. Blanchard, of Louisiana, called J. attention to the fact that if there wa e authority in Congress to furnish wa Y ter for the reclamation of lands b,
 Congress, there was likewise authori
 ty to erect hydraulic works, calleC
 levees, to protect the lowlands of tn n Mississippi Valley from disastrou Q floods. He hoped that gentlemen e would bear this fact in mind whel 2 they were called upon to vote upol s the latter proposition.
 After further debate Mir Good O nights motion was ejected-45-67 h Without completing the consideration n of the bill the committee rose, an a the House, at o'clock took a reces l until 5 o'clock, the evening session t e be for the consideration of privat !. pension bills.
 e c. N. Thomas returned today iron [ L. |