, 1890-08-21


for the purchase and equipment Of a
steam vessel to be used on Puget sound
under the direction of the collector OF the
district to prevent violations of the Chi
nese restriction act and the custom laws.
The N. p. Land Grant.
Chairman Carter, OF the committee on
mines and mining to-day made a long
report on the mineral lands in Montana
and Idaho which lie within the limits
of the Northern Pacific grant and in
demnity bill, and reported q substitute
providing for an examination of the
lands supposed to be mineral. The re-
port contains long statement from the
secretary of the interior, in which it is
shown that there were granted to the
company in Montana II, S3S, 900 acres.
Within the ten.mile limit there were
4.992, 600 acres. The company had
selected and has now pending 1880, 2S5,
and there are surveyed and within the
grant and indemnity IA, 75s, 72O acres. In
Idaho there wore granted 1900, 600 acres,
with $4,000 indemnity. There have
been selected 1,225, 200, acres of which
403, 200 have been surveyed. The lands
selected In both states are now pending
before the secretary oil the interior, and
the issue of patents for those in Mon
tana have been suspended. These lands
are patented to the company without
any examination. Much valuable min
eral Land will be gwen to the company.
He estimates that 6,000,0o0 acres, or
about one-third of this grant, is of this
nature. He says that atlidavits have
been filed with him by Montana citi-
zens, alleging that much of the land
which the company claims has been
worked by miners and found valuable.
He says; ANY legislation Is authorized
which provides for AN examination and
classification of the land with ,'iew to
the execution of the granting act and
the true intention OF congress.
The substitute reported allows appeal
from the findings of the examiners, and
provides for such publicity ofthe classiti-
cations OF returns as will give notice to
all persons of the conclusions reached
with regard to the tracts of land ex-
amined. The work is to be begun at
once, If the bill passes. All filings made
heretofore on mineral lands are to bo
cancelled and disallowed. Eighty
thousand is appropriated. If the com
pany objects to the decisions of the ex-
aminers, hearings in the land offices
shall determine the questions.
The report of the commission en-
bodies the petition to congress from
1000 residents of Montana, asking for
relief and protection for the lands. 1t
contains copy of the section of the
Northern Pacitic's charter granting the
lands, and sections from the charter of
the Central Pacific. The two are
compared minutely, and all points in
t.na 0 bot - hnAt, uaI
by the courts are cited, and the reserv-
ing clause in both are analyzed. The
report undertakes to show that the
reservations in the Northern Pacific
charter are much more positive than in
the CentraPs 5 grants. Considerable space
is devoted to the definition of the word
mineral" These lands were generally
known to contain deposits of gold or
silver, and were valueless for agricultural
purposes. They were never made part of
the grants, and must forever remain part
OF the public domain. The committee
concludes that congress intended that
the lands granted were To be distin-
guished In a general way, first by
definite location, and then by careful
examination to show just what lands
the grant did not grant The report
was signed bythe committee in full.
Tho Irrigation Question.
When the deficiency bill was being
considered to-day the amend ment ap-
propriation of $40, 900 to con,plets tho
artesian irrigation system was read and
opposed by several senators. Mr.. San
ders, of Montana, made o vigorous
speech in favor Of IL. He claimed that
1t had been the policy of congress to
otler and allow in committee amend
rnents that were beneficial to the new
statos and then knock them out just be-
fore they became laws. These new
states were given an opportunity to
grasp at the apples, but before they were
given to them the congress raised them
out of reach. The appropriation of
$40, 600 was intended to spread over a
country larger than Europe. including
the states OF Montana and the Dakotas.
1t was very small matter, which
might result in q great good to a large
country, and he hoped Il would be
argeed 10, and 1t was.
The provision in the sundry civil bill
relating to the withdrawal OF arid lands
is still being considered in conference,
The house conferrees are strenuously op-
posed to the repeal of the law ofisSs
and efforts are now being made to patch
up a law which may be acceptable to
both houses, and still protect the settlers
on tho arid lands. The house copferrees
are also anxious to protect Major Powell
and his large appropriations.
Puget Sound Customs District.
The house to-day disposed OF Repre-
sentative Wilson's bill reorganizing and
establishing the customs collection dis
trict of Puget Sound. The conference
report was called up by Mr.. Sweeny, and
after an explanation by Mr.. Wilson of
the situation the report was adopted.
The bill as 1t passed the house fixed the