The sun., 1890-08-26
InsRvrau E1NDIoRDIsH IN AnERro1.
TIE Extent - watch Hs mas Rsen CsFrssd
anA no,-o Renultnng EvlIa,

TIE RxteAe 90 watch ae mas Rsen CsFrssd
ana eovae RssuitlnG EviIs,
WASHINGTON, Aue. 2A-InterestinR facts and
statistics are contained IN the documents 90
oompanyinE the bill TO prohibit aliens from
hereafter acquiring lands within the United
Btates. The House Committee on the Judi
cinry whom It reported this measure, declared
that Il had Obtained satisfactory evidence that
titled aliens. chiefly Engllshmen. now own
about 81 10000 acres in this country. To this
ownership should be added that Of the untitled
aliens. which 10 usually In smaller lots and
less n subject Of criticism. Besides this direct
ownership. European capitalists have enor-
nous sums invested in railroad and land
bonds, covering: It is thought 100 900 acres
and subject to foreclosure Gales. Whilo this
heavy alien ownership is mostly In lands OF the
| far West It is not ALL The case Of Mr. Scully
Is cited. who lives In England and owns and
rents 90, 1000 Rores In Illinois, at about &2OOOOO
o year while much smaller estate within the
CITY limits Of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Yields
to British subjects about half that sum.
One feature OF this extensive alien owner
ship. especially In the far West has been its
connection with evasions OF the laws In order
to enoroach on tho rights OF the homestead
settler. A noticeable share OF the practice.
| once 90 fragrant Of fencing in public lands
Wbu bNIpSu NHS III OtuoE " " iOA N's'NN'
Is attributed to British corporationa They
not only own vast areas themselves but have
| used what they did not own. often TO the detri-
ment Of actual settlers adjoining. The iodi-
| vidual mem bers OF the corporation might or
! might not have known OF this practice: moi hav-
ing American citizenship. they were perfectly
willing to intrust details OF man a0em ent to their
local agents. Some time ago single CONF mpany
| composed OF Scotchmen. called the Prairie
Cattle Company. was found to have Illegally
fenced In one tract containing 16 square miles.
| another containing %, a third containing IS, a
fourth, CONTAINING 40, and Q nth containing
100. Eight cases in all were found against that
one company i9 Colorado and Ne6rssks IS a. And .n
| ports of ageuts. amounted TO- over l.0OO.O0O
acres. OF course American still more largely
these pfactfees, % but the faCt otis is pointed out by
| the House judiciary Committee in tho present
Congress chiefly in Its bearing upon alien
1t may seem that with country SO vast as
ours there need be no anxiety as lc ne ability
six years ago lnnd Commisstoner McFaTland
sounded warning AGAINST the waste Of The
tions either through fraudulent evasons of
aided by the implicitly OF corrupt Government
| officials, and with the Imperfect system on
timber law laws V weTe orIsinsIly based that officer
| found this result Impending:
The time at hand when there will he no public
country GPpoT'uny TO sssHfs cheap Snss Ms1S
where observable !tls to which has been acquired 6y
t Sw s G TsH .T 81 o6 %
aSsinst n,sapproPrS.n are resulting in waste Of The
| uDon small ownershDs for actual settlement
One OF his successors reported that the files
Of this office Rroan with the nitiful appeals of
yeys," while as to depredations upon public
timber he declare them to be universal. fla-
Of townships covered With rine. the forests at
headwaters OF streams, and timber along the
rodSooI MfSt oI in Hum nndt cou ty by by ] COMPANY
whose sock was mniny eul scIib bed for in Scot
land are we'll remembered. OF course the,
individuals are ofteper, American than foreign
but any misuse by the latter OF laws that haye
some case their aeonls may have caused titles
! to be taken by their own employees. who alter
others the corporations have unlBwfully fenced
In public lands adjoining their own and guard
| ell them with III. Bnotguns Of their cowboys
This illegal fencing seems to have been largely
broken up in recent years, but the alien owner
shin continues In one list. which includes a
eiRn vnere. one company in New Mexico is
credited with 4 800, 600: another In Texas with
fourth in Mississippi with 1 500 900. and 90 on
through about thirty large owners. while no
atsemM Is made to collect ne IN Instances ln 81 81
OF course Congress- would pass no law hay
| ing a retroactive effect 80 as to- take away
property, already lawfully acquired by aliens
II the title is unlawiully acquired II Is not sub
ject to destruction whether hold by foreigners
or ctizens. Congress- may also he reluctant to
establish any laws on the subject for future
acted In other countries, as. for instance. in
Mexico IN regard to the ACQUISITION OF real es:
statistics brought forward under the present
inquiry may cause the ins1tuting OF means o
ership.