The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-03-07
EXHAUSTIVE REPORT ON INDIAN AFFAIRS
A New Bill Agreed Upon That viii
Entirely Change the General
Land System of the
Government.
An Important Measure That Bears
Particularly to the North
western States.

today sent the following nomination Il
the senate: Henry w. Blair of New
Hampshire. envoy extraordinary ant
minister plenipotentiary to China.
The resolution heretofore offered il
the senate by Henderson, %instructing thu
committee on Indian affairs to inquire
into the condition of the Indian tribes il
North Dakota, South Dakota, Montan,
and elsewhere, and whether the care ant
control of the Indians living in tribal re
iations should be transferred from the ia
terror department to any other depart
ment Of the government, was taken VI
and agreed to.
The conference on the bill to repea
the timber culture law and am~eniatory
of the land laws generally, have practi
cally reached al agreement on an en-,
tirely new bill, which Will be brough,
forward at the first opportunity. The
bill agreed upon will change the general
land system of the government. The bill
first repeats the timber culture act. but
with a reservation in favor of bona fide
claims heretofore initiated. In comput-
ing the period of cultivation in claims al
ready a%ccruing, it is provided that tie
time shall run from the date of entry If
the necessary acts of cultivation are per-
formed within the proper time. The
pre- paration of land and the planting of
trees are to be construed as acts of cult
Walton. Persons who have complied with
the provisions of the timber culture act
for four years may prove up their claims
by the payment of $l.25 an acre. The
desert land act is amended by requiring
the filing of "A map showing the proposed
method If reclamation, and Lo person
shall receive patents for land under the
act unless he has extended in
the work of reclamation at least
So per acre, 81 to be expended within
each year. After four years title may DO
secured bv payment of III per acre. Sec
ton 2,2SS, revised statutes, is amended so
that any bona tide settler may have the
right to transfer any portion of his claim
for the right of way for irrigation pur-
poses, as we'll as for church, cemetery,
railroad, or school purposes. The pre-.
emption law is also repealed except as to
claims heretofore Initiated and except as
to prescriptions by counties under spe.
cial law.
Section 2,2S9 IS amended so that per.
sous already holding 100 acres of land or
who abandon their residence on their
OWE land shall not have the right to
make homestead entry. Entries may be
suspended for correction of clerical err
rors. The United States is estopped from
the vacation of any patent on claims
heretofore initiated unless suit is brought
within five years and on future claims
within six years. 1t IS provided that in
Colorado, Montana, North and South Da-
k0ta, wyoming and the gold and silver
regions of Nevada and Utah, it shall be
sufficient defense in any prosecution for
trespass to show that timber culture WAS
for agricultural, mining, manufacturing
or domestic purposes aud was not trans.
ported out of the state; this provision,
however, Is not to apply TO railroads.
Towns and cities, 1t is declared, may
make toun site entries on mineral lands,
but this right shall not interfere with the
working OF underground mineral claims.
Provision is made for grants of right of
way for irrigation purposes, but
sites are not to contain any
more land than is necessary for their com |
struction and maintenance. The maxi
mum amount of land which any person
may acquire is limited to three hundred
twenty acres. The president is given
the right to set apart and reserve in any
territory forest lands as public reserva-
tions, not subject to be entered upon.
This will meet the principal aim of what
&c l. NOUN al tho Na11ouufnpo D,rL h:tl
The senate passed the following house
bills among others: Amendment OF var.
acts relative t immigration and i'm
pOrtation of aliens Under contract or
agreement to perform labor. To amend
volunteer and regular soldiers of
the late war and the war with Mexico.
For the allowance of certain claims for
United States army, as reported by the
court OF claims under the provision of the
Bowman act" with amendments.)
The house after a long discussion
ordered the shipping bill to the third
r~eading-147 to 145.
The senate confirmed the following
w. s. Stanley Of Wisconsin, con-
al ! lCIuu, ~. o. IcieOu Il, DldSO0,
of customs district of North
md South Dakota.
Conferees on the house and senate bills
o establish a private land court have
an agreement, the house con-
'erees agreeing to accept the bill passed
~ the senate, with several notifications.
The most important of these notifications
s 70 provide that the court shall consist
# one chief justice and four associate
Justices, instead OF one chief justice and
associate justices, as both house and
bill 8 proposed.
Among the changes and additions
made by the senate committee In the In
.ian ape ropristion bill as il came from
be house are a. follows: For the pay Of
b. commission u negotiate for the re-
djustment Of the boundary line Of the
lose Bud and Pine Ridge agencies, or