The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-07

United States, which will be superior TO
ours until the selections are made. In this
connection 10 should not be uniaiIiifal Of
the fact thai suits are pending and iegisla-
possessIng The Northern Pacific railroad Of
thousands Of acres OF mineral land
claimed under it's grant. and that
for every acre 80 taken IL will
cIaim an equivalent OF agricultural
land. A bare sgQgestiOn OF this subject IL
sufficient TO stimulate our efforts in Secur-
ing an early selection Of the land granted
TO the state, otherwise the gift Of the gov
eminent ma not be worth the taking. /
call our attention 10 section 10 Of the en-
ablinR act referred 10, and other sections OF
| the same act relating TO the same subject.
seems TO contemplate the creation Of n
board Of land commissioners. whose duty
IL shall be To classify all public lands. IL
appears TO me that this board should be
charged with the duty Of making the seiec-
tions provided for in section 10 Of the en-
abling act above referred 10. In any pro-
vision yOn make for the sale or leasing Of
public lands belonging tn the state, prefer
ence should be given w actual settlers, who
in good faith located upo school sectlons
by mistake, or who believing such prefer
cnce would be given, have made valuable
improvements upon the same.
These two classes of perS1us should be
prOtected; the former for the rcas0r OF the
failure Of the general government TO extend
the public surveys, made 1t impossible In
many cases 10 distinguish a school section
from any other section, n the latter for
the reason that the constitution adopted
and ratified by the people in 1874, contained
a provision similar to the recommendation
above made, and upOn which numerous
people have relied and made settlement ac-
cordiDgly.
If the federal government or the state
shall ultimately aid in the establishment Of
a system of irrigation and the storage Of
water by means of reSeryOIrs, no man can
approximate the value Of these andst to the
state in the future. / make this observa-
ton TO guard you against the demands OF
those who, eager TO JmOnOpOlIZe our lands,
will doubtless be ON hand to urge a hasty
and inconsiderate disposition thereof.
Section B OF the enabling act provides:
Sec. I3-That five per centum OF the pro-
ceeds Of the sale of public lands lying with
United States subsequent to the admission
Of said states into the union.
after deductInR all the expenses
incident to the same shall be
paid to the states. to be used az a perma-
nent fund, the interest Of which only shall
be expended for the support of the common
schools within said states respectively.
This fund, whatever it may be. should be
placed to our c. edit so that it may be in
vested and return some revenue to the state.
Legislation to authorize its investment
must, however. be first provided.
Congress has been we'll disposed in i'd
vancing educational interests and it re-
mains for us to avail ourselves of it's munif-
cence.
Agricultural College,.
BY An act of congress approved Aug. 30,
1880, $1,000 per annum and an increase OF
$1,000 per mum for the period Of ten
years thereafter is appropriated to each
state and territory, and after that the sum
of $4,000 per annum to be applied only e
instruction in agriculture, the mechanic
arts. the English language and the various
branches of mathematical, physical. natura!
and economic science. In order to avail
ourselves Of this appropriation an ARricul'
tural college must be established in accord.
ance with IN act of congress approved July
2, 1862. The legislative assembly must as
sent to the purpose of said grant and pro
vide to whom the payments OF above men,
toned appropriations shall be made.
earnestly urge that action looking to this
very desirable end may be speedily taken,
These suggestions tend naturally to a con.
sideratIon of some method looking to the
protection of the several grants from the
government for educational and other pur-
poses.
Many of our lands donated to the state
for the support of the common schools, be-
ing sections sixteen and thirty-six in every
township. as well as university lands al
ready selected ARE endangered by trespasseri
and individuals asserting claims under tbs
are very valuable on account of their prox
unity to cities and towns: and this is doubt
less the incentive in a majority of cases fol
jumping the same.
The result is that contests are now pend
ing in the lo cal land office ard the gen srailant
l 1(1tUa ut tNauhSnnfrVr Iuuf.lUIf1 IN Ft0hf
to school lamps. Other cases of fiagran
trespass in which lands are beinl
occupied and despoiied have come to III,
knowledge but have not reached the lant
Office or the courts. We have been virtually
powerless in the absence of legislation t.
protect these sacred interests. 1t seems lit
tie less than a crime to see this splendid
heritage passing away from us and falling
into the hands Of sordid and selfish ndi
viduals who take no account of the right
Of the state. / hin that a fund should b.
placed at the disposal of the board of pub
lie land commissioner for the payment of al
necessary expenses of examination. survey
and of contested cases involving the titl'
or right of possession of school or othel
lands granted to the state. There should
also be a state agent, who should be EN-
powered to represent our interests befor'
the whole subject to your wisdom, pro
foundry conscious of the fact that no grave
question will engage your attention.
Railroad Grants and Mineral Lands.
The state has a direct interest il
the speedy and final settlement of all ques
tions affecting the grant of the Northerl
Pacific Railroad company within our limits
First. We are vitality interested in uphold
ing the spirit and purpose of the grant
which reserved all mineral lands from IT.
operation. These lands o always b.
open to exploration and development By
the prospector and miner. The policy o.
the federal government has always been il
that direction in an unbroken line. as evil
dcnced by every public grant.
Second. it is of paramount Importance t.
us to secure an early survey OF such lands
as the railroad company il entitled to- un-
der the law in order that this immense
grant ma be subjected to taxation like
other property within the state.
1t capnot be taxed before il is surveyed.
The longer the Indispensable condition is
DELAYED, greater will be our misfortune in "a
financial point of view and greater Will be
the complications arising out of it.
II requires only n casual glance at the
situation To see that for every legal subdi-
vision claimed by the company which by
decision of n competent tribunal shall be
declared to be mineral. another section
will be claimed in lieu thereof. Titles will
be slandered. confusion generally will ex-
ist and expensive litigation will follow.
IL seems proper, therefore. that congress
l ab,uld he uuemnriuIizad TO take such Ster q