St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-28
TIMBER CULTURE LAW.
New Bill to Be Reported by the
Committee.

new Elll 10 BE hepOrteu ny JIG
Committee.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 81. The con-
ference committee on the bill to repeal
the timber culture law and amendatory
of the land laws generally, have prac-
tically reached an agreement on an
entirely new bill, which will be
brought forward at the first opportunity.
The subject matter of the bill has for
the past two congresses been in dispute
between the house and senate, and for a
long time the conferrees during this
congress failed to come TO an I'M
derstanding. The bill agreed upon
will change the general land sys-
TEN of the government. The bill
first repeats the timber culture act, but
with reservation in favor Of bona fide
claims heretofore initiated. In comput-
ing the period of cultivation in claims
already accruing it is provided that the
time shall run from the date of
the entry if the necessary acts of
cultivation are performed within
the proper time. The prepare
ton of land and the planting of trees
are to be construed as acts of cultya-
ton. Persons who have complied with
the provisions of the timber culture act
for four years may prove up their
claims by the payment of S1.25 an acre.
The desert land act is amended by
requiring the filing of map showing
the proposed method of reclamation,
and no person shall receive patents
for land under the act unless he has
expended in the work OF reclamation,
at least s. per acre. 81 to be expended
within each year. After four
years, title may be secured
by the payment of 81 per acre.
Section 22SS of the revised statutes is
amended so that any bona fide settler
may have the right to transfer any por-
ton of his claim for right of way for
irrigation purposes, as we'll rs for
church, cemetery, railroad or school
also repealed, except as to
claims heretofore initiated, and except
as to prescriptions by counties under a
special law. Section 22S9 is amended
so that persons already holding 100
acres Of land, or who abandon their
residence on their own land, shall not
have the right to make homestead
entry.
Entries may be suspended for the
correction of clerical errors. The United
States is stopped from the vacation of
any patent on claims heretofore mi
tiated, unless suit is brought within five
years and on future claims within six
years. 1t is provided that in Colorado,
Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyo-
ming and the gold and silver regions
of Nevada and Utah, it shall be suf-
ficiened defense in any prosecution for
trespass to show that the timber cut
was for agricultural, mining, manu-
featuring, or domestic purposes, and
was not transported out of the state :;
this provision, however, is not to APP
ply to railroads. Provision is made
for town site entry in Alaska
and for the acquisition there of lands
necessary for trade or manufacturing
purposes. Towns and cities, 1t Is de-
clared, may make TOWNSHIP entries on
mineral lands, but this right shall not
interfere with the working of under
ground mineral claims.
Provision is made for grants Of right
of way for irrigation purposes; but res
ervoir sites are not TO contain any more
land than is necessary for their con-
struction and maintenance. The maxi
mum amount of land which any person
may acquire is limited to three hundred
and twenty acres. The president is
given the right to set apart and reserve
in any territory forest lands as public
reservations. not subject to be entered
upon. This will meet the principal aim
of what is known as the Yellowstone
Park bill