The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-28
THE. NEW LAND BILL.
The Policy of the Government to
be Reversed.
The Timber Culture and Presumption Acts to be
Repealed-The Cutting Of Timber for
Mining Purposes to be Allowed

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 27.-The
conferees on the bill for the repeal
of the timber culture law, and amendatory
of the land laws generally, have practically
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 conferees
during this Congress failed to come to an
understanding. The bill agreed upon will
change the general land system of the gov
eminent
The bill first repeats the timber culture
act with reservation in favor of bona
hde claims heretofore initiated. In COM
putting the period of cultivation on claims
already accruing, it is provided the time
shall run from the date of the entire neces-
sary acts of cultivation performed within
the proper time. The preparation of the
land and the planting of the trees will be
construed as acts of cultivation. Persons
who have complied with the provisions of
the timber culture act for four years NAV
prove up their claims by paying SIPS an
acre.
The desert land act is amended by re-
quiring the filing of a map showing the
proposed method of reclamation, and no
person shall receive patents for land under
this act unless he has expended in the work
of reclamation at least So per acre, 81 to be
expended within each year. After four
years title may be secured by the payment
of 81 per acre.
Section 122SS of the revised statutes is
amended so that any bona fide settler may
have the right to transfer any portion of
his claim for a right of way for irrigation
purposes as well as for church, cemetery,
railroad or school purposes.
The pre- -emption law is also repealed ex-
cept as to claims heretofore initiated and
except as to pre- emptions by counties under
special law.
Section 22S9 IS amended so that persons
already holding 100 acres of land, or who
have abandoned their residence on their
own land, shall not have the right to make
homestead entry. Entries may be sus-
pended for correction of clerical errors.
United States is estopped from the vaca-
ton OF any patent on claims heretofore
initiated, unless suit is brought within five
years and on future claims within six
years. Provided that in Colorado, Mon
tana, North and South Dakota Wyoming
and the gold and silver regions of Nevada
and Utah, it shall be sufficient defense OF
any prosecution tor trespass to show that
| timber is cut for agricultural, mining
manufacturing OF oOmesJlc purposes and
not transported out of the state. This pro-
vision, however, is not to apply to railroads
4 Provision is made for townsite entry in
Alaska and for the acquisition there OF
lands necessary for trade or manufacturing
purposes Towns and cities, it is declared
may make townsite 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
reservoir sites are not to contain any lane
not necessary for construction and main
tenance. The maximum amount of LAND
which any person may acquire is limited tt
three hundred and twenty acres. The
President is given the right to set apar
and reserve in any territory forest land a!
public reservations not subject to be en-
tered upon. This will meet the principa
aim of what is known as the Yellowston,
park bill