Arizona silver belt., 1892-03-12
DIS oslrloS or TIE Auag HANDS.

Dts O~iF1OA OF THE ARSE LANDS.
 Tho bill for the cession cf inc arid lands to the several States in which they lie, which has long been in preparation, ! has been reported by the committee to the House The bill recitos that inas- much as the proper irrigation and roc 1 lamation of thnt portion of the putlic domain of the United States, known us the arid regions west of the ninety seventh meridian of longitude, present many difficult questions relating to the location and demGrkation of catchmsnt areas and basins, the construction Of reservoirs for the storing of storm and other waters, and the equitable dis tributiou to .hs greatest advantage of such waters for agricultural purposes, which difficulties can only be aurmount cd by laws, rules and regulations made by those who gre best acquainted with and most interested in the problems to be solved and ss they are to receive the greatest direct benefits, they ought in equity and justice to deirny the vast expenditures of money necessary and requisite to the improvement reclaua- ton and settlement of such of said lands as can he reclaimed Therefore, iu ordor to turn over and remit to the pso- pie of the States and Territories in which such arid lands are situated all questions relating 10 the irrigation of the same, and to save further expondi- tures of the moneys of the United States thereon, the bill provides;
 That subject to all rights, inchoato or perfected thereto, all the lands of whatever nature or description and rights thereto, including water rights, now belonging or appertainiug to the United States, lying and being situated in the States of Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas and California, and in the Territories of New Mexico, Ari- zona, Oklahoma and Utah, sayerally, with full and complete jurisdiction thersoysr, be granted csdsd and con tirmed to said several States and Tarri- tories, the grant to each of said States and Territories to be of the lands con tainsd within is present boundaries and ! territorial limits. The bill further pro. yides that the President shall issue let, tors patent for the same to the several 1 States and Territories designated when. ever any of said States and Isrri.orie: shall, by an act of its Legislature, ac- cspt the disposition of the lands as pro
 vided, within iour years from ths time
 of the approval of the act This sc
 shall in no manner affect any of th,
 lands held by the Upitad States fol
 parks, naval, military or other publiI
 purpUsea, and Indian lands, nor lGnd
 held in trust for use by Indians no,
 mineral lands, nor shall it apply in an,
 manner to the Territory of Alaska.
 The Governors of the Territories O 1 Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma and NsE l Mexico are required within a roasonabl
 time after the pssgaga of the act to cal
 speclal sessions, if uesd be, of thsi
 several Legislatures to pass upon th
 provisions of this act and the question
 submitted to them. No State or Ter
 ritory accepting tho cession of land shall in any case sell, lease or disp0s Of the lands in greater quantity tha I6O acres to any one person, oorpora ton or association, nsr shall any sue State or Territory in any manner in
 pair or abridgs the homestead pri7 logss now granted to soldiers and sailor 5 undsr the land laws of the Unite States