The record-union., 1893-05-13

strictfons as to settlement, repeals the Act
OF April 2s, 1885, which provides that all
applicants for school sections and lands
IN lieu thereof must be actual settlers on
! the land they apply for, and to the extent
of32O acres only. This bill opens up the re-
manning timber, agricultural and grazing
lands belonging to the State in tracts of
64O acres to each applicant without settle
ment, on the simple affidavit of the per-
son applying that the land is not suitable
for cultivation. The result will be. If
TINS bill should become law, to concen-
trate the remaining timber, agricultural
ana grazing lands to which the State IS
entitled to select under her different
grants, into the hands of land spectators,
through dummy applications or by men
hlred for that purpose. The bill is in
tended TO facilitate the selection and pur-
chase under the lieu land grant Of the
redwood and pine timber lands remain
ing unsold in the State. This bill takes a
step backward in the land legislation of
TINS State, and offers extraordinary facili-
ties Tor the land speculator to ply his
vocation, and is against the honest settle
ment OF the lands belonging to the State"
ana on April IL, 1885, after the passage
OF the bill and approval by the Governor,
SAID, in communication TO the ButLe-
TN: This Act Ito amend Sections 3495
and $500, P. c. discounts all previous
Acts for the sale of school lands belong
ing to the State. Instead of economiZing
ior the use of actual settlers only the re-
naming public lands, and amending the
present laws so as to prevent the present
easy evasion of wise condition, that OF
actual settlement, our lawmakers have
| removed every safeguard, and offer extra
ordinary facilities for the aggregation of
land titles in speculative possession" 1t
Is under this law that the lieu lands of
the State n tp location
But, IS l have before remarked, Mr..
Twitchell was retained by me as a clerk
IN the office of Surveyor-Generald during
the four years that l had the honor to be
| associated with Governor Booth-as State
SurveyorG General-in the administrator
of the affairs of State.
In his communication he says: Dur
ing Governor Booths administration
there was trouble in relation to lieu land
matters, and he applied to me for informa-
ton"
The two propositions embraced in the
above sentence as nelUS to me.
And 1t is singular fact, in view of Mr..
IwitchelPs statement, that while at this
time subordinate in my office with pre-
Vlous long experience, he entirely ne
elected to give me the benefit OF his ex-
elusive and valuable (?) information.
IN his closing paragraph he says {:
what l have herein stated refers to the
past, and has no relation to the present
administration of the Surveyor G GeneraP S
Office" (Reichert's).
1t IS the present administration and the
correction of abuses, in the execution of
the law as to the proposed location of be-
tween 100000 and 100000 acres of lieu
land, that are about to be exhausted for
the good of the firm, that is now under
discussion by the press and before the
courts Of the State.
f. A. Hyde, to whom he refers so elo-
quently, is member of the firm. Mr..
Twitchell thinks that Mr.. Hyde. in his
argument before General Reichert's Ad-
VlsorY Board, April 9th, made use of
words that paid poor compliment to
the present Surveyor General, ''or those
who have preceded him." And he thinks
they should resent it."
l was not present at the distinguished
meeting called to advise the Advisory
Board' in the interest of the Surveyor
General. but | will undertake to satisfy
Mr.. Twitchen SO far as my administra-
tlon is concerned, if he will kindly give
me the exact language used.
ROBERT GARDNER,
Ex-State Surveyor-General.
Oakland, Cal, May 10, 1893.