The Anaconda standard., 1895-03-07

Interior, shall be considered inll, excep. Ia
case OF fraud. and all plats and records Of the
local and general land offices shall be made 20
conform TO such Classification. All lands 50
CLASSIFIED as above without protest, and the
classification whereof is disaDproved by the sec.
retary OF the interior, and ALI lands whereof the
classification has been invalidated for fraud.
shall b. subject to hearing and determination
IN such manner as the secretary OF the interior
may prescribe. And as 10 all such lands and
as TO the lands against the classification whereof
protests may be flied, the final ruling made
aIter the day set for hearing shall determlne
the proper classification; and al records OF the
local and general land offices shall be made to
conform to the classification determined by
such hnal ruling, and all costs OF such hearings
shall be paid by the unsuccessful party. under
such rules rs the secretary OF the interior may
prescribe; and the secretary OF the interior is
hereby authorized TO establish such rules and
regulations as may be necessary to carry into
elect the true intent and provisions OF this act
as speedily as practicable.
sec. T. That no patent or other evidence Of
title shall be issued or delivered TO SAID North
ern Pacific Railroad company for any land in
said land district until sucn land shall have been
examined and classified as nonmineral. as pro-
ylded for in this act, and such patent or other
evidence OF title shall only issue then to such
land, IL any, In said land districts as said com
pany may be. by law and compliance Herewith
and by the said classification. entitled to. and
any patent, certificate. or record of selection. or
other evidence OF title or right TO possession OF
any land IN said land districts. issued, entered,
or delivered To SAID Northern Pacific Railroad
company III violation OF the provisions OF this
act Sildll be VOID. Provided. Ihat nothing con-
tained In this act shall be taken or construed as
recognizing or confirming any grant of land or
the rig Il 10 any land in the said Northern Pacific
Railroad company. or as wavng or in any wise
affecting any right on tile part OF the United
States against the said Northern Pacific Rail-
road company TO claim forfeiture of any land
grant heretofore made to said company.
sec. That there is hereby appropriated,
out oi any money in the treasury not Otherwise
appropriated, tne sum OF twenty thousand do-
lars, or SO much thereof as may be necessary,
10 be expended TO carry into effect the pro-
visions OF this act the same TO be paid out upon
the order of the secretary of the Interior: and
the secretary OF the interior is hereby required
to embrace in the annual estimates submitted
10 congress for appropriations for the interior
department sufficient sum TO pay The said COM
missioners for the fiscal year next ensuing and
annually thereafter until the classification of
lands required by this act has been fully accom-
pliShed
Approved Feb. &c. 1895.
An important amendment secured to
the original bill through the efforts of Mr..
Irwin and the Montana representatives in
congress is contained i'm the last section
which provides that the secretary ofA the
interior shall embrace in his annual es-
Inmates of appropriations sufficient sum
to pay the commissioners for the fiscal
year and annually thereafter until the
work of classification is complete. This
wise provision will do away with the
necessity of making an annual fight for
an appropriation, and all that will be
necessary will be to show to the secretary
from year to year that there is still work
to do and the required appropriations will
be secured through his estimates.
The new law will, of course, not affect
the 1860 acres of land in Montana for
which the Northern Pacific secured pa
tents on the 18th of last December under
the rule of July 8. These patents cannot
be disturbed. but Mr.. Irwin states that, in
his judgment, very little mineral is con-
tanned in the patented land. The law,
however, will apply to the 1,130,0o0 acres
in the state recently selected by the rail-
road and for which applications for pa
tents have been made. All this land will
90 back under the classification act and
from now on no more patents can be OBJ
tanned by the railroad except on the re-
port of the commissioners that the land
selected is not mineral in its character.