The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-05-15

WIS punt. lhere are
hundreds OF bona fide innocent pur-
ohasers living upon and improving these
iahus. who are relying upon the gov.
erninent patent 70 the railroad com
pany. and upon whom the enforcement
by the state of the claim it seeks in this
OIL to establish would work untold
i'arushlps, IN many cases involving n
greater expense than the value of the
property
1t would seem the government oue,,,+
" oe accountable aud responsible for
It's errors The same Is an individual who
oy nadvertance should convey tho
same tract TO two different persons.
The case has been in the hands of Che
mousse committee of public lands for
many weeks. The committees report
was recently placed on the calendar
Inc committee has, by the conditions
upon which the report is made. decided
to confirm the title of the railroad and
It's vendees to the land i'm controversy
and now the question of agreeing To
TINS proyiso or allowing this opportuni-
~ to pass altogether, is presented to
the governor and the legislature as fol-
lows:
SEC. 2 That the title OF all persons who
nave purchased from tho state of Arkansas
any uncOnfrmed swamp land and hold deeds
LOT the same be, and the same are hereby. con-
nflhed ana made valid as against any claim or
right Of the United States and without the
payment by said persons their heirs or assigns.
Oh any sum whatever to the United States or
the state Of Arkansas
mat the state of Arkansas hereby relin-
cuisines and quit-claims to the United States
All iahds heretofore confirmed, certified or pat.
ehted TO the state. which have been entered
under the public land laws, and does hereby
relinquish, cede and quit-claim to the United
States all right, title and interest under the
acts OF September %. 1850 March 2 1853, and
March B. 1857 in and to all the lands in the
state which have been heretofore granted con-
hrmed or certified or patented by the United
states under any other acts and the title to
such lands Is hereby confirmed to the grantees.
Provided. That this act shall be OF no force
and effect until the state Of Arkansas shall
have accepted and approved the conditions
limitations and provisions herein contained, by
On instrument in writing duly executed by the
governor, under the authority conferred upon
him by the legislature of said state, and filed
with the secretary OF the treasury and the sec
rotary of the interior, within one year from the
approval of this act
Out of the 260, 900 acres of land inyol-
we'd in this controversy the Iron Noun
tain railroad claims 10000, of which
about 100000 acres have been sold, the
remainder being the Little Rock ano
Memphis railroad acreage.
But the whole amount-that is to
say, 26O 900, is but mere fraction of
the millions of acres included in the
grant to the Cairo and Fulton railroad
company under date of February 8,
1858, consequently but few titles CON-
paratively speaking, which have ema-
mated from the Iron Mountain railroad
are in dispute, and these will be quoted
either by the railroad or the United
States. For the benefit of the general
reader it is necessary TO state that the
largest part of the lands in controversy
is situated in the third congressional
district-forests of pine now owned by
lum bernen.
The Smithsonian Lands.
The Smithsonian lands are an item
in the unadjusted account between
the United States and the state
of Arkansas, but they have no direct re-
lation to the lands in dispute between
the state and the railroad companies
Soon after Arkansas was admitted to
the union the legislature authorized the
issue of g., 900, 900 in 6 per cent bonds to
run 80 years. The United States, as
trustee of the Smithsonian fund, in
vested $538, 900 of that fund in said
bonds. The state defaulted in payment
of the interest on these bonds January
1, 1912; but as the state was entitled
under the act of June 23, 1886, to per
cent of the net proceeds of the sales by
the government of lands lying within
it's boarders, the United States withheld
these 5 per cent net earnings under
joint resolution, to be applied to the
liquidation of the interest on these
bonds which the state had defaulted in
paying. In other words, the govern
ment appropriated the states per
cent of the net proceeds of the sale of
lands to pay the accrued interest on
what the state had borrowed from the
Smithsonian fund Other sums were
withheld by the government for the
same purpose. The accrued interest on
these unpaid bonds is 1896, 5S3.61; but
there has been withheld and not yet
applied S55, l16. 20, which is entered on
the credit side of the account in favor
of the state.
Sorghum raised specially as fodder
crop, it is stated, cannot be excelled by
any other plant. 1t yields from to
tons per acre of highly nutritious fod-
der, counting first and second crops 1t
should be cut before the cane becomes
hard The amber cane is the best for
this purpose. One bushel of seed is