Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-05-03
Reported on by a Senate Committee
This Morning.
Recommended That an Entire Section be StriCk-
en- Out as Giving Too Much Dis.
CretiOn TO Executive.

Commlttee on fu0llc LANDS pre-
sented the following report on the
amendments to the Land Act con-
taiDed in Minister Cooper's bill
now before the Senate:
"Your Committee on Public
Lands and Internal Improve
ments, to whom was referred Sen
ate Bill 33, being an Act to amend
certain sections of the Land Act
of 1895, relating to Public Lands,
have considered the same and beg
to report as follows:
al. Section / amends Section
A of the Lend Act by striking out
the words except leases executed
under the provisions of Parts 6
and Z of this Act Parts 6 and 7
being Homestead Leases and Pur-
chase Leases. This amendment
brings all leases of public lands
under the same rule in regard to
the making and improving ofroads
as they are all equally liable to
need roads, and there is no good
reason to except any clsss of
leases from the provision. Your
Committee approves this amend.
ment.
"2. Section 2 is to amend
Section Is of the Land Act. Sec
tion Is, as it is, provides that "all
proceeds of sales of Public Lands
shall be set apart as a special
fund for the payment of the
bonded Indebtedness of the Gov.
ernment or for the purchase of
other lands for homestead pur-
poses with any funds that may be
appropriated therefor" The Sec.
ton as amended by this Act pro-
vides that all proceeds of such
sales shall be expended only for
the payment of the bonded in
debtedness of the Government
and for the purchase of other
lands for public purposes in the
discretion of the Executive Coun-
Gil, hereby making the purchase
of other lands for public purposes
entirely in the discretion of the
Executive Council. Your Com
mittee do not approve of this
amendment and recommend that
Section 2 be stricken out.
"3. Section 3 is to amend Sec
ton 30 of the Land Act by adding
a provision by which a person who
has been living on the land as his
home previous to the passage of
the Land Act of 1895 may still re,
tain the place without the risk of
losing his home, and possibly all
that he has, to the first new conner
who may succeed in getting in his
application first. Such cases have
already come before the Commits
sloners of Public Lands, among
native Hawaiians, and this provi
sion should be adopted to avoid
hardship and injustice to old set
tiers.
a. Section 4 amends Section
81 of the Land Act, so that lands
ready for settlement or occupation
as Cash Freeholds' or by 'Spe.
cial Agreements may be advertis-
ed under one notice, and not by
two separate notices as is now re.
quired; and the purchaser may
thereby have his option in which
way he will make his purchase,
either as Cash Freehold or by
Special Agreement Cash Free
holds are not popular and are sell
dom taken up, while purchases
under Special Agreement are
eagerly sought after. The amend
ment is good for economy in ad-
vertising and as revenue mea.
sure to increase the sales of lands.
"5. Section 5 amends Sections
II, 72 and 70 of the Land Act, so
that Settlement Associations :"
may acquire land under the
Right of Purchase Leases" as
we'll as by =" Cash Freeholds," I"
and is good provision to make.
'6. Section 6 amends Sections
10, 20, 27, 55, 62 and SO of the
Land Act, by substituting the
words Executive Council" for the
word "CabInet," so as to include
the President. The amendment
is necessary and should be made.
After striking out Section 2,
your committee recommends the
passage of the bill.
The report is signed by F. s.
Lyman, III. p. Baldwin and j. A.
McCandlasa