Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-08-01
TERRITORIAL LAND GRANTS.

The last session Of congress passed a
bill, which vas approved by the presi.
dent on June q. entitled can act to
make certain grants OF land 10 the terri.
tory Of New Mexico and for other pur-
poses" That act sets aside sections 10
and 80 In every township OF the territory
for the support Of common schools, or,
where such sections contain mineral,
have been sold or have otherwise been
disposed OF or set aside by the govern
ment before the passage Of the act. other
lands equivalent, In legal subdivisions Of
not less than quarter sections, may be
selected in lieu thereof. Other sections
OF the act grant lands for territorial in
stitutions. a territorial university, for
water reservoirs, for irrigation purposes
and for the improvement Of the Rio
Grande In New Mexico. The lands
granted TO the common schools amount
10 1922, 900 acres: TO territorial institu.
tions, l,3l30S0 acres, including 10000
for reservoirs and 100000 acres for the
improvement OF the Rio Grsnde, and ex.
elusive Of saline lands. which cannot
nov be estimated; q total OF 6,b76.04C
aside from the saline lands.
The New Mexican says: The law also
provides that the governor, the surveyor
general and the solicitor general shall
act ~ a commission 10 select the lands.
acting under the secretary OF the int.
riOr. On July 9 Solicitor General Bart
lett wrote to the secretary Of the interior
for the necessary instructions, but 30 faI
has not succeeded In receiving them
However he has received from the gen
eral land Office at Washington. under th,
date OF July 90, the instructions which
have been issued to the registers and re
ceivers OF United States land offices IL
the territory, which are OF no use 10 tn
commission, except the last section
which Ia useful In that 1t proves that TN
gift OF possibly 100000 acres OF liant
to the territory has a string tied 10 II
The section referred to reads az follows
IA. The fees required by the seventh
proyiso OF section 1883 q. 8. X. s. mus
In every case accompany all lists OF so
lectiOns. except for agricultural colleges
and the payment Of the fees must b
noted on the several lists.
Now, under that ruling, the question
arises: Wherein are the public school
10 be benefited aud the territorial in
stitutlons to receive any aid from thi
magnificent land grantp Setting asidr
the lands allowed for the agriculture
college. the fees for entering the land
selected by the commission. II It ever re
ceives its instructions TO begin Its woT
will amount to $4,000 or thereabOuI
II the territory had this amount O
money 10 spend on Its Common school
and territorial institutions at the pres
ent time. or any prospects OF having tina
sum In the neal future, II would hardl
invest IL In lands. But New Mexico ha
not the money TO enter the lands, II IN
fee OF ~ for each quarter section mus
be paid in the local land offices.
One provision OF the law granting tn
land 10 the territory ~apprOpriates $40,
900 10 defray the expenses OF the CON
mission and pay for the selection OF tn
lands. III part OF the appropriate
can be paid for entering lands selected
then the commission should organize q
once, select 100000 or 100000 acres Q
the best lands, and allow the balance q
the grant TO remain public domain unit
congress makes an appropriation sufi
client TO pay the land office ices, OF unit
such time ss the territory will be abb
70 pay the expense itself. Unless sue
az Arrangement can be made, 80 far q
the benefit New Mexico will derive
concerned. the bill would as we'll neyt
have been passed