The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-16

Of 1895 we annexed Hawaii containing In
all 4,siS.eoo acres, of which lIshuss acres
T,he greater portion OF lands which we
have so acquired were unoccupied sx-
cept by Indian tribes, whose Indian titles
have been extinguished- In many eases,
also, we acquired these lands subject 70
previous grants. which were protected oy
treaty stipulations in the treaty OF aeaui-
In 10 isis the secretary OF the treasury
had supervfsion of the sale OF public
lands: then the land office was estab-
lished as separate bureau OF me ,re sss-
department was organized and the land
ONCE was transferred 70 that department;
The land once Is charged with the survey
The system of survey Is the rectangular
system established In l,sS by a congress
sionel committee, or when Jeners S MI, Ms
dian lines are first determined and TOWN.
ships six miles square are laid out ana
numbered north and south from base
lines and ranges are laid ont and num-
bered east and west from meridian lines.
obviously, our laws rs TO public lands
are not aPg!sse 70 Hsw s q pnp areS
Then settlers have filed UP the. lines.
The exceptions to this have not been
difficult 10 deal with.
Hawaiian Lands.
IN Hawaii. however. the lands are al
ready occupied and. from the very nature
Of the soil and the character OF the iuhah-
itants, are cut up into holdings or all
orally that OF an irregular triangle, With
its base on the coast line and It's apex
toward the center OF the island.
There has already been established
there a system OF survey adapted to the
natural formation and contour OF the Is
lands For Illustration, all the Stands
rise from the sea level In some parts alb
ruptiy and In some parts gradually. 10
central elevation and for purposes OF
cultivation the land Is naturally divided
into iowland. fitted for the growth OF taro
and rice; next above this Is sugar land.
next coffee land, and then comes srax-
ing and timber land
II - obvious that IL would be impossible
to overiay this system, which has been
long in practice and under which the land
is occupied with an arbitrary rectangular
system.
As 10 tho history and manner OF dis
posai OF public lands In Hawaii;
l. Up 10 iSif all the lands OF the lfa-
waiian islands heionged m legal eontem-
The chiefs and the people. under a feu-
dal system closely resembling the old En-
glish feudai system, held their respective
parcels by rendering service or payment
. In 1915 King Kamehameha III grant
cd; CD To hts chiefs and people certain
PORTIONS t2p for government purposes cer-
tain poriions, @, and reserved the remain
der,
tirmed TO the king. his heirs ana success
urs, certain described lands. which were
thenceforth known ms crown lands
Under an act organizing executive de-
partmcnts, 81 land commission was pro-
vided. whose duty IL was TO receive and
PASS upon the claims OF occupants and
lands 20 their respective holdings In that
portion OF the land set apart for the chiefs
and people. This commission heard the
testimony OF claimants, caused surveys
to he made and ISSUED 10 the unauss
entitled thereto certificates called 'ian3
commission awards" These awards e.
possession OF the land and entitled him.
upon payment OF one-four,h of the value
OF the hare land 10 receive "a royal pat
ent. These awards and patents Issued
pursuant thereto are the source OF all title
TO lands not public iande or crown lands
By an act Of July q 1850, onc.twcntieth
of all public lands are set apart for the
support OF schools. These lands are pat
empowered to sell and lease. Part Of
these lands is used for sites for school
buildings; part Ia leased. and part has
In lsst n homestead law on a small scale
was provided for. but was little used. only
$50 patents having been issued.
The republic came In In 1884, and the
Legislature OF that year passed the land
were treated AZ having vested in the re-
public and are now embraced M public
lands. The public lands we're placed I'M
der the control of a board OF commits
interior and two persons appointed by
the governor. and by this bin they rass
under the control OF "A commissioner OF
public lands.
tricts. with a subagent OF public lands
and ranges for each.
The public lands are divided NJ follows;
The commissioners are authorized to dis