Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1906-01-18
,..iv LAND =. .
LEASE BILL.
Modified Measure Suggested
for Congress by Charles
H. Cornell.

for Congress ny CnarleS
III. Cornell.
A bill to lease the public lands,
commonly known as grazing lands,
subject to homestead and other
existing laws.
Sec. /. That any lands belong
ing to the government, commonly
known as grazing lands, not other
wise disposed Of. shall be leased
to the highest bidder, subject to
conditions and restrictions herein
after stated.
sec. 2. That upon the adoption
of a joint resolution by the legis-
lature of any state or territory.
asking that certain lands within
said state or territory be brought
within the provisions of. this act,
the president shall issue his proc
lamation declaring said lands to be
subject to lease and name a date
when the Iaads within any land
district in any said state or terri
tory shall be offered.
Sec. 3. That on said date the
register and receiver of said land
Office shall offer said lands for lease
to the highest bidder per acre,
same to be offered according to the
best judgment of said officers, but
no tract of more than one section
shall be offered in one body; that
said offering shall continue from
day TO day antil all lands subject
to lease shall have been offered;
that no lands shall be leased under
any of the provisions of this act at
less than one-half 4 cent per acre;
that no lease shall be final until ap-
proved by the general land Office.
Sec. 4. That thereafter the sec.
ond Tuesday of February and
August of each year shall be de-
clared lease day." upon which
day all lands that may not have
been previously leased and all
lands that may have reverted to
the government by forfeiture of
lease or cancellation of homestead
entries or lands that may for any
other reason have reverted to the
government shall be leased to the
highest bidder. That no lands
shall be leased upon any other days,
nor shall any leases be made ex-
cepting in the most public manner,
after public notice, in such form
as the secretary of the interior
shall require, and of bona fde cash
bidders.
Sec. 5. Only bona fide home
stead entrymen, whose entry shall
he If record, prior to date of any
leasing, or persons Interpretations
holding lands by freehold or by
lease of state school lands, within
the vicinity of the tracts offered
for lease, shall be eligible to bid at
any Offering. Bidders must fur
nish the local land office certified
record evidence of the number of
acres and description of each kind
of land owned or controlled by
each, and where it is complained
of or when the register and receiv-
er shall have reason to believe that
any one person or interest is en-.
deavoring to secure more than a
fair proportion of the leasable land
they shall reject said bid, subject
to appeal, it being the object OF
this enactment to determine as
nearly as may be the proportion
of leasable government lands te
that of freehold, state school lands
and homestead filings, and taking
into account accessibility, appor'
ton the lands accordingly.
Sec. 6. That leases shall be made
for the term of twenty years from
date of previous January 1. That
payment on leasing shall be mad,
from date of leasing to the succeed
ing December 81. Subsequent
,lo1 - oJ. .-S.JI-