The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-04
LAND BILL OF
SENATOR CLARK
Proposed Law Turning Over
the Public Domain to the Va
TIouS Western States.
FEATURES OF THE MEASURE
LEGISLATURES TO TAKE NEcEs-
SARY ACTION.
Especial to The Herald)

, 'i'iS tOii' + 60. Sine full text of
me Dill recently introduced by Senator
w. A Clark in the United States SEN
ate FOR granting the public lands of the
soNerninent to the public land states
is as follows: 80
bill granting TO the various states
the lands owned by the United States
WITHIN the limits thereof
Be IL enacted by the senate and house
OF representatives of the United States
OF America, in congress assembled:
section l. That there shall be and
hereby is granted to the various states
OF the Union which embrace public
lands or lands owned by the United
states. all of such lands; the same to
De heidi owned and disposed Of. subject
10 The restrictions and limitations here
IN contained, under laws to be enacted
by the legislative assemblies of such
states
Section 2. The grant of lands herein
made shall be in force and shall take
effect from the time when the Iegisla-
tive assemblies of the various states
shall pass law accepting of the grant
hereby made, with such limitations as
are herein contained.
Exceptions Made.
Section 3. There shall be excepted
from the grant hereby made all lands
contained within any military or Indian
reservation. and lands reserved for use
OF the United States for any purpose:
provided, however. that upon the throw
ing open of any such reservation. or the
permanent abandonment of any mill
tary reservation, the land embraced
within the same shall Immediately be-
come subject TO the provisions of this
act, and the title to the same shall inn
mediately vest in the state in which the
same is located.
Section 4. All lands which have been
heretofore withdrawn from settlement
or sale under the provisions of law
providing for reclamation of arid lands
shall be exempted from the operation of
this grant, and shall remain subject to
disposal by the United States; pro-
vided, however, that should any
state in which any such reclamation
district has been formed provide by
law for the completion of the work ac-
cording to the plans formulated and
adopted by the government and signi-
fy its willingness to complete the same
within reasonable time. then the lands
withdrawn and embraced within such
reclamation district shall at once be-
come the property of such state. and
the work thereon shall be completed
under state control.
Section 5. In all cases where rights
have been initiated under the laws of
| the United States at or before the time
when title passes to the respective
states under the provisions of this act,
the same may be completed and patent
! issued therefor under the existing laws
of the United States. No right of en-
/ try, right to occupy or right or title ac-
quired by reason of occupation, possess
sion or control of any part of the public
domain shall be lost or destroyed by
treason hereof. but all such rights shall
| be protected by the proper laws TO be
enacted by the respective states. and
when the rights aforesaid have been
protected by proper enactmeDts by the
respective legislative assemblies of the
respective states. there shall be no fur
Their or other restrictions upon the sale
and disposal of the public lands hereby
granted to the respective states, and
the same shall be sold and disposed of
under such laws. rules and regulations,
and at such prices, as may from time TO
time be passed or prescribed by the
authority of the respective states.
Forest Reserves Included.
Section s. All lands which have here
tofore. under the authority of congress,
been set apart by proclamation Of the
president as forest reserves shall i'm
mediatcly become subject to the pro-
visions of this act. and shall pass to the
control of the proper authorities Of the
respective states, under such laws, rules
and regulations as may be prescribed
therefor, and may be enlarged or dimin-
ished. or entirely thrown open and
abandoned.
Section :. In all cases where the gov
eminent of the United States has be-
come obligated TO give or grant public
land by reason Of the issuance of GER
tifcates, scrip, agreements or other ev-
licences of an obligation upon the part
OF the United States to grant land or
lands. such certificates, scrip or agree
ments shall become binding obligations
upOn each of the states to be or be-
come beneficiaries hereunder. and land
may be acquired Hereunder in the same
manner as il may be acquired under the
laws now in force with reference there
to.
Section s. 1t shall be the duty of the
legislative assemblies of the respective
states to provide by law for the carry
ing into effect of all contracts and OBJ
legations of the United States with ref
erence 10 the public domain. and no