Land-grant Abuses

Washixhton, Nov. '30. üjcretary Lamar in his forthoomiag annnaj report will eay that upou becoming iainiliar with the public land system, its orjrauiz ition and the workinjis thereof, ht; beeume more and more impressed with the fact that the public domain was being di verted f rom its legitímate parpóse and that Congre6sional grants of lands to wagous and railroads had given rise to enormous abuses. He will Bay: "I do not for a moment mean to question the wisdom of asding in the construction of railroads. That policy was at the time a wise one, but in the light of exper ence it may well be ask.'d whether it would not have been w.ser to have aided these great enterrrises otherwise than by grants of the pubIlo domain. Th0uo-h much good bus been wrought, cortair. it is that the legislation by hich these vast territorios passed under the dominion of railroad companies gave an incurable wound to the homestead écheme before that scbeme had a fair opportunity for djsplayiog its boneficent elïects. This land-grant ïeglstatioo was certainly not in harmony with the tneory of a dstribution of the public domain among llie people, and gave up to oftpitalists : il basis of trame and speoulatiou what was by the original policy of the Government designed for homes for an industrious and thrifty people. The contusión, hardship and imposition praot.ced upon the settlers has been greatly increascd by the bold schemes of the corporate agents. But a law was passed oq March 3, 1887. whereby the Secretary of the Interior was d.rected to immediately adjust each of therailroad land grants made bv Congress to aid in the construction of railroads. On May 83, 1887. rules were laid on the different companies for whose benefit withdrawals had been made to show cause by a certain dny why said, withdrawal should not be revobed. Some of the compainies failed toshow cause, and others complied witb the rule. The amount of land restored to the public domain through the orders revoking the indemnity withdrawn is stated by the Commissioner of the General Land Office to be 81,88,000 acres."