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Show o..iKi:ssio..i,. HICN AT IS. Among tho bills introduced was one by Colo, authorizing the lease of the I'ronidio reservation to tho city of San Francisco for a public park. Stewart ollcred a resolution directing tho secretary of tho interior to inform tho Senate,under what laws individuals and corporations arc allowed to hold large bodies of public lands, and closing clos-ing them to settlement. Stewart briefly reviewed tho land policy of the government. Ho said out of over 4'J1,0UU,(JU() acres of public lands given away by government, ,UUU,UU0,or less than one-fifth, had gone into tho hands of actual settlors. In regard to land given to the Pacifio railroads, ho asserted as-serted that much of it was too remote lor settlement, and that large portions were not sutceptihlo of cultivation. He desired to raiso his warning voice agaiust a further distribution of any large body of public lands, and advo-! cated that hereafter lands should be so i disposed of as to make small farms. The resolution of instruction by Sherman was taken up, on which Blair was entitled to tho floor. |