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Show THE STONE LANDS. F.ffact of tli Kerenl Uerlaloo on I'tah't Adamant. As recently predicted by The Timks, the recent decision of tho secretary of interior is working hardship to those who have sought to enter stone lands in Utah under the placer mining laws. Hundreds and thousands of dollars have been expended by bona lido claimants claim-ants in the development of stone quarries quar-ries in this territory, and now it transpires tran-spires in the face of the recent decision, that no titlo of ownership to lands en-torod en-torod or initiated under the placer laws are practically void and worthless. There should bo a remedy to protect those who have acted iu good faith, or at least some method adopted to remunerate re-munerate them for the expenses they have incurred where their prolits have not already satisfied their investments. Tho government land offices in the districts dis-tricts where these entries have been allowed al-lowed accepted tho fees of the applicants appli-cants for the entry of theso lands as placer claims, and it is reasonable to presume that they were not acting without with-out authority from the general land office of-fice at Washington, I). C. It is certain that the claimants making this class of entries aro at no fault, and the burden of the responsibility rests solely with the government, which alone can afford an equitable relief. A special act of Juno 3, 187S, covers tho ground for Nevada, Oregon, California and Washington. There is no reason why sneh a law should not bo extended to Utah. Colorado, Colo-rado, Idaho and other Inter mountain states and territories, with special clause therein to cover tho cases of bona lide claimants in the several states and territories whose rights are atTeeted by tho secretary of tho interior's recent decision, which is a reversal of a previous pre-vious decision upon which claimants have based their rights. There is little doulit but what the department at Washington will formulate a ruling or decision for tho protection of these claimants, at least recommend to congress con-gress tho passage of a law that will afford relief to those who aro affected by the recent ruling. |