Show LAND REVIEW proposed changes in hie pre emp aioo and homestead laws correspondence ol 01 the the land matters now pending before congress in which the public is most interested are those relating to contemplated forfeitures of railroad grants and the proposed changes in the preemption pre emption homestead and tim ber culture davs with respect to the former both houses desire to take some kind of action but a wide difference of opinion as to the extent of forfeitures to be declared is entertained bers of the house of representatives and senate and in fact by the several members of the respective bodies the senate proposes to forfeit only such lands as he opposite th elines of railroads not yet completed permitting the granlees grantees gran tees to take all lands opposite and coterminous 1 r if 3 i il portions of the roads whether the lines were constructed prior to or after the expiration of the periods prescribed by the granting acts for the completion of the same in the house the proposition to forfeit entire all railroad grants where the whole aines were constructed within the statutory period is very popular thia is an extreme measure to which the assent of the senate as now constituted will not be iven and one which in the eminent lawyers would not be sustained by the courts even if enacted as a law the reason for this belief is that it would be an attempt to disturb vested rights and that the government having failed to declare abor eitore of grants at the expiration of ho period fixed by law within which he lines should be completed cannot ake advantage of the laches of the granlees grantees gran tees after having secured the benefits which it was expected would bo derived from tho grants in short thai ahe grants and their acceptance constitute contracts binding alike up oa both parties the grantee con aci actor and the government proprietor by which the former undertook to perform certain things within a specified time for a consideration named that tho grantee having failed to perform his part within the time risked a forfeiture of his grant and the government might at the time havo declared a forfeiture and refused to pay the consideration that the government having failed tomato advantage of the forfeiture clause in the grant at the tune the laches occurred and having permitted tho grantee to construct the line out of having accepted the same has condoned the faults or laches of the grantee and is es topped from claiming a reversion of the lands by virtue of the forfeiture clause in the grant important changes in the pre emp tion homestead and timber culture laws are contemplated by what is known as the holman bill now pending before the house in fact it contains provisions which if enacted into law wilT change more or less all existing laws elating to the disposal of public land it repeals the preemption and timber culture laws and permits the disposal of agricultural lands only budor tho homestead law in which law numerous changes are proposed it provides for the classi of tho public lands into classes to bo designated as agricultural timber mineral desert and reserved lands and prescribes methods of procedure to procuro title to each of the classes tho discussion of tho mills tariff bill and the of the appropriations jor the ensuing fiscal year will occupy the remainder of the present session of congress and I 1 learn from the prominent members of both houses that a railroad forfeiture bill and tho holman bill cannot pass both houses before next winter people interested in the preemption pre emption and timber laws may rely upon this information bekris HE KrIs COPP |