62D CONGRESS, 1st Session. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. { {No. 71. REPORT PLANS, ETC., FOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. JULY 28, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. JOHNSON of Kentucky, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 816.] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred Senate bill 816, report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. The object of this bill is to make available about $18,000 which was not expended in the purchase of school sites, and to use same in the employment of an architect for the buildings hereafter to be erected upon said sites. The passage of this bill will hasten the erection of said buildings about a year. 62D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session. LOT 53, SQUARE 140, IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. JULY 28, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. JOHNSON of Kentucky, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 1704.] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred Senate bill 1704, report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. The object of this bill is to relieve from the operation of an act entitled "An act to restrict the ownership of real estate in the Territories to American citizens" lot No. 53 in square No. 140 of the land records of the District of Columbia. The facts in the case are: Robert Grant Wilson, an officer in the United States Army, acquired this property, by deed dated November 30, 1880, and recorded in liber 959, folio 87. Wilson died November 15, 1896, intestate, leaving as his sole heir a sister, Mrs. Isabella Wilkie, a British subject, residing in England. Mrs. Wilkie conveyed the property to her son, Robert Grant Wilkie, an American citizen, residing at Buffalo, N. Y., by deed dated December 31, 1896, and recorded in liber 2182, folio 101. A year or more ago the present owner of the property requested one of the title companies to continue his certificate of title to this lot down to date. In Washington almost all title work is done by title companies. Should a title company report a title as defective the property which is covered thereby has very little market value. In this instance the title company, through one of its officers, reported: I can not recommend acceptance of the title for the reason that the title of the present owner is based upon a deed from Isabella Wilkie, an alien, who acquired title as the only heir of her brother, Robert Grant Wilkie, who was seized of a good title to said property and who became a naturalized citizen before he acquired title. The act of March 3, 1887, prohibited persons not citizens of the United States or who have not each fully declared their intention to become such citizens from acquiring, holding, or owning real estate in the District of Columbia, with certain exceptions. Section 4 of this act provided for proceedings by the Attorney General to enforce any forfeiture. This act was amended by the act of March 9, 1888, by exempting from its operation ownership in the District of Columbia of legations or residences of representatives of foreign governments. The act of March 3, 1887, was further amended by the act of March 2, 1897, by leaving out the District of Columbia, and giving aliens certain privileges by way of additional exceptions of acquiring title and owning land in the Territories of the United States. Treaty rights were preserved. Land acquired prior to March 3, 1887, so long as held by their owners, their heirs, or legal representatives, was protected. An alien who shall have become a bona fide resident of the United States, etc., was given the right to acquire and hold lands, and was allowed 10 years from the time he ceases to be such resident in which to alienate them, and the act was not to apply so as to prevent any person not citizens of the United States from acquiring or holding lots in cities, etc. By the act of February 23, 1905, this act was extended to the District of Columbia. The only way to remove the remote que-tion of escheat from the title to this land, in such a way as will be satisfactory, is by act of Congress. There have been numerous acts of this kind passed in which the same language was employed. (See 31 Stat. L., 1492, an act for the relief of Joseph Bacigaluppi and others.) This bill was referred to the commissioners, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of War, who find no objection thereto. O 62D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session. BRIDGE ACROSS TUG FORK, BIG SANDY RIVER, W. VA. JULY 29, 1911.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. COVINGTON, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 4682.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 4682) authorizing the construction of a railroad, tramroad, conveyor, wagon, or foot bridge, and approaches thereto, across the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River at or near Glenhayes Station, in Wayne County, W. Va., having considered the same, report thereon with amendments, and as so amended recommend that it pass. The bill as amended has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the indorsements attached and which is made a part of this report. Amend the bill as follows: Strike out, in the title, the words "railroad, tramroad, conveyor, wagon, or foot". Strike out, on page 1, line 4, the word "it" and insert in lieu thereof the word "it's." Strike out, on page 1, line 5, the word "they". Strike out, on page 1, line 6, the words "railroad, tramroad, conveyor, wagon, or”. Strike out, on page 1, line 7, the word "foot". Insert, on page 1, line 8, after the word "River", the words "at a point suitable to the interests of navigation". Strike out, on page 1, line 8, after the word "or", the words "within one mile of the station of ". Insert, on page 1, line 9, before the word "Glenhayes" the word "near. 99 Strike out, on page 1, lines 9, 10, and 11, the words "(where the same forms the boundary line between the States of Kentucky and West Virginia), in the State of West Virginia,” Insert, on page 1, line 13, after the word "waters" the words "approved March twenty-third, nineteen hundred and six." Add a new section as follows: SEC. 2. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved. [Second indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Office of the Chief of EngINEERS, 1. Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. 2. If amended as indicated therein, the accompanying bill will be in the usua! form, and in my opinion will amply provide for the protection of navigation interests. 3. So far as those interests are concerned, I know of no objection to the passage of the bill by Congress as thus amended. W. H. BIXBY, Chief of Engineers, United States Army. [Third indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, April 19, 1911. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, inviting attention to the foregoing report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, and to the accompanying copy of amended bill referred to. ROBERT SHAW OLIVER, |