Mr. OLMES. Mr. Speaker, the Commit. tee on Public Lands have had this bill under consideration and have directed me to report it to the House with a recommendation that it pass. The necessity for this bill arises from the fact that the public Lands in Montana have not been surveyed. Preemptors can take up but 160 acres of land each. The parties interested in this measure have been associated under the general law of the State of NewYork providing for the incorporation of manufacturing and mining companies. The object. of this company is to carry on the business of minin an manufacturing of iron and steel in the 'erritory of Montana. I have looked over their articles of association and I find that they have complied in every respect with the law of the State of NewYork under which they are incorporated. They desire to establish in the Territory of Montana iron works of sufficient capacity, not only to suppl the mining interests with iron and such urticfizs as are manufactured from iron, but also to supply, if possible, the iron necessary in the construction of the Pacific railroad. For this' purpose a large supply of wood land is absolutely necessary. Parties interested in this company's plied to the Commissioner of the Land 0 cc to ascertain whether the could go on and preempt the quantity 0 land required, by taking a large number of persons who would be entitled to preemption. They found that that was impossible. Under the preemption law only sufficienttimber to constructbuildings and for the necessary improvement. of the land could be taken. It became necessary, therefore, to apply to Congress, because the public landshadnotbeensurveyed. Parties acquainted with this business estimate the quantit of land necessary to supply the wood or sue a work as this would be from 12 to 20,000 ucres. The Gentfrom Pennsylvania, [Mr. S'rsvm's] who is familiar with this matter, will be able to state precisely what is required. I understand that there is attached to his iron Works a lot of 16,000 acres, and that he regards that amount as quite small enough for works of the magnitude proposed to be established by this bill. This bill does not ask for a donation of land. It provides simply that this company may go on, under such directions as the SecyInterior may make, and select 20 sections of land, 3 of them to be mineral, composed of iron or coal, and the residue 17 sections to he composed of woo or timber land. The lands are to be selected in such manner as the SecyInterior shall direct. They are to be bounded b lines running north and south and cast an west, and are to be as nearly in a s nare form as possible. The company are to e at the expense of surveying the lands and furnishing plats after survey for the approbation of the SecyInterior. They are to pay to the Government the government price of $1 25 peracre for the lands within 2 years from the passage of this bill, and within the same time they are to erect upon these lands and have in operation iron works capable of producing 1500 tons ofiron perannum. Now, as I said before, there is no ift asked for or desired by this company. they go there and make this investment, an investment of not less than $200,000, it is necessary that they should have timber to run the works for a series of years. All they ask is that, as the Government has not surveyed these lands so that they can purchase them, that they be allowed, at their own expense, to survey the lands, pay the Government price for them, take possession of them, and erect their works. There is attached to a pamphlet, which I have here, a letter from the ComrGLO stating the difficulties that this company would labor under if they undertook to reenipt these lands, and also a letter from the Delegate from Montana and the marshal of that Territory, recommending the passage of this bill. I will ask the Clerk to read those letters.