county, for which Yavapai County must make a further issue of bonds of $292,000, making a total county debt of $855,000, or above 13 per cent upon the taxable assessment (taking that at $6,500,000), and a per capita county debt of nearly $85, taking the population at about 10,600, as stated in the report of the Senate committee.  Surely no one will insist that the true and permanent prosperity of these communities will be promoted by loading their energies and their industries with these great debts.  I feel the force of the suggestion that the freight charges now imposed upon the farm and orchard products of Maricopa County by the railroads now in operation are oppressive.  But this bill does not afford much relief even in that direction.  There would be but one competing point, viz, Phoenix.  At all other points on the proposed road the people would be subject to the exaction of just such rates as are demanded by the other lines.  If this bill contained some effective provision to secure reasonable freight rates to the people who are to be taxed to build the road, it would go far to secure my favorable consideration for it.

I have carefully examined the reports of the committees and every argument that has been submitted to me by the friends of the bill, but I can not bring myself to believe that the permanent welfare of the communities affected by it will be promoted by its passage.

BENJ.  HARRISON.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, July 9, 1890.

To the House of Representatives: 

I return herewith without my approval the bill (H.R. 5974) entitled “An act extending the time of payment to purchasers of land of the Omaha tribe of Indians in Nebraska, and for other purposes.”

The United States holds the legal title of these lands, which have been sold for the benefit of the Omaha Indians to secure the unpaid purchase money, the time of payment of which it is proposed by this act to extend.  There is no objection that I know of, either on the part of the United States or of the Indians, to the extension of the unpaid installments due from purchasers.  This relief is probably due to the purchasers.  The bill, however, contains the following provision: 

  That all the lands the payment for which is hereby extended shall be
  subject to taxation in all respects by and in the State of Nebraska
  as if fully paid for and patents issued.

Now, while it is entirely proper that the interest of the purchasers in these lands should share the burdens of the communities in which the lands are located, the title of the United States and the beneficial interest of the Indians in the lands should not be subjected to sale for the delinquency of the purchasers in paying tax assessments levied upon the lands.  The effect of the provision which has been quoted would, in my opinion, give to the purchaser at a tax sale a title superior to the lien of the Government for purchase money.  The bill should have contained a proviso that only the interest of the purchasers from the Government could be sold for taxes, and that the tax sale should be subject to the lien of the United States for unpaid purchase money.