New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-21

not know tha. hsve; have TAXED good dcN sbou
these matters: en- very fond ct jsstins sonet;nes
By Mr.. On-Do you know, by conversation viii
members or otherwse, that any member ovnsd stees
10 apy road which has received grants OF land ua2er
any bill of the present Congress- witness DO ~.
r,coDtct; there may be some OF them Who have.
Nv Mr.. Or--Are you one Of the stockholders in on.
of these rnsdsi Winess-I am not Obliged 70 answer
tbst question.
Tur low, BuI-IMPRoPFR QUESTIONS or THE
CoMMITTEE.
By Mr. Otr-Hsve you any knowledge OF the fsc'
whether lands copaied BY the Iowa bill have been
given 10 any one of the conpsne~ formed previous 10
the passage Of that bill WitneSs-l DO NOT knos
whsi you have got to do about that here; am wiling
TO aDsse or oil proper questions.
BY Mr. Ou-Do you know that fact IN references 70
any one OF those roads Wtness-I decline 70 ansSS
the Guestop.
By Mr. Ou-Did you ever intimate to Member Of
Congress that be would derive any personal benedt
fiom the passage Of any measure in the prosent Coz
press Wiipess-I do not know whether did or not,
did not 90 il seriously, If at all
Nv MIR. Orr-Did yoa do il 10 jest! Wl;ressI Do
not know. for, as told you before, sm scnswtS
given TO joking r =, y, 49,,
wM {. JOHNSON or UTICA, y. ", ON THE STAND.
William &. johnson sworn. .
By Mr. Orr-Wbeie do you reside Wfness-h}
leg al r,sid' nee s Utica, \. T.; my time : d,so~
between Washington and that city; pas my Wink
months here, and my Summer months Ia Ctca
BY Mr. Or-Are you the President OF an in'efns
In pioyeuent Company in he Wssti Wltne~s-ia
Sir. 49, .,
Des Moines Navigation ana Railroad company OF W
Stste OF lows
n, Mr.. Or-How long have you held tha office :
Wuness-Snce the 18th Of Aug,s, lsoo
BY Mr.. Ou-Do you know OF any oli or rec oiuuoe
having be. introduced piece eed during he ptesen
Congress for the benefit OF that Company WINES
Your question makes il dcuit 10 respond 10, Ter tas
reasOn: there wa.a bill Introduced WIN reference
the Des MONIES grant, which was raher iSr he osoeh
of the State of Iowa; il mil hit lnure to the Dement,
our Company in the end; Dut the immediate benz
fcis,y was the State of Iowa, our connection with
being future thing, which might or might nc
happen-conipgent uIon the action OF the Legal
ture of that State snd cOptpgt ut aPoa oar
own action IN the completion OF the coH'i"Se A'aS
wi b that State.
nv MIR Orr-Ibere was grant OF land msde son,
wears AGO 10 the Territory of Iowa for the improyemss
OF the Den MONIES River Wltness-fes, sr.
By M. Or-When was the grant first made,
whom, and what disposition was made OF wins
Tba 18th of August 1876 think is the date Of u
grant; Congress made grant OF certain iaods 70 us
Territory OF Iowa, si'usted in that Territory iof
in prov ement OF the navigation OF the D.s hHDs
River; there long period iotervened oso'e OF
conn,c,on with H. on tie 9th OF June 1884, the Sss
of Iowa, by its officers, entered into contract We
this Company which represent for the lmprovensc
BY the Company c. the navigation OF tla' ii'er aadH
purchase by the Ccmpsny OF The iands OF the srsn
| Treasury, who was then Secretary OF what IS nose
DEPARTMENT OF the Interior, decided that that graaG
tended 10 Il e sources OF The Dee MONIES hiver EW
also 80 decided by the Atorne! General, lie 'erdyJoe
son at subsequent period a. confrmef by Pfeeio9
Fillmore or President Taylor, l am not certsia whn
prior 10 that suboi dina,e officer the Comunsoa9s
| the General Land Office, i think, had sugges'Nu
the grant did Lot extend beyond Fort DE, hc,nes ~
II Was on appeal rom that decision that the sscsT
of the Treasury decided that It extended TO the Nue
of the river; on the basis Of that decision, the 0e2x
| ment Of The Interior had approved a. II IS cans
these lands passing up the river iion lie mouth, ns
direction OF s sources, 10 point consoer ABLY scmI
| Fort Des MoiDes, AID the present Admini''ranols
| also In continuation of the same idea, approved lrc
above Fort Dee Moines /, was ID this condition esf
GRANT the State assuming that II extended 10 y
sources of the river, that this Company, sopPos1
that there was question as TO u fact enterea
| A contract for the purchase Of these lands
| a dollar and q quarter an acre. Tor the
eregate sum of Al 800 0tD-the aggregate amount
| LANDS being estimated at Gao, 900 acres-oy WIN
we we've TO mske there improvements IN the rv9'
an estimated cost 10 OF about - 900 600 shoH
after nv accession to the Proficiency Of the CompM
in a c. n er saton with the Commissioner OF the Ge
ersl Land Office he informed me that be intended
bold that the grant did not exterd beyond Fort ps
Moires; we had slreaoy expended several hunfs
thoussr dollars on this improvement We had near
| half the work under contract, and were prcgreem
with all the force we coad CON nand; l AZ once ins
tuted an spp,s al from his decision 10 the Secretary
| the Interior. ana rom Di n 10 tue thUnets ,ne
dent referred it, think to Attorney q enerai CushIR
Mr. CuthIg deciced that the grant might b. CONSTR
10 extend 10 the north line Of the State u Iowa bati
beyoLd that for the reason stated by him In hs %
ion ard recommended TO the Secretary o. the In.er
not 10 approve any more lands 10 the state OF 10
uDless that State would reesse the lands In MINIS
the Territory Of Minnesota having been ca on f.
what was formerly the Territory Of lows; be ref
| mended further that the parties apply to Congrs
cut the "gordan kno, u think that is the express
| used by hm-to settle the question; We were,
course, thrown into great enhancement; Imms
| stely, without consultation even with the COMPANY
presented the matter TO the Cppg'ess Of the Ust
States, requesting OF them that the decisions Of thl
| pariment up TO this time upon which we hsd ~
acquired rights snd incurred responsibilities, shouh
ctnfimod; this is the way came before ConpH
BY cir. Orr-The bill then, which wss presee
to Congress was TO construe the existing grant,
ness-Yes, Sir, TO confirm the decsiJn OF the secrsH
of the Treasury and Of the previous officers Of the
eminent under which we had acted and unda VI
we had acquired vested rights.
BY Mr. OrT--And the Company not being obs
known TO Congress, It ws necessary thsI the ,nbn
tion should be made TO tie State Of Iowa WINS
Yes, Sir.
BY Mr.. Orr-And that the State had conyeye
you this identical land II che had the title 20 II
ness-No, Sir; in the ordinary OF tee funhe
| Of our contract the State would have 10 conyeyu
| lands TO our Company; If we fulfilled our conuset
was 10 convey 10 - 400 sIes Of land for eYeryf
600 We expended in the improvement
ByMr. DRIVES there any agreement or srs
meDt entered INTO BY you, or by any Other on
Company, with any Member Ct Congress, or win
other persOn directly or indirectly for tbs benss
any Member Of Congress, by which such Menb1
CoDgTtss were to receive any valuable conn ierst
for their aid in canying through that bill Witnef
there was no srch Agreement nothing Of tos.
made by NE, nor have ! soy knosledge, eIesps
rurnOr, that any such agreement has ever besa ms
| have heard rumors 10 that effect, bu. | have
knowledge Of any such Arrangement whatever; %
as myself was concerned, had abandoned al sS
Of any favorable reerIt OF any such application - u
gIess, because was informed by every one thS .
would be no use in il.
BY Mr. Orr-Did you have an agent here 70 n