Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-27


hucksters. Men who respect themselves and
are fairly entitled to the respect of their fellow
citizens, eschew all participation in the election
Of party conventions there, because the latter
are for the most part managed by the GROCERY
haunting and shoulder hitting fraternity, after
their peculiar fashion, 20 well known to all
residents Of nearly all American cities The
only remedy for this state Of things in and
around New York 10 the entire abolishment of
the convention system there, and the adoption
of stump nomins tons and the system of Joint
discussion in vogue in the South aud portions
of the West. If the politics of the country at
large were as corrupt and debased as the poll
tics Of nearly all the Northern cities, the Gov
eminent could hardly last decade; for, surely,
the elevation Of such mon as manage New York
party conventions to places of public trust
throughout the land would quickly produce
revolution.
AN IMPORTANT DECIsIoN.-The Commission
er of the General Land Office has rendered an
important decision respecting the title to the
site of the town Of Portland, Oregon, which is
of sufficient interest to elicit its publication in
full, were it not for the press of other matters
upon our columns. 1t appears that this site
was originally included in claim of $40 acres
of land set up on the ground of settlement and
possession by VIM. P. Overton, in lS43. Sub
sequently, it changed hands repeatedly, and in
March, 1850, was claimed jointly under the
original title by Messrs. Stark, Lownsdale,
Chapman and Coffin. These changes occurred
prior to the passage Of the donation act of
9th September, 1850. On the 10th of March
1852, Chapman, Coffin and Lownsdale entered
into an agreement to designate their respective
claims in compliance with the law, and accord
ingly soon afterwards fled their notifications
in the local land Office with their respective
claims described. Lownsdale subsequently,
filed an amended notification covering the 10.
cation Of the claims of Stark, Chapman and
Coffin, and the entry made for Portland city.
The General Land Office affrms the action of
the Surveyor General, confirming the claims
OF Colin, Stark and Chapman, and, of course,
rejecting that of LOwnsdale, set ND in his
amended notification.
The determination then is to recognize the
following divisions and Iocus, to wit:
list. For Lownsdale, according to notification
No. SO, dated llth March, 1852, for which no
certificate issued on account of his protest
against the Surveyor G Generals decision of 1853.
I'd. For Chapman, according to notification
No. 80, for whom, and in considera ton of his
payment under act of 14th of February, 1853,
(U. S. Statutes at large, Vol ", p. 1881 GER
tifcate No. IS has been issued by the Surveyor
General.
Sd. For Coffin, notification No. 719, for whom,
under said act of 1850, and in consideration of
payment under said act of 1850, and in con-
sideration of payment under said act of 1853,
the Surveyor General has issued his certificate,
No. e.; and
4th. For Stark, according to notification No
32S, to whom the Surveyor General has issued
certificate, No. SO, under his decision of oath
June 1853, on proof of settlement and continu.
Gus residence of four years
A claim set up by McNam on the ground
of the invalidity of Overton's original claim.
is decided adversely.
The claim of Samuel Speer, which appears
to conflict with the above, is also decided ad-
versely, as the lands he supposed to be vacant
are covered by prior claims.
Because of the rights of the Iona fae settlers
in Portland city conflict with the above claims,
under the act of 1874, and because their rights
are also recognized by the act of 1854, the lands
having been settled upon and recognized as
town site in lS45, the General Land Office
directs reservations to be made in the patents
which may issue to the above parties, so as to
secure the rights of bona .fde lot holders and
occupants from their encroachmeuts They
are to be granted titles, if we understand the
matter, for all the lands but that portion en-
braced within the limits of the 800 acres COM
prised in the tract of the town site proper of
Portland city, and for the titles to that portion
of their claims lying within said limits, they
arc referred to the corporate authorities of
Portland, who have entered the same in trust
for the occupants.
The ITALIAN OPERA.-Strakosch' grand
combination of musical celebrities are repeat
ing in Baltimore their brilliant successes in
Boston and New York. There was a great
rush to see the delightful and accomplished
Parodi, in Troratore, but large as was the
attendance on that occasion, the Baltimore
papers state that the attendance on Monday
night, when Madame COlson appeared in Ira
rtata, was even larger and more brilliant; and
last night, we doubt not, desire to witness the
famed American Prima Donna, Madame Cora
De Wilborst, crowded the theatre. We antici-
pate with confidence, a success for the Strakosch
company in our city, as substantial and fatter-
ing as the most brilliant they have elsewhere
achieved, and that the theatre on Thursday
Friday and Saturday evenings will be crowded
to repletion. This result is fOreshadowed in
the rapid sales of seats and other reliable
operate auguries. The opening opera will be
TroUatore, with a cast seldom to be encoun-
tered anywhere-embracing Mile Parodi, her
first appearance in opera in our city, Brignoli
Amodio, Barilli, and other eminent artistes,
whose skill will be most delightfully."- enhanced
by the powerful Though here rarely met with
auxiliaries of q full orchestra and chorus
There has been some change made in the pro-
gramme for the three nigLts-the operas will
be presented in the following order, instead of
as at first advertised: Trova.ore, Trariata,
and II Purltant.