Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-16
Associated Press Report,
From W Washington.
Items

] NV YORK, June l5.-Specials to the
evening papers say: Mr.. Grinnel is in hi.
| seat to-day, bearing marks on his face o.
the blows given him yesterday by Mr.
Rosseau. Mr.. R0sseau is also in his seat
| receiving the congratulations of the chiv-
| airy. The House will investigate and prob
| ably expel Mr.. Rosseau.
Senator Fessenden was too i'll to attend
| the meeting of the Finance Committee to-
| day, and the tax bill will not be reported
until Monday.
The House Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions will report 6 resolution mildly cen
suring the course Of the government on the
Fenian movement. The Committee will
also take a strong position in reference to
| Mexican matters, but unanimously oppose
| the endorsement of the Mexican bonds.
Specials to the evening papers say the
Senate Finance Committee have agreed to
fix the salary Of the Commissioner Of In
| ternal Revenue at $4,000.
WASHINGTON, June lj.-It is understood
that the President has vetoed the bill to
enable the New York a nd Montana Iron
Manufacturing Company to purchase "a GER
tain amount Of public lands not now in
market.
Official information has been received
that the King of Prussia, under date of
May %, has decreed that in the event of
war merchant vessels belong to subjects of
hostile States shall not be subjected to cap
ture aud cOnfscation by his ships OF war so
long as reciprocity is practiced by the hos
tile States.
The following is the veto message of the
President:
The public domain is a national trust set
apart and held for the general welfare on
principles Of equal justice, and not to be
bestowed as a special privilege upon g ia
yorad class. The proper rule for the dis
posal of public lands have from the earliest
period been the subject Of earnest inquiry,
grave discussions and deliberate judgment.
The purpose of direct revenue was the first
object, and this was attained by public sale
to the highest bidder, and subsequently, by
the right Of private purchase at & fixed
minimum. It was soon discovered that the
surest and speedy promotion to-the wealth
and prosperity OF the country was by en-
couraging actual settlement and occupation,
and hence a system Of premptiOn rights
resulted the most benshcially in all western
territories. By progressive steps 1t has ad-
vaneed to the homestead principle
securing to every head of a family, widow
and single man twenty-one years of age,
and every soldier who has borne arms for
his country, landed estate sufficient with
industry for the purpose Of indepent sup
port Without tracing the system of the
presumption law through tho several
stages, il is sufficient TO observe that It rests
on certain just and plain principles, firmly
established in all our legislation. The OBJ
ject of these laws is to encourage the ex-
pansion of population and development of
the agricultural interests, and hence they
have been invariably restricted to settlers.
Actual residence and cultivation are
made indispensable conditions, and to
guard the privilege from abuses of specula-
ton or monopoly, the law is rigid a. to the
mode of establishing claims by adequate
testimony, with penalties for perjury. Min
ing, trading, or any pursuit other than the
culture OF soil, is iuterdicted, mineral lands
being expressly excluded from pre- emption,
excepting those containing coal, which in
quantities not exceeding 100 acres are re-
stricted TO individuals in actual possession,
and begin with an enhanced minimum of $50
per acre For O quarter Of a century tho
quantity Of land subject to agricultural pre-
emption has been limited so as not to ez-
ceed quarter section, or 100 acres, and still
further to guard against monopoly, the
privilege of pre-emption is not allowed sny
person who owns 800 acres of land in any
state or territory of the United States, nor
Is any person entitled to more that a pre-
emption right, nor is it extended to land to
which the Indian reservation has not been
extinguished to restrict the privilege within
reasonable lin Is. Credit to the ordin-
ary pre-emption on offered lands is
is not extended beyond twelve months,
within which time the minimum price must
be paid. Where the settlement is upon IN
offered territory the time for payment is
limited to the day of public offering, desig-
mated by the proclamation Of the President,
while to prevent depreciation Of the land
by the waste er destruction of what may
constitute its value, penal enactments have
been made for the punishment of persons
depredating on public timber. Now, sup
posing the New York and Montana Iron
Mining Co. 10 be entitled to all the pre-
emptiOn rights which it has been found ex-
pedient TO bestow on natural persons, it will
be seen that the privileges conferred by the
bill in question are in direct conflict with
every principle heretofore observed in re-
spect to the disposal of the public lands.
The bill confers the pre-emptiou rights to
mineral lands, which, excepting coal lands,
at any enhanced minimum, have heretofore
as general principle been carefully ex
eluded from pre-emption. The object of the
Company is not to cultivate the soil or TO
promote agriculture, but is for the sole pur-
pose OI IululDB huu MISUNDERSTANDING lFOu.
The Company is not limited like ord mary
pre-emptors to one pre-emptisn claim OF a
quarter section, but it may pre- enpt two
bodies of land, amounting to. twenty sections
containing Il, 500 acres, or eighty ordinary
pre-emptive rights. The timber is not pro
tected, but on the contrary is devoted to
speedy destruction Before the consume
ton Of title the company are allowed to
consume whatever may be necessary In
erecting buildings for the manufacture of
iron.
EFor these special privileges in contra
Yention Of the land policy Of so many
years the company are required to pay ou-
ly the minimum price Of 81 rs per acre or
one sixteenth of the established minimum
and are granted a credit of twenty years,
or twice the time allowed ordinary pre-
emptories of offered land. Nor is this all /;
the pre-emption right in question covers
sections Of land containing iron and coal.