New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-25
LAND GRANTS TO RAILROADS.
SPEECH OF MIR. HARLAN.
In SENATE. Ian. is,


of THE TRIBUNE in copying that letter. These
having been duly read
MIR. HARLAN-Mr. President, I have, for the
first time in my life the floor OF the Senate called
attention TO a newspaper editorial paragraph anu
letter of newspaper correspondent. not so much on
account of the allusOus made to me personally as I
Duhic reasons and in any remarks that may now
submit do not wish to be understood as IeleS' ts
on tho high-minded and honorable poTtl0h VI t ,o
gentlemen i'm this country who conduct the puDilc
presq nor on the respectable portion OF tnose VIM
may correspond for influential journals, Al PROBES
sions have those whose talents and accopl @
ornament their calling They also have those OF me
diocrity who give the profession respect'Dlnty.
Every profession has also another class VINO may
perhaps be properly stHIed tn9 aI Le ftIv de-
scribed as the scaveDgers of the profession VINO go
around and do the work which the Respectable anu
illustrious portion would not stOOp TO daDDle WIN;
~ which class of these professional men connected
with the newspaper press Gen. bOyht9h DeI9nss
leave for his associates TO decldei 90 not AnVM
him well enough to give him his proper place All
have to say in relation to him Is that TINS arcie eH
hbts degree of carelessness or OF lgn0Iauce II
nothing worse that as IT seems 70 me- Nouu ut,
gentleman to be a correspondent for any respecabie
Journal shall not delay the Senate long enough 10
refer 10 all that is contained in the article VIII
take notice only of that portion OF 1t when mas e
erenoe to nv official conduct and to the State Whlch
represent in part on this floor And think oughI
TO saw here that do not feel very mucn annoyed
personally on account of the publication OF this arI
Gle or of similar articles that have OCCASIONALLY
noticed in the public press, not Ihat am 5;t
relation to what men may think Oh me- LOT auiIlt
that l would prefer to ENJOY the R0od OPINION
of mankind than the reverse. suppose that loveof
appreciation has been implanted in emlnd OF every
man by the Deity HIMSELF and for wise purpose.
t is one of the props of virtue. Hence no one ought
to permit il TO be ruthessly Knocked away from MS
own support or that of his associates In debeIa-
tive assembly. Wrought not to permit men TO make
no distinction between those who are ylrtuous and
intend to do right and those who are known 10 DO
vicious. Mr. President. am now As wears OF age
During the first Is years OF my ne was unaet .ne
dams md
Since that time, period Of about ~ years, nave
been padding my own canoe as best 1 could 90
not think that anything that Gen. Boyntoh couId
write or anything that The Cincinnati Gazeuc GOuld
publish or anything that The NEWBORN IRlB-
UNF could TeitcTate and seem 70 muOTse'
could seriously and permanently Affect my rep
utatiOn among my countrymen l have always De-
heved that even medocratic talent, coupled with an
honest purpose TO do right, would triumph over sian
ders however fully they may be supported. Time
usually cures all of these things If, IN fact my
reputation could now be seriously and permanently
affected by such influences however potential L
would consider my life failure. The hrSt paragraph
in this article in which my name occurs Is headed
The Burlington and Missouri River Extension
that is the Missouri and Burlington River branch OF
the Pacific Railroad, In which the writer says, ana
THE NEW DIRK TRIBUNE by implication seems 10 III,
dOrse it, that by improper order az Secretary OF
the Interior, attempted tuSing pam langu2gel
TO put into my own pocket ana the pocket
of my honorable friend from Kansas
r PomerSy and also the pockets oil our 10 ps
respectable State but was prevented from doing so by
tho OF the Legislature Kansas
Kansas delegation IN the oLer Dfaheh OF OonRIS,s
which suppose means my other honorable friend Ont
that floor Now, what are the facts IN that case
Congress did law authorizing the burlington ana
road through the eastern part OF Nebraska
with the Omaha branch at or east OF the one hundfcdth
meridian, and TO enable II 10 do made grant OF ten
sections OF land each side OF the proposed line OF
that extension The law also provided that when the
OF the road 10 should be the duty OF the Secretary OF the
Interior 10 withdraw the public lands from market
the rest OF the public domain for their benefit Some
il the year 1865 this map Of the general route was
fled and an order issued from the Department OF
the Interior the Commissioner OF tho General Land
Office, copy Of which have IN my hand aud Wih ask
The Chief Clerk read as follows
90 TSE T . G9i 5 80 @
1868 With the Enclosures therein fsierIsa 20 rsis 70 zoe S'
reply for the think 70 deo, that you 'at 'e9
north Of the lt The Atehson branch o. the aoR P.ss
Wing SthS The State Of Kansas ana the Tsrto
| Ian Sir, very respectfully your Obedisn serIs9t g..
Hon. j. NJ BDxuSDs Commissioner General Lsud oace
Mr. HARLAN-It will he seen. Mr.. President, by this
snce of the provisions of the statute the fling Of
map of the general route Of the road and was intended
TO be superseded by specific order nllng the amount
of lands Withdrawn from market to the exact Quantity
granted just as the specific location OF the me OF
the road should be made Inc persons nl'
company notified that, although the lands WERE
under this order withdrawn from public sale-not " all
the lands" stated In the article put oheha he na
that Is the oddnumbered sections within reasonable
dlstapcc-theY would not De withheld from settlement
and occupancy by homestead and preemptlon settlers
until the company had laid down the track OF the road
on the earh surface and that as they did thsh
specific withdrawal would be made when that map was
received the additional order was made copy OF which
| have in my hand and ask the Secretary 10 read.
Inc 0l'0i O'0'A '''O DsrlaTSEsI or rnE INTERIOR
WAsHIsGToS, d. C., March o, 1866.
,osI p Rsd sItensoR from KssTny cy to the o meridian Of
Longitude Geenwch authorized DO constructed under the
You viii ascertain 81, approximate length Of said road Withhold
market 10 alternate seeons equivalents "a parts Of sections
by BE United states aud to ps6mpon homestead claim
not have attached at hs time the ns OF % Toq may 'v ese
a. near thereof practicable the south side thereof and
10 sections Aforesaid sfre'Sd for each mile q Iid
road on thereof TO include quantity ,qaai 70 20
mile for each mile Of .d road ssT which 700 VII reo 70
this Department bot cary INTO eaee! this order
Department
lam, Sir. very respectfully, ObsdieHs servant st..
The Hon ~ Rdmuuds Commissioner Geseral Land OGce.
MFR HARLAN-It will be seen from this Mr.. President
that the exact provision Of the law followed that
when the map indicating the general location OF the ROAD
generally within reasonable distance Of the line Of the
road was made. and when the specific location OF the
road was marked out the earths surface specific
order followed the selection Of the exact quantity OF
land that the Company would be entitled TO under the
grant In relation the nsnuaton that this order
made the purpose Of beneng myself and the honor.
able Senator from Kansas. and our personal friends
have only TO cay this l have not now, had not
then, never had, and I never expect TO have,
one particle Of interest in the burlington and
Missouri River Railroad Companys road or us e1-
teDsOn nor do know who the persons arc who
pecunariy interested in that organization, with
the exception Of two Of whom my honorable colleague
(r Grimes Is as he happened % inform mo incl
dentally When bill pending In fhs body, having
for object the actatOn OF the construction OF the
road he informed me that he could not either vote for tho
bin or do anything promote ITS passage in this body.
for the reason that he held OF tho stock and at that
time, some other OCCASION no introduced mo 10
other gentleman think OF the name OF Forbes residing
IL remember correctly, in Boston saw him the
time In company with my colleague never saw him bo-
fore or since and held any other correspondence
with HIM The next article that refers 70 personally
is headed "The Cherokee Neutral Land job" did ex
plain that once the Senate, and regret very much 10
aude 10 IL again. but my brother Senators will bear I'm
mind that that explanation was made In executive
session. and 1 prefer that the explanation
The facts in that