The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-01-19

the principal official actor. The treaty
regarding these'lands provided that be
might sell them in body at not less than
one dollar per acre and for cash. He
sold to a coirpahy called the Connectl-
cut Einigrant Company, which was in
reality an Iowa company, in which his
friends, at least, were largely interested.
Instead of selling for cash, he, in viola
ton Of law, sold the tract of 500, 900
acres on time, requiring only $4,000 as
q first payment. The sale was disputed
and the Attorney General decided that
the whole affair was illegal. Here it
rested till supplemental treaty could
be worked through the Senate, author
izinS a sale on time. The lands were
then sold by Secretary Browning, without
advertising, to James F. JOY, very
pfomtent Western railroad man here,
acting fuf the. Karses and Neosho Valley
Company, for one dollar per acre, he
agreeing with the Connecticut Compa-
ny to pay back the s25,QO0 they deposi-
ted in the Treasury on theii bogIs bur-
chase. So far as those in official posi-
ton are concerned, the chief respdhsi
bility for this transaction rests directly
upon Senator Harlan. Leaving entirely
out of view the Iowa feature of the So
called Connecticut Company, the circles
of his friends who were enriched, the
mildest aspect which can be put upon it
is that the Attorney General decided the
operation to be outside the bounds of
law. Even the final sale to JOY by Sec
retary Browning was without advertising,
as appears from report he sent to Con
gress, where he is obliged to admit that
he only authorized an unofficial state
ment to be made in newspapers" that
proposals would be received till GER
tain day. At that time Joy was the on
ly one offering to buy, and so he got
the lands-as was intended Senator
Pomeroy was sufficiently interested in
the same Kansas and Neosho Valley
road to introduce and attempt to pass a
bill granting it $500 acres of land per
mile for about 1G0 miles.
GRAND TOTALS OF LAND GRANTS.
Congress up to March last had grant
ed in all to various Western and South
ern States over 100000 acres of lands
for railroad purposes 1t has given, be
sides, over 100000 acres to canals
and similar improvements The Pacific
railroads and branches have received
l24 ,000,0 600 acres, and if to this is added
the even numbered sections along these
routes, which the Secretary of the Inte-
rior decided to be closed for settlement,
it will appear that nearly one-third of
the entire public domain has been made
over to the control of railroad compa-
nics.
"The quantity Of lands conveyed by
these grants says the Commissioner of
the General Land office, sis to empire
extent, exceeding in the aggregate by
more than. five millions of acres the en-
tire areas of the six New England States
added to the surface of New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware,
Maryland and Virginia" He SAYS the
grants to the Pacific railway lines alone
"are within about fourth of being twice
the united area of England, Scotland,
Wales, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, the
Island Of Man and the islands of the
British seas and less than a tenth of be
ing equal to the French empire pro
per"
| In 1860 and 1861 the government sold
234, COO acres of Delaware lands to the
Leavenworth Pawnee and Western road.
In 1866 it sold $4,000 acres of Delaware
lands to the Missouri river road, and in
1859 it disposed of 27S, 200 acres to on
| ly thirty-six purchasers. Among them
were the following Mr. Hugh McCul-
locb, 7,Ol4 acres; Perry Fuller IL Nc
Manns, 1925 acres Robert S. Stevens
81, $50 acres, and so on.
In 1865, Senator Pomeroy being then
President and one Of the principal own
ers of the Atchson and Pixies Peak
Railroad Company, treaty was carried
through the Senate by which this road
purchased 1888 acres of as rich lands
as there is in Kansas.
The above facts and figures were
brought to the notice of the House by
Mr.. Julian, chairman of the Committee
of Public Lands, in March last, and Mr.
Clarke, of Kansas. has given direct tes-
timony upon most of the points involved
in the attempted Usage and the compile
ted Cherokee swindles.
These things are in the past. But
hundreds of similar schemes quite as
extensive are now before Congress, and
the lobby engaged in pushing them is
larger and more influential than ever be-
fore.