Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-15

wisconsin Lands.
The bill to extend the time for the State
Of Wisconsin to complete the Lake St.
Croix Railroad came up.
Mr.. Ketchum, Chairman of the Commit
tee on Public Lands, gave notice that he
would move for the question at 4 o'clock
to-day. He proceeded to give history of
the road and to call attention to some i'm
portant facts which had come to his knowl-
edge, and which warranted him in OppOs-
ing any legislation reViving the grant. The
bill made what was virtually a new grant
OF lands which were to-day as much the
property Of the United States as any other
pat of the public domain. he moved a
Substitute for the bill, declaring the lands
all forfeited to the United States, and re-
serving them for homestead entry and set
Element under the homestead act of the
10th of May, 1862.
Mr.. Barber replied to Mr.. Ketchum and
advocated the passage of the bill as it came
from the Senate. He denied that il was a
new grant, but claimed it was mere extern
sion of the terms Of contract between the
United States and the State Of Wisconsin.
He said the road could not be built without
Government aid, as the country through
H1hNu IL W do ~ pass "ebo pun dAAA bAAAbAy
settled. The State of Wisconsin had never
received large grants of land from the
United States.
Mr.. Tyner said be had never voted for
land grants and never would. He had no
doubt that the land had been forfeited to
the United States.
Mr.. Killinger proposed an amendment,
that in the construction of the road none
other than rails manufactured from Ameri-
can iron be used. He did this in the inter-
est of American labor.
Mr.. Cox replied to Mr.. Killinger, saying
he was opposed to all these subsidies,
either Of land or iron.
Mr.. Eldridge spoke in favor Of the bill as
passed by the Senate. He contended that
this bill was not in the interest Of a
monopoly, but that its repeal would be to
the advantage of the greatest monopoly in
the country, the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company, which would grasp every acre of
these lands if it were declared forfeited to
the Government.
Mr.. Holman moved to amend Mr.. Ketch-
um's substitute by adding to it a provision
that no part of these lands shall be selected
by or inure to the benefit of any railroad
company under any assumed grant from
the United States, but they shall be
especially reserved for the benefit of actual
settlers under the provisions Of the home
stead act.
Mr.. Ketchum accepted the amendment
and modified his substitute accordingly.
Mr.. Conger argued in favor of the SEN
ate bill. He declared that the idea of the
admission of new States on an equal foot
ing with the old States was a fraud and a
pretense, and protested against the opposi-
ton made to the bill by Representatives
from the old States. He appealed to the
sense of justice of the House to pass the
bill. The opposition to it was opposition
to the interests of the poor settlers of Mich
igan and Wisconsin and was in the interest
Of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company.
Mr. Banks argued in support of the bill
as being for building local road to which
the usual objection to land grants did not
apply.
The previous question was then sec
onded, and the bill went over till to-mor-
row.
Mr.. Garfield, from the Conference Com
mittee on the bill for St. Louis Custom
house, made report appro priating $780,
900 for site and S1,750,000 for a building.
Report agreed to.
House adjourned.