Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-08-26
CONDENSED TELEGRaMS.

Captain Webb has succeeded in his
second attempt in swimming from
Dover to Calais, without float or life
saving apparatus. A dispatch from
Calais says that the Captain arrived at
IL A. NJ, this morning in good health
and spirits, although fatigued. The
passage from Dover occupied twenty
one hours and forty minutes.
The Department of Agriculture re-
ports the average condition of Spring
wheat, August 1st, in all the States
producing it except California, as 81
per cent. The extremes are SO in Wis
consin and 60 in Nebraska. The con-
dition of the Winter wheat is not re-
ported except the statements that vast
quantities have been swept away or
damaged, in degrees ranging from Sc
rious injury to utter ruin. The corn
average condition in all the States is
So.
Washington Bureau statistics re-
port total imports of the country, ex-
elusive of specie for July at Sal 1856, ,391
against Sal, l62. .476 for the same month
in 1874. Imports for seven months of
this year ,$315, l04, 793 against $35l, 1885,
0o3 for the same time last year. Ex-
ports for July of this year, $41, ,4S5, 176
against $40, 1915, 1888 for July, 1774; for
seven months of this year, $322'8S2, 1922
ugainst 1876, 943, 1866 for the same time
in 1874. These are all currency values.
Hon. w. w. Curtis, acting Commits
sioner of the General Land Office, has
rendered an important decision on the
claim of the State of California to Sc
lect even numbered double minimum
sections of land within the railroad
limits, as indemnity for loss of Sections
sixteen to thirty-siX, granted the State
for school purposes. 1t was ordered
that the State could select lands equiv
alent in Iprice and quantity to those
lost, whether minimum or double min
imum, and that when lands that rated
at So so per acre were so selected, each
acre should be taken in satisfaction of
two acres rated at ST. 25 per acre. The
decision, which is somewhat elaborate,
rests mainly on the following, to-wit:
'"rhe first grant of specific lands, and
the theory of compensation to the
State for loss is based upon the law,
the intention of which is to furnish
by indemnity other lands equivalent
thereto. I'd. The said school sections
lay within the railroad lands lost to
the State, and to confne the new Sc
lection to ST rs land would not render
the equivalent contemplated by the
law. Sd. decision to that effect
would absolutely defeat the grant in
the district where there were but So so
lands. 4th, some sections within the
railroad limits are simply reserved
within the railroad limits by the oper-
alton of the grant, and increased in
price, but are not, except when speci-
ally provided for by the statute, appro-
priated, in the usual significance of
the term. 5th, the several grants ought
to bear such q reasonable construction
that the intention of Congress may be
compassed in each, and such signifi-
canoe ought not to be given the gener-
al term PRESERVED" as to defeat so BEN
eficent grant as that in question.
9th, referring to the act of March 6,
1S65-1S6S, and the decision of Secretary
Cox in 1870, it was held that the State
could not make such selections within
the limits of the Central and Pacific
Railway, extending from the eastern
boundary of California to Sacramento,
and thence to San Jose. The right
claimed was recognized in all parts of
the State - .f-..