The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-02-10

individuals, Of course, bought with tn,
funds, or what represented the fund
of the railroad companies. Their it'll
was in law, really, as trustees of thes'
companies. The House of Represent
atives has, the last week, passed bill
making it the duty of the Attorne,
General to prosecute the railroad com
panies and their trustees for the recov
cry back of any of these lands which
they may still hold. The fact is Their,
is very small portion of these lands
left in the hands either of the railroad
companies or ostensibly in the hands
of their trustees. They have beer
mostly sold to settlers-innocent pur
chasers-who have acquired straight
title having its foundation in the pat
ent given by the State, signed by the
Governor. under the authority of The
act of 1866. The House bill just passed
expressly provides that no proceedings
shall be commenced going to disturb
the title of any such purchasers. Pro
ceedings are to run simply against rail.
road companies, their trustees or 9th.
er persons holding in the inthres OF
the companies.
The railroad companies have done
all in their power TO slide these lands
out of their hands. The ST. Joe &
Denver City Company for instance, a
little over year ago divided the Steele
lands up among individual stockhold-
ers of the company and it is to be pre-
sumed that such stockholders have be-
fore this time, conveyed all of their
shares TO their wives and daughters,
innocent purchasers. Attorney Gen.
eral Randolph being bachelor, will
take particular interest in tracing up
the validity Of such transfers.
There is a dribet of some 10000 acres
Of these lands still owned by the St.
Joe Il Denver City Company and it is
supposed that some of the slow notes
taken from those first individual pur-
chasers remain unpaid. 1t has been
supposed to be possible that some of
the State agents have money which
they not turned into the State treasu-
ry. There is an item of 81 200 cash
III the State treasury derived from
these sales and no law applying it to
any use. Both branches of the Legis-
lature have committees at work inves-
tigating all the transactions in relation
to this subject, from 1866 down to the
present time. The records of the Au-
ditor and Treasurer are being sifted
through. The Secretary of State has
been called on and has made a state
ment showing what the records Of his
office contain concerning the DISPOSE
ton of these lands, and the present
State agent has prepared and is about
to report TO the Governor what the
records Of the agents office show
about this business.
Col. George W.. Veale, of Topeka,
was the first State agent, II. 3. Mobly,
of Ottawa county, was the second agent
and Major f. II. Dreaming, of Doni-
phan, was the third, and is the present
agent. These agents drew salary of
81 800 a year up to within year or
two ago, when the Legislature cut the
salary off. Undoubtedly it is high time
that the scandalous and reprehensible
conduct of the State in relation to
these lands should be reviewed, and
that such action should had as to re-
cover to the perpetual school fund all
that it remains possible to recover, and
that the entire business relating TO this
subject should be closed up.
Had this land been applied to the use
to which it had been dedicated, the per-
manent school fund of the State would |
have been augmented by it by more
than $l,000,0O0.
APPORTIONMENT OF THE STATE.
This is the fifth year era in the polit.
cal mapping of the State. Every vo-
er in the State is liable by act of this
Legislature to be jostled in new Sem
ltorial or Representative district. He
IS liable, at the next election to be but
on-holed by thimble-rigging politi-
,ians that aforetimc he knew not of.
fhc figuring on this subject so far has
,een confined TO the Senate. The Sem
ate apportionmcnt committee of last
winter held over. Senator Cooper,
hartman, in vacation, prepared an
outline bill and since the converting of
he Legislature he has spent nearly his
Whole time working up the views of
lis fellow committeeman and of the
and Representatives general
Y with view, if possible, of prepar-
ne an acceptable bill which would
pass through both bodies.
he following is
HE SENATORIAL APPoRTIoNMENT.
Doniphan, Marshall, Montgomery, {
'abette, Neosho, Shawnee, Jefferson, ,
Vyancotte, Johnson, Miami, Linn and {
'herokee counties have each one Sem
tor, Atchison has two, and Leaven- I
'orth three. Two townships are ia c
ell from Donglas and given to Frank
N to form district having one Sena- t
'r. The remainder of Douglas has
ne Senator. Crawford and the lower r
er of townships in Bourbon form a
strict having one Senator and the re-
ainder of Bourbon has one Senator.
Marion, Morris and part of Dickin- L
N form one district having one Sena- r,
r. Davis, Riley, and part of Dick t,
son form district having one Sem C
or. Il
Other counties are combined to form n,
stricts each having one Senator, as Y,
lows: Brown and Nemaha, Wash g
ston and Clay, Republic and Cloud, te
well, Phillips, Smith and Norton in
iowa, Mitchell, Osborne and Rooks;'
ncoln, Ellis, Rice. Barton, Russell,
lys, Rush and Pawnce; Harvey, Re- fir
kingman, Pratt, Edwards and lii
I'd; Saline aud Mcpherson: Sedg he
ok, Sumner, Harper and Barbour ca
wiley and Chautauqua; Jackson and w
Usage and Wabaunsee liz