New-York tribune., 1878-03-04
WASHINGTON.
A FEW GENERAL THEMES.


1IMBER OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IN TIE SOUTH
SILVER, TEMPERANCE, INDIAN MANAGE
MENT, ETC.
The failure of the timber cases in the South
is due to the bad management of the agents OF
the Interior Department. 1t is thought Con-
gress may not adjourn until August. The kid
manning of negroes III this country for sale as
slaves in Cuba, is said actually to have been
carried on recently Murphy leaves Washington
after making 200 temperance converts. An
attempt will I've made TO get a vote on free coinage
n the House to-day Representatives of tn
FIVE civilized tribes of Indian Territory Op
nnse the transfer of the Indian Bureau to
the War Department. The erection of a build
ing for the National Museum meets with
favor.
TIMBER SEIZURES IN THE SOUTH.
THE AGENTS SENT TO THAT SECTION BY MR. sCHURI
MAKE A NESS OF IT-A BETTER PLAN FOLLOWED
IN THE WEST
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUERl
WASHINGTON, March 3.-1he failures on the part
of the Government agents in the States of Alabama,
Florida Mississippi and Louisiana to bring the cases
of alleged rcspass or public timber lands to trial. Is
said TO be attributable entirely TO the incompeenCy
Of the men who were detailed by Secretary Schurz
10 oinvestigate the subject in that section OF country
Those agents. to show their ZEAL it is sad, entered
nell.nell into the business of seizures. They cap
turcd all timber hewn and sawed they could find
thereby closing mills and throwing ont of employ
thousands of men whose daily bread depended en-
trey upon the numbering interests OF these States
without knowing whether the TIMBER was cut Hoih
Government lands or not
That trespass had been committed, no one will
dcnv but that all lumber shipped from the Southern
ports was from United States lands is asserted TO be
false.
Jpon examination of the records of the General
Land Office il will be found that, in October. 1876
Commissioner Williamson, with the consent OF the
Secretary of the Interior, appointed an agent to 80
10 Minnesota, who instructed TO cooperate ana
consult with the infOrmer and detect and report all
cases of trespass which might come under mS
observation. About six months elapsed and
the new regime came into power. The Com
missioner. not being satisfied with the re-
suits of the investigation in Minnesota,
sent another agent, who more successful in lis
operations This went INTO the field, saw the
trespasses committed, asCeTtained that the lands
from which tie trees were cut wero the property of
the Government, and caused them to be surveyed,
and reported each of rcspass III detail, giving
the name OF the trespasser, the legal subdivision OF
land respassed upon, and the of the witnesses
10 the cutting and removing of timber. and then III
stitutcd suits of Tepevin. As the logs arrived at
the various booms at Minneapolis and saltwater
they were seized. After the suits had been decided
in favor of the Government the logs were appraised
and sold at their appraised value, in most cases, to
the very men who had cut them.
In all the criminal suits, verdict was rendered
in favor of the Government, but in no case the
punishment had in accordance with the statute I'M
der which the suits instituted. The judges
recognized the injustice the part Of the Secretary
Of the Interior of prosecuting persons crininally
without previously giving them notice for an act
which the Government for upwards Of twenty-five
years had virtually consented TO, and which, by IN
stuctions its officers, it had allowed TO be CON-
promised IN every case, sometimes by the payment
Of stumpage varying from 80 cents to S3 per LOCO
feet or the alternative Of entering the lands from
which the timber had been cut. So the judges in
stead of enforcing the statute, punished the tres
passeIs by nominal tine of $40 and forty-cight
hours imprisonment. Inns, II is sald, ulu not please
the Secretary of the Interior.
1t is asserted that had the agents sent South gone
understandingly TO work, and made their cases be
fore entering suits and making seizures, they might
have deserved the thanks OF the community, Tor 1t
Is much to the inteTeot OF the honest ZIMMERMAN
o. IT Is that OF tho Government to ala III putting en-
end to trespassing on public lands. man VINO
buys his logs cannot compete with one who steals
them. , ,
in most torciJe terms the injustice, IN many III
stances amounting TO severe and prolonged suffer-
irgand misery, caused by the action Of The Interior
department by the timber seizures III that dist ant
Territory. The report, Of tins gentleman show that
the speech of Senator Blaine on Thursday, quoting
the minutes furnished him by the Territorial dele
gate IN Congress, undeTstatcd rather than other
wise, the oppression resulting from the lll-cOnslt-
cred action Of the Secretary of the Interior ia the
premises
The agent of the Interior Department in Florida
for the seizure of logs alleged to have been cut upon
Government land is j. 6. Hester, whose cnpoy
during General Grants administration made him
notorious.