The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-17
TEXAS PACIFIC's TITLE.
The Remark able Conclusion Reached by the
sub-J judiciary Committee.

WASHINGTON. May 16.-The Sub-Commit-
tee Of the Judiciary Committee Of tho House. to
which was referred the subject ot the title Of
tho Texas Pacific Railroad To the right Of way.
franchises. and land grant between Fort Worth
and Fl Paso. has agreed TO report to the effect
that the title is good to that part between Fort
Worth and FL Paso. with an intimntion that the
committee has some doubts about the title TO
the finished part east OF Fort Worth. But as
the resolution nstructing the Judiciary Com
mittee to make the inquiry confined its investi-
cation to that part west OF Fort Worth. the sub
committee does not feel called upon TO go into
iRs % F'0" ine. '''0 ''''0 % '"' e"''e'H emu O'
This is a, very remarkable conclusion The
question the committee was To- decide was
whether the rightof way and franchises aud
land grant Of the Memphis. l.. Paso and Pacific
Railroad Company had been legally ytransierrcd
10 the Texas Pacific. and whether that company
had such title To- the property thus acquirrd that
II would be- good security for the United States
10 loan its credit on. This is not a literally cor
rect statement OF the issues but 1t is practically
true and altogether fair statement The Texas
Pacific insisted before the c9mmitt1Ses that they
did not acquire title through the Memphis FL
q Texas. They urged nat the line Of
the Memphis FL Paso was not followed.
and that al they did acquire through the Mem
phis FL PasO was the obligation TO provide
under Judgments Of the supreme. Court lands
had been swindled 10y Fremont. They insisted
that, as they did not propose TO mortgage any Of
the lands in Texas TO the United States. there
could be no inquiry into their title 10 the lands.
The sub-comnlitee seems to have taken the
railroad view of the ease. This suh-com-
mittee is Hnrtridge OF Georgia. Culberson
Of Texas. and Stenger OF PENNSYLVANIA They
all admit privately that the proceedings by
which the Memphis FL PasO was turned over to
Grey the Judicial procedure bv which various
mortgages were foreclosed and the vast proper
~ brought under his control. were all seeming.
ly very irregular and apparently colusve.
But inasInuch as the Texas Pacific acquired
nothing save the responsibility To- fulfil obliga-
tons incurred by the old corporation of secur-
ing land grant bondholders. there was no ne
ccssity TO inquire into the matter. because the
lands in Texas were not to be mOrt.:aged
This conclusion will certainly seem singular
in the face of the fact that the bill pending in
the Senate. and which will be- up for discussion
next Tuesday. does mortgage the lands in
Texas to the United States. They are included
n part Of the security for the loan Of credit
which the Government IL asked to give. How
then, these Democratic lawyers can report as
they do to the full Committee on the Judiciary
is not very clear How they can conclude also
that the Texas Pacific acquires notning save
these lands by its purchase OF the Memphis FL
Paso cannot be understood by any fair lawyer
who examines the facts in .he case II would
seem that while Tom Scott has some difficulty
IN netting Il majority Of either House. he can
always manage TO scoop two or three would-be
Qr lnWVers