Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1878-05-14
Refer or sessuers-Tne Apis cIa,m

Relief OF Sestiers-The APIS CIaiD.
WASHINGTON, May 13.-In the
Senate to-day Sargent called up
the bill for the relief of certain set
tiers on public lauds and to provide
for the repayment of certain fees
and commissions paid on void en-
tries of public lands. All amend
ments of the committee were agreed
to and the bill was passed without
discussion. 1t provides that ia
cases where proof shall be made
that innocent parties have paid fees
and commissions and the excess
payments required upon location
of claims under the act of March
80, 1878, to enable honorably dis
charged soldiers and sailors, their
widows and children to obtain
homesteads on the public lands,
which said claims were after such
location found to be fraudulent and
void, the Secretary of the Interior
shall repay the money to such in
nocent parties.
The second section of the bill
provides that in all cases where
homestead or timber culture entries
or other entries on public lands
have heretofore or shall hereafter
be cancelled for conflict, or where
the entry has been enormously al.
lowed and cannot be confirmed,
the fees and commissions and eX.
, cesses paid shall be returned upon
the surrender of the duplicate re-
ceipt.
Senator Thurman to day, from
the Committee on Private Land
Claims, reported favorably on the
bill allowing the legal representa-
tives of Jose Apis and Pablo Apis,
or either of them, to file their
claims to the tract known as La
Celia Rancho, in California, before
the United States District Court OF
that State, and giving said Court
jurisdiction in regard to the claim.
No lands shall be confirmed to said
claimants to which there are valid
claims existing under the pre-emp-
ton, homestead or other laws, mol
shall any decree of confirmation
effect any valid adverse right OF
any person or give the conirmees
any claim against the United States
for compensation for any land such
contirmees may lose by reason OF
presumption or homestead claims
or adverse right, and that no decree
shall be rendered for more than
two square leagues.
The EieciorRi EFnuis Gaves;iga
tion.
WASHINGTON, May l3.-In the
House to-day Potter, as q question
of privilege, presented the following
preamble and resolution:
Whereas, The State of Maryland
has by its legislature formally de
clared that due effect was not CIV
EN- to the electoral vote cast by thai
State on the 9th day of November,
1876, by reason of fraudulent re.
turns in the electoral votes from
the States Of Florida and Louisiana,
and
Whereas, An affidavit by Sam
uel B. McLin, chairman of the
Board of State Canvassers Of the
State Florida, for the election held
in that State in November 1876, for
electors for President and Vice
President has been made public
alleging false and fraudulent re-
turns of votes for such election in
that State whereby the choice OF
the people of that State was an
nulled and reversed and that the
action of the Board of State Can
vassers making such returns was
influenced by the conduct and
promise of the Hon. Edward L.
Moves, now minister 10 the Gov
eminent of France; and
Whereas, 1t is alleged that a con.
spiracy existed in the State OF
Louisiana whereby the Republic
can vote in all the precincts of the
parish of East Feliciana and in
some precincts of West Feiciana
at the general election in Novem-
Der, 1876, was purposely withheld to
afford a pretext for the exclusion
by the Board of that State of the
vote cast in these precincts for
electors for President and Vice
President; and that Jos. E. Ander-
son, Supervisor of Registration in
East Felincia, and ID. A. Weber,
Supervisor of Registration in the
Parish of West Feliciana, in that
State, in furtherance of that con-
spiraey, falsely protested that such
election in such precincts had not
been fair and free, and that the
State returning Board there
upon falsely and fraudu.
lently excluded the votes
of said precincts, and by means
thereof and of other false and fraud
ulent action by said Returning
Board. the choice of the people OF
that State was annulled and re-
versed, and that such action of said
Weber and Anderson was induced
or encouraged by the assurances OF
Hon. John Sherman, Secretary OF
the Treasury of the United States
and whereas the gravity of these
charges, the nature of the evidence
upon which they are reported to be
based and the official dignity and
position of the persons named in
connection with said frauds, make
it proper that the same should be
inquired into, to the end that the
honor of the country may be vim
dictated and the truth as to such
elections made known.
The preamble and resolutions
having been read, Conger said they
did not present question of privi-
lege and that the powers proposed in
the resolution could not be given by
a mere majority vote, but woult
require suspension of the rules.
Speaker-A memorial is a petit.
ton and is provided for in the con-
stitution wherein it is stated that
Congress shall make no law abridg.
ing the right Of the people to petit
ton the government for redress Of
grievances.
Conger appealed from the decis'
| ion of the Chair