New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-04

The Hot springs Commissioners, as contemplated
By the provision; t6o United P sstes pTov
ing for the renewal Of the late commits sIa,ng.
sicn and the disposition Of the Hot S 81 hi
dered in the meantime In any way from proseeuT and
claim to the Hot Springs IN the courts nordngS as
his interests may seem to dictate ana rg ~ the
the right OF Russell being expressly nmeS cb u II he
obtains no cOnrmatOry act Of Congress, tnese aiN'
20 become imperative and void ,auas a. Little
Taken in duplicate, rs witness our nahus, al Ai''
Rock, this 24th day Of May, A. ID. 1873 :, ,,,oron
JONI ii. RUSSELL
This paper is followed by the jurat of H. NJ. kec-
tor and John h. Russell before notary pnOhc
and T. BeIden clerk and ex-ofciO recorder Tor uar-
land County Ark and certifes that the paper Is u
true copy of an agreement now on file in bis oi1ce.
The history of the Hot Springs matter is Drleny
as follows: In the year 1915 there occurred an
earthquake in the State of Missouri, Dy WHICH
the lands of many settlers were submerged
and destroyed. As measure oil renel' Vno
Government issued scrip to the sufferers which GU
abled them to locate elsewhere upon Government
lands One of them, Francois Langlols. entered
200 acres nearly all that was of any great
value of a section of 2,G4O acres which was re-
served by the Government and not subject 10 ell
try. BY some mistake patent was Issued 10 Lang
lois who sold his title to one Rector, the father Oh
Ex-Governor Rector, of Arkansas the presentclaim-
ant of the land In 1867. after the conflicting claims
of the RectOrs, father and son, OH he ONO
hand. and the United States on the other, had been
in suit for nearly fifty years. the Supreme Court
confirmed the title to the United States. In the
meantime five or six thousand people had settled on
the reservation outside of the 200 arpents claimed
and occupied by Rector many of them having hon
estly purchased what they supposed were valid
titles. 1t appears that in 1867, Governor Rector
fearing to lose his suit, bargained with one John
H. Russell to transfer one-half of his land TO Russell
if the latter should within certain time procure
the passage of law through Congress confirming
the title of the whole to Rector. In addition 10
procuring the passage of the law Russell was also
TO nav Rector $4,000 in cash, and did pay that
amount Russell failed to get the bill passed within
the time specified, but the same bargain was re-
newed and the above quoted paper is the legal evl-
dence of it.
In November last Senator Chrstiancy introduced
bill for the relief of John H. Russell directing the
Secretary of the Interior to issue 10 him patent
for 200 acres of the land claimed by
Governor Rector. Had 1t passed, all which
makes Hot Springs valuable would have
been put into the possession OF these
claimants and the rights of citizens to, the
nse of the waters OF the springs woud nav o oTe
value. estimated by many as high as $l0,0O0,OOO,
and is worth to the Government an annual
rental of 100000. Mr., Chrstia1Ycys 6ilI
tor Dorsey which provided for a commits
sion to adjudicate the claims of settlers
near the Hot Springs which are, in dispute, and
confirming to the Nation forever the free use OF tne
waters of the Hot Springs. This bill passed both
Houses during the last days of the session and was
sent to the enrolling room of the House of Repre-
sentatiyes for engrOssment as part of the Sundry
Civil BILL When the latter bill came out for sigma
ture by the President this section was found TO have
been omitted