The New York herald., 1879-02-12
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
WASHINGTON. Feb. II, 1879.
The conference report on the Naval Appropriation
bin was presented by Mr.. CLYMER. (dem.) Of Pa,
who stated that the Senate had receded from
amendments to the amount Of $75 900 and tho House
had agreed to amendments to the amount Of $1l 500
The report was agreed to.
FLORIDA CONTESTED CASE.
The majority and minority reports Of the Com
mtee Elections in the Florida contested election
case of Finley VS.. Bisbee were submitted and laid
ON the table for further action.
The majority report is in favor Of the claims Of
Finley, and is signed by all the democratic members
of thcodmnittee with the exception Of Mr.. Turney.
of Pennsylvania. who joins with the republican
members in q report in favor of Mr.. Msbee.
At half past eleven A. M. the House went into
Committee of the Whole (Mr. Blackburn. of Ken
tncky. in the chair the Legislative. Judicial and
Executive Appropriation bin.
TRANSFER OF THE sunvKYs
: Mr.. PATTERSON (rep.) of N. Y. opposed that por
ton of the bill which proposes to transfer the coast
and geodctic survey from the Treasury to the In
terror Department. That provision would virtually
abolish the system of public land surveys. The bill
would throw an insurmountable obstacle in the way
Of the settlement of the public domain. 1t would
leave it wholly in the power OF the Superinte nden
of the Coast and Interior Survey whether the
The operation of the bill would be to practically
abolish the homestead system and 1t left it in the
whether or not surveys should be made on the de-
posit system. This transfer. it said, would be
economical. At present the public land
veyed at cost of about four cents acre; but the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Atkins) said that
under the provisions Of the bill the surveys could
be made at cost Of fifty cents per four square
miles.
Mr. ATKINS tdcm.) of Tenn.-I repeat It. speak
the authority of the Superintendent of the Coast
Sv.rx nnAc fhA hall d.
authority?
Mr.. PArrEnsoN-I do. The gentleman from Ten
nessee could not walk four square miles for fifty
cents. 1t would not pay for the shoe leather worn
out in the operation.
Mr.. ArkrSs-Does the gentleman suppose that the
four square miles have to be walked over?
sir. HASKELL, (rep) of Kan.-It would cost more
than that to dig the post holes at the corners of
Mr.. PAGE, (rcp.) of Cal also opposed the transfer
provision of the bin which he stated being
urged by strong lobby. About three hundred sec
tons of the Revised Statutes relating to public
lands would be repealed by that provision.
Mr.. wIoaISroH. tdem of CAL. favored the transfer
and various provisions of the bill pertaining thereto
There was necessity for retaining the Offices Of
surveyors general in the several States. and he
glad that they were abolished by the BILL but the
bill should have gone further and abolished the
Mr. PATTERSON. (lcm.) of COL. inquired il the bus
ness OF the people would be facilitated by removing
sixteen local officers and concentrating their duties
in one head.
Mr. wIGarsros of California replied that II would.
The local surveyors general were hndrancc rather
than help 10 the claimant
Mr.. MAGISNIs. of Montana, thought that the gen.
tlcman from California tMr. wigginton) the only
Representative of the Far West who in favor of
a change. The Legislatures of the Western section.
on the contrary. had mcmorialzed Congress favor
of thc continuance of the present system.
The bill would virtually repeal the Homestead and
Presumption laws
Mr.. HEWITT. licm.) of N. Y. said that it was be-
the Committee on Appropriation wished to
reserve the public domain 20 the people, to givo
homes to the poor and employment TO the laborer
that IL had proposed the legislation 10
the public lands; necessary that well digcsted
system of survey should bc adopted. He spoke at
length in regard to the OF the public ands
of the geological surveys He pictured in earnest
language the mineral wealth of the country and was
several times interrupted by applause.
Mr.. DuNSELI. trepj of Mimi, opposed any change
present bad time to Introduce any such change
because the indications werc that there would this
year be great immigration to this country, and 1t
would be four five years before the people would
be able to understand the new system.
Mr.. BUTLER, (rcp) of Mass. thought that IL any
change were to be made in the land policy of tho
government IL should be made now, because mmi-
grafton less than ever before. II the
change not made until people understood IL the
change never would be made. and IL immigrants did
understand the present system it the only re-
publican institution that they did understand. Ile
wanted the change made and the sooner IL was made
the better.
The general debate was closed and the House pro-
cecdcd TO consider the bill by paragraphs for
mcnts
After some progress in the bill tho committee
rose.
Mr. REAGAN, (dcm) of Texas, chairman of the
Committee on Commerce, reported the River and
Hsrbcr Appropriation bin. Ordered that IL bo
over an hour spent in voting upon motions
TO adjourn and to take recess after which, at twenty
minutes past Ave. the House adjourned