Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-12-18
THE WEEKS WORK.
Selected From Every Source.
WASHINGTON.

HON JAMES NJ. EDMUNDS, postmaster
at Washington, DC, died on the 14th inst.
THE president nominated James B.
Sener, Of Virginia, Chief Justice of
Wyoming territory on the 18th inst.
SECRETARY MCCRARY closed up his
business in the war department Dec.
18th, and Senator Ramsay was sworn in
to that Office on the morning of the 18th.
JoHn Hoy, of Ohio, was confirmed by
the senate on the 18th inst as assistant
secretary of state; and Henry Harmon,
of n. H., as second auditor of the treas
ury.
a DISPATCH of Dee. 18th says there
wi not be any farther testimony taken
by the senate committse on privileges
aud elections, before the holiday recess.
No additional witnesses have yet been
subp9naed, and several members of the
committee are of the opinion that none
will be asked for. The report will be
submitted probably in January.
THE senate finance committee, says a
dispatch of Dec. 12 has postponed until
after the Christmas recess, the Warner
silver bill, the trade dollar bill and Bay
ards resolution concerning the green
backs, on the ground that those subjects
require more attention than can be given
them in the brief time intervening be-
fore the holidays.
REPRESENTATIVES, of the national
board of trade, in session in Washing
ton, appeared before the house committee
on conference, Dec. 12, and made sLIocg
arguments in favor of congress regu'at
ing freight charges on railroads, and in
favor of permanent commission 10 su
pervise matters relating thereto.
THE senate committee on territories
agreed, Dec. 18th, to report favOrably
the bill of Senator Sanders, extending
the northern boundary of Nebraska. 1t
provides for incorporating some twelve
tow nships of Dakota, now occupied by
several Indian tribes, within Nebraska
when the Indian title shall be declared
relinquished. This is merely anticipat-
ing a distant contingency, and vests no
present titles.
SAYS Washington dispatch Of Dec.
Nth: The contested election case of
Ignatius Donnelly against w. ". Wash
burn, has been postponed until Jan. 8,
when it will be taken up for oral argu-
ment. Mr.. Donnely, the contestant, was
a member Of the thirty-eighth, thirty
ninth, and fortieth congresses. Previous
to this he was lieutenant governor of
Minnesota, and has served in the Min
nesota senate five years.
In the suit of Mrs. Mary A. Oliver
against Simon Cameron for damages for
a breach of promise of marriage, etc. !,
the court, on the 18th inst, granted the
motion of the plaintiff, that her appeal
| from the verdict in favor of the defend
ant be heard, and requiring her to print
the record. The case was set down for
| the January term. The counsel for the
| defendant intimated that there was some
unseen influence which secured the pay
ment of plaintiffs counsel.
THE attorney general, says Wash
| ingtOn dispatch of Dec. 18th, rem
dered an opinion upon certain inquiries
submitted by the secretary of the in
terror, touching the authority of the latter
to issue patents to the state of Minnesota
| for the benefit of the Southern Mime
sofa Railroad company, for certain lands
within the limits of the grant by the act
ofJuly 4, 1866. The question arose upon
the fact that the road, or portion of it,
was constructed after the period pre-
scribed by the granting act and upon a
line different from that adopted
as the definite location. The
attorney general holds that the
state is entitled to the lands,
notwithstanding the road was built after
the time fixed for its completion had ex-
pired, because no action, either legisla
tive or judicial, has been taken to REIN
vest the United States with the title.
On the second point he holds that def
mite location by the company prior to ac-
ceptance by the state of the grant was not
! binding on either the state or govern
ment, and that as the state had, byre-
peated legislation, required the COM
pany to build to certain points several
miles distant from the line, as fixed by
definite location, the government must
accept that tits on different route from
the one formerly adopted by the COM
pany, and upon which the limits of the
grant have been adjusted. The secretary
has adopted the attorney generals
opinion.