The New York herald., 1879-08-02
The Florida Canal Company Asks EX-
traOrdinary Concessions.
A MILLION ACRES OF LAND.
Heirs and Property Discovered Through
a Herald Advertisement.
REOPENING THE FISHERIES DISPUTE
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

CANAL scHEME-ExTENsIvE DEMANDS MADE
BY THE CANAL COMPANY.
Colonel Lloyd Aspinwall arrived in Washington to-
day. for further conference with the FLORIDA state
officials the subject of the proposed ship cahai
across the Florida Peninsula. Colonel Aspnwalls
more immediate purpose in his present visit is to
urge Governor Drew to call extra session OF the
Legislature to grant the canal company special
charter. The company is already organized un-
der the general laws of the State. but
its directors consider that the privileges
conferred by this general charter not as ample as
they ought to be and generous as they think
they should be in return for the benefits which the
company will confer upon the State by the invest
ment of so much money and the construction Of so
important public work. The canal improvement.
they say, will put Florida fifty years ahead OF her
time, and deserves special consideration at the
hands of the State authorities. The objection the
State officials have to calling special session Of the
Legislature is the alleged lack of necessity for If
not the positive impropriety of. convoking legis-
atve body for the purpose Of granting private legs
lation. On the other hand. the company urges
the really public character of the proposed canal.
and points out the insignifcance Of the second OBJ
ection-the expense Of an extra session. say $4,000
or $l5.O0O-as compared with the immense pecuniary
advantages the State from its construc.
ton.
CONCESSIONS ASKED by THE CANAL COMPANY.
In this connection it may be proper to refer to
certain charges made by the political press that
extra session of the Legislature requested by
some of the local friends Of the enterprise
for plan to amend the Electoral law 80 as to
the electoral vote of Florida for the
democratic candidate at the next Presidential
election. Colonel Aspinwall pronounces this story
stupid he differs political faith with the Florida
authorities, and is informed furthermore, that by
constitutional provision the extra session would be
prohibited from transactng any other than the busi
ness for which it called 1t is understood that
the special matters and privileges sought by the
company q right of way quarter of a mile wide
either side of the canal and gift Of million
acres of public land The difficulty about the
land grant is the priority OF railroad
interests in the public lands Of Florida which
are said to be pledged part Of the security for
the bonds of the railroads. but this difficulty could
be obviated by the Legislature. The directors
Of the canal company think that. they ask
money subsidy other help from the State for
their enterprise thev ought to have the concession
Of this land grant. which is the usual thing when
railroad similar public work is undertaken
speculatively by private capitalists
COLONEL AspINwALL's REASONS FOR HIS DEMANDS.
Colonel is this land grant to be regarded as an
equivalent for the exemption of the canal from tax
ationy' your correspondent asked.
oh. not at ALL" replied the Colonel ''The stock
holders think that in opening up this million
they will benefit the State by providing wider and
wealthier of taxable property and increasing
the revenue of the State"
"How do you propose to improve this tract of
million acres?'
"By colonizing Frenchmen and Germans upon it
to grow oranges and olives and the like products of
Southern France and Germany. The company does
not ask anything in advance. 1t wishes the advan-
tages Of the improvement inure to it only fast
as 1t goes along"
'"And as to the exemption from taxationY'
"It is only fair we should be secure and equal in
our rights. We ask nothing than what is al
ready enjoyed by other corporations in Florida.
find there many public enterprises in the State
which not subject to taxation. Tho reason is
that the constitution was adopted in 1874 or
1875. think. with the provision forbidding any ex
ception in taxation. The other corporations were
in existence before that time. We asking nothing
more than fairly entitled to-
The conference will be continued tomorrow.
INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE
PANAMA CANAL.
Congressman King. Of Louisiana, is in Washington
in performance of the duty intrusted to him by the
House Judiciary Committee in the matter OF the
Panama Ship Canal. 1t will be remembered that q
resolution Of inquiry to what interests
of the United States were involved in
the De Lesseps canal scheme referred
to the Judiciary Committee. and was in
turn submitted to the subcommittee, of which Mr..
King is chairman This resolution was offered by
Mr.. Randall Gibson. About the time Senator
Burnside proposed to ascertain IL the project was
not violation of the Monroe doctrine. Mr. King
has applied the President for official record OF
the Paris Conference and will be given copies of the
reports and papers brought back by Admiral Am
men.
ROMANCE UNEAgTHED BY A HERALD AD-
vERTIsEMENT.
Another romance hangs q HERALD advertise
ment. This afternoon lawyer of Washington Mr.
p. J. Donahue) fled petition in the Supreme Court
of the District Of Columbia on behalf OF Thomas
Mclaughlin, of New York; Jane Mclaughlin, of
Brooklyn; Michael Mclaughlin. of South Carolina;
Catharino Eagan. of New York; Philip Mclaughlin.
of PROVIDENCE. r. l., and Archibald Mclaughlin Of
New York. being the brothers and sisters and heirs
OF Janc Howard, deceased. Tho property to be di-
vided is plot of valuable building lots on Twenty
second street. in the First ward of this city, the most
aristocratic portion of Washington. Tho death
of Mrs. Howard has always been wrapped In
mystery. In the early part of May last
the discovery was made that Jane Howard, who had
lived alone and followed the life Of hermitess.
almost denying herself the necessaries of life and
whose vocation was fortune telling had disappeared
Her absence created alarm, and upon breaking open
the door of her miserable shanty appalling sight
met the gaze of the police officers Upon the squalid
bed lay the body of the old lady from which life had
evidently departed some ten or twelve days pre-
viously; 1t was decomposed and partially eaten by
rats. BY the charity of friends and neighbors the
remains decently inferred. and advertise
ment was inserted in the HERALD for possible rela-
tives. Through this medium the above persons
wcrc promptly heard from. 1t is said they have
furnished undoubted proof Of their heirsbip, and
the property will be sold and the proceeds divided
among them.
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.
WASHINGTON, August I, 1879.