Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-06
LAPsED LAND GRANTS.

| FORFEITURE OF GRANTS TO SEVEN SOUTHERN
ROADS TO BE RECOMMENDED.
WAsEINGToN, May 5.-The House Judi
ciary Committee have decided to report upon
| Mr.. Cobb's lapsed land grant bill. They
| will recommend the forfeiture of lands upon
| which the railrond grantees have failed to
| cause work to be done by way of con5truc-
| tiop, and will ask permission oil the House to
make separate supplemental reports with
| reference TO othsr land-grant roads. The
lands recommended for immediate forfeiture
comprise the grants of seven Southern roads,
Frat on the list is the Gulf and Ship Island
road. Six sections of land per mile we're
granted by act of August ii, 1856, for a road
from Brandon, Miss, TO the Gulf of Mexico
at Ship Island. The map of location was
filed November 26, 1860. No lands have
been approved 10 the State for said road and
no portion of the road has been constructed.
The reservation of lands for the road ceased
ON August IL, 1866. The Tuscaloosa and
Mobile road is The second on the list This
road and the other five were given grants
under acts similar 10 that for the Gulf
and Ship Island road, and in no case has any
portion of any of the roads been constructed
The remaining roads the Mobile and
New Orleans, Coos1 and Tennessee, Eiyton
aud Boards Bluff, in Alabama; Savannah
and Albany, in Georgia, and the Iron Noun
tain road of Arkansas. The number of
thirty mine, of which the seven in the list
are the only ones with regard to which there
are no legal complications. The committee
have discussed at some length-but without
coming 10 a definite couclusion-how they
had better deal with the subiect-matter
before them. 1t was at first proposed to
submit everything 10 the House in one report
framed in such way virtually to put
upon the House the task Of disposing of
. ha af. 10 ho
Then it was proposed on the other side to
submit each class of cases for separate
action, grouping under one head, as has
been done, those roads upon which con-
struction has never been attempted, under
another head those that were begun and
never completed, and so on, so as to present
one set Of legal questions at a time. The
general purpose aimed at in this proposition
will probably be served by separate reports, |
although possibly the same questions may
be presented for determination more than |
once. The committees line OF policy will |
depend much upon the disposition of the |
House. The presentation of large num-
Der of cases in one report would tempt CON-
binations, and thus endapger the chances of |
cases concerning which, If presented sepa-
rate w. the House might sustain the commit |
tee. There il risk, on the other hand, of |
creating revision in the House by drawing |
the cases out to an excessive length. To- |
days decision to ask the privilege of sub
hitting separate reports hereafter is regarded |
"a satisfactory mean between the perils !
that the committee seeks to avoid. With |
such authority from the House they can
decide how to discharge their duty in the |
light OF future development The commit |
tee docs not seem yet 10 know how soon the |
more important cases which they have |
under sdvisement msy be reported. A lobby |
has been here nearly all the session in the |
interests of the Northern Pacific, and the |
report upon that road will not be made so !
long as a lobby can prevent il. The com
mittee is also still in doubt whether TO re-
port in favor of that part of Mr.. Cobb's bill |
which diveIts the proceeds of sales of for
feited lands 10 an educational fund. MOTHER |
use for the money has been suggested, ex-
capt vaguely that il might we'll go to the |
general fund in the treasury. II is expected |
that all points in doubt Will be speedily |
cleared after the House shall have acted |
upon the committees request to make separ-
ate reports.