The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-21
WASHINGTON LETTER,

land transactions down to Florida. OF
late years the people have come to I'M
derst:nd something about the ways IN
which the public domain has melted
away, IS it were, only to benefit and en-
r.ch grasping corporations; but here is
still little general knowledge of the de-
vious ways by which millions of acres
are gobbled through the dishonesty and
%couniyance of trusted public servants.
Rhnors are frequently hea d here Of
frauds in connection with the pubic
lands, but nothing is done TO protect
the Government. Strange stories are
told Of the wonderful expansion of
Spanish grants in New Mexico, and of
frauds committed in various parts of
the country under cover OF the home
stead and presumption laws; and some
disagreeable facts lave recently been
presented to the Commissioner of the
General Land Office touching the abuse
of the prescription law in Minnesota,
where it is said many thousands of
acres have beer located for purely
speculative purposes. Most political
economists NOW agree with the theory
of Edmund Burke that it is better fer
the Government and the country when
every acre OF tillable land is taken up
and occupied; but this wholesale viela-
ton Of the law which provides that
they shall 60 cut only for actual ~settle--
ment, should be sat down upon.
In 1850 a law was enacted granting
to the several States, except Kansas,
Nebraska, and Nevada, all the swamp
or overfiowed lands within their lines
remaining unSOld and unfit for cultiya-
ton. 1t was made the duty OF the Sec
rotary of the Interior to mark out
these lands and convey lhem, and the
States were required to use the PROFITS
OF the sale of such lands in reclaiming
them by Levers and dams. In deciding
the question whether any legal subdiyis
ion of lsud was swamp land or not, the
rGle was to be that when the greater
part of a subdivision was wet and uni.
for cultivation it should be called
swamp land, but that it should not BE-
so called when the portion of wet land
was not greater than the area of dry
land. The total area of swamp lands
selected for the several States up to
June 30, 1879, WAS nearly $1,000, 900
acres, of which Florida had the largest
arra-more than Is, 500, 600 acres. Or
this area in Florida nearly 1900, 900
acres had been approved and nearly
II, LOCO, 900 acres patetted 10 the State.
Since that time a large additional area
has been secured--over IL million acres
and it is this which IL now to be the
subject of a Congressional inyestiga-
ton. The Reporter, "a monthly bulIe
tin of Governmental affairs, published
by the National News Bureau Of this
city; first makes the charge that there
was conniyance on the part Of the CON
mission representing the Interior De-
partment with the State agents-iD
short, that the lands confirmed are not
swamp lands. Tie charges are specific,
and Senator Sones, Of Florida, with a
copy of The reporter before him,
which he said came from the Secretary
of the Interior, calls for a committee
of inquiry. 1t a be stated that
the editor of The Reporter knew what
he was talking about, and that there
viii be some developments. The
three men named as participants in the
swindle have been relieved fIom duty
in the Land Office.
The Americans living at the Airing
ton Hotel have, of course, been great
ly interested in watching the newly ar
rived Chinese Minister and his wife and
their servants. The latter are me
Gus aid seem to be all peryading, for,
of course, being utterly unacquainied,
with the customs of an American hotel
and unable to read numbers on doors,
they are rs likely TO be found in n
part Of the house as another and some
times have entered 10y mistake the
rooms of the boaIders when the latter
were in them. OF, course it is, to say
the least. embarrassing for a lady stand
ing i'll her p%etticeats III the act of wrig-
Cling herself head foremost intoa ''jer-
sey" to hear her door suddenly open,
followed by a cultural exclamation,
and catch "a lliml Sc, as she gets one
eye abave Tie close clinging garment,
of a rapidly r%etreating Chinese figure.
Wherefore the boarders iii the hot
now i've behiAd barricades, as it were
and have their doors always fastened.
1ha Minister'S wife and her maid ap-
pear have travelled bareheaded, for
when they arrived here they had no
head coverings, bnt the hair of the
lady WAS carefully dresssd. She is sup
posed to wear No. 3 shoes chil1ren's
size, so very thin are her feet. She
cannot walk without assistance, and
speaks no English at all. She is the
third only of the Chinese ladies OF rank
to leave her native country.
There is d perfect avalanche of petit
tions precipitated en- both Houses pray
ing for relief from tie txorbitant rail
road tariffs OF freighls and that Con-
gress viii exercise its power to regulate
interstate commtrce. The knocking
way in which some of .he Members
introduce these petitions is indicative
of tie fate that is IN store for them
tie Committee room pigeon-hoie. TIE
corporate monopolies are pretty thor
oughly entrenehed in bath HOUSES and