Morning journal and courier., 1882-01-20

l dec1Slon Ot the New York Court Of Appeals or to prevent a verdict by the jury before Monday next, in which case if the verdict is conviction, an appeal will, by going over one 1 term, postpone the execution until fall 1 Court adjourned at 315 till tomorrow morn | ing. It is understood that Judge Cox will allow the prisoner to deliver his address to the jury if Scoville finishes in reasonable | time.
 mand for It in this Country-Other Matters.
 WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-After the national board of trade had visited the President to- day 8 long debate took place in the meeting on the postal telegraph service and it was re- solved that the results of electric communica- tion iii Great Britain as part of the postal system of that country are such as to con- mend to the people of the United States the requirement upon fair and equitable basis of system of electric communication. The following resolution was adopted: That eur diplomatic and consular system should be maintained upon a scale that will permit eff ficient service to our growing export interests and will be appropriate to one of the leading commercial nations of the world. debate took place on interstate railroad traffic; but board adjourned.
 The Senate passed Q resolution directing the Secretary of the Interior to transmit to the Senate the text of the decision order or instructions of Secretary Schurz overruling the decision of Commissioner Williamson and restoring to the North Pacific road cer- tain land grants. The resolution was re- ferred to Commissioner Mcfarland of the general land office, and to day Secretary Kirkwood in a letter to the Senate incloses report from the commissioner of the general land office. The commissioner states that he knows of "no decision in an actual case pre- sented declaring grant to the Northern Pa- clfic Railroad company lapsed which has been reversed by Secretary Schurz." A copy of Commissioner Williamson's letter marked "A" to the receiver at Bozeman, M. T., is inclosed, as well as Commissioner Will liamson's report to Secretary Schurz marked "B.' Commissioner Williamson in his letter said there was no power in the office to en- force forfeiture, and in his instructions to the receiver at Bozeman discussing the mat ter, he says the Supreme Court of the Uni ted States, however, in the case of Schuden- berg ct al. vs. Hartman, announced that the provision for reVersion is a condition subse- quent and cannot operate until declaration
 
 ing authorized by law or by legislative asser- tion of ownership on the part of the govern ment has been made. This office therefore has no power to enforce a forfeiture grant or restore lands, and until action of the above character is taken the lands will continue in their present state of reservation Commis- sioner Williamson in his letter to Secretary Schurz dated May 2i, 1877, referred to as B, goes into extended his tory of the case and says on Nov. 24, 1877 Secretary Chandler ordered a withdrawal of the lands along the new line, and restor- ation of those along the old Various action was taken by the attorneys for the road, when in October, 1878, the assistant attorney gen. eral ordered all action suspended in the premises. In closing Commissioner William son says: Has the grant to the company lapsed by reason of the failure of the com pany to perform certain acts within the time specified in granting the statutes Second, if it has so lapsed can the department recognize any act by the company looking to the initia- tion of new rights or the enlargement of old ones. Upon these points do not desire to express an opinion, preferring to leave them for your consideration. Aside from those possible objections, no new reasons are known why the map should not be accepted and the previous instructions by the department carried into effect. On the contrary am of the public require that the desired change should be allowed. At present very large body of land is withheld from settlement and entry, which by the amended line would be released and restored to the government, whilst the tract that would be required to be withdrawn is not so large by four million acres.