The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-08-24
NAME OF RAILROAD

Thus it will be seen that four OF these corpor-
ations, which received grants OF the public
lands amounting in the aggregate to lis. 1860
acres. territory five times ~ large ~ the State
OF Indiana and 10000, 900 acres more, for tho
construction Of q, 7Ol miles Of railroad, had COM
pleted only 962 miles OF railroad when the
grants expired, leaving over s. OOO.O 600 acres Of
the grants now belonging tothe public domain.
But since the decision Of the Supreme Court
that these grants vest from the beginning in
the corporations. and on the forfeiture Of the
grant an act Of Congress 10 necessary to restore
these lands to the public domain, the depart
ments OF the Government have treated those
grants as still existing, notwithstanding the
forte ture.
Mr.. Holman here exhibits table condensed
from the report OF the Secretary OF the Interior
for lsstlsi. showing in detail the condition OF
large numbers Of these grants. We simply give
the footings: Number OF miles covered by
grants, 1881; estimated number Of acres
granted l79, 922 ,5as: acres disposed Of, IA 3lO,-
20A; receipts from sales. Sos, 9D5 Ala. 81; esti-
mated quantity OF acres Of granted land re-
manning unsold, ASIA, 1874.
This table presents matter we'll worthy OF
consideration. While the Government with
seeming eageraess Is getting rid OF what re-
msins of the public land aud during tho last
fiscal year disposed of IL, s93, 397 acres and re-
ceived in cash IS, 53i, $50, vet these corpora
tions with their immense land grants, the
larger portion Of which in quantity were made
in 1862 -'65-and although the Union Pa
cifc and its great branches were completed
more than thirteen years ago and thus became
tho absolute owner Of its grant-ave only sold
of 14.3IO.2A acres and realized therefrom
Sos, $50, 1881, and according to this table they
still hold in reserve l6i, 5l2 334 acres OF their
granite.
Yes, sir, those corporations are patiently
waiting until the United States shall exhaust
all that remains Of the public lands adapted TO
agriculture for then their monopoly Is COM
piete and every laboring and landless man IN
the United States Is ut their mercy. But It will
III seen that even the larger portion Of the
lands sold are sold to the members Of these
corporations ut the price OF fraction under
SIS per acre. i. ill to be held for speculation. II
is therefore not at all surprising that Al ire
sistlble pre- ssnrc il brought 10 bear upon Con-
gress TO exhaust the public lands, that a. 7Ss OIL
! acres should have been surveyed Last year In
territory larger than the State OF Indianal and
brought within the reach OF monopol zing
speculaturs. the pressure OF these corpora
tious il felt by every department OF tue Gov.
ernment, anc the extent Of their hold upon tile
public lands cannot be learned with certainty
from the public records.
Whoever. SIR. shall carefully examine the
foregoing tables taken from the official records
will 10 startled by the discrepancies. In table
No. i the grant 10 the Atlantic and Pacific ii
stated ut AZ. TO- 900 in tabe M. at ia,2i4,.
so3 In III. report OF the Conmi sonef I'll the
G.nsrai Land Office before msil ionea, u
March ~, 1874 the grant to the nth.ra Pa
ci,ie Of California il estimated ~ 55li. 2bi az
such grant appears in table NJ. =. In table
No /, the grant to tine Northern Pacific Is nn
down ut LODo, 900, aud in table No. at A
6Oa.no aud many Others equally starting.
suppose that Ia salch enormous grants 4 fea
million acres more or less 10 considered mat
ter OF I'D momen'. Some OF these statement
seem To come from the Commissioners OF Tia
Genelal Land OH .e and some from the Audi
tor II Il load Accounts. The estimates ar
vague aud will DO still more 50 in the future, a.
VII appear, but the uncertainty will not re-
dnea the grants.
There il no branch OF the public service i
poorly understood a. those corporate grants
there il no ieid in which corruption can riot j
secure, and no officers Of the Government q
beset by temptations ~ those connected wit
J these grants Contests are constantly aTisn
ietaeen these corporations and the settlers O
the public lands, but when in these contests
whether before the courts or the departments
aud may add before Congress. have these con
parations failed?
Iis iisingcnnous provisions III the grants All
the ..alt OF definition" these corporations al
enabled To seltct their .lndemnliy land eve
vast region of country the Northern Paeii
II. ae.s to tho xtent Of full Lou miles IN Nidl
Tl4.,e '.,t4dstnlity lands are Withdrawn tlot
iia lnhl domain nj the same TIM. the land
| aitiln The limits VI the grant are Withdraw