The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-05-17
THE TARIFF PROBLEM.
FORMATION OF THE COMMISSION,
Considered ,. tbs PEs.tdsnt and IFS cabinet
The Star Rastsrs-Er's.uA.sr Dorsey Come.
TO Ttns-Afttr Ysrf.ltsd Land Grauts
fll5s4lFat 10 kAllroAds-Geutral Notes. BNs

5|W.E no, W NAAsvsos-usuttAA NVtsps tHistN5
specIA Dispatch TO the lutsallgencer. 3,gi9G
WASHINGTON, May l6-Judge Taylor
from the committee on judiciary, to.da,
reported iavorably a bill to forfeit certain
lands granted to the Ontonagon 4 State
Line railroad. The grant was made to the
road in 1853. on the condition that the linz
should be completed IN ten years or the
land revert to the Government. The road
was not built, and, under the impression
that the land had reverted to The Govern.
ment, without specific act OF forfeiture, the
Department Of the Interior sold certain OF
the lands TO settlers. Last year new com.
pany organized, got charter for the On.
tonason 4 Brule River Railroad company,
and grant Of lands from the State and
went on to build the road under the old
terms, the Shte OF Michigan being trustee
Of the grant to the Ontonagon 4 statc Line
railroad. The lands sold to settlers have
been found to be immensely rich in minerals
and the new Company built the twenty
miles OF road, which The grant required
should be built before the laO sections were
given to It, and then went to the other
end Of the route and took the sections up
on the land sold to the settlers.
The settlers appealed TO Congress and the
D :
committee on judiciary has now recon.
mended the passage OF the necessary act
for forfeiting the lands and thus confirm
ing the title to'the lands bought by settlers,
who were nearly euchred out OF them by
the shrewd move upon the part Of the al
legged railroad company. This action is es-
pecially important, us it indicates the posi-.
ton held by the committee upon the sub
ject OF forfeiture, and will effect some twen-
ty roads mentioned in the bill introduced
by Cobb, OF Indiana, some time since, pro-
yiding Tor tile forfeiture Of several millions
OF acres OF land, granted by the United
States in aid Of these enterprises never
completed. 55Bs g.l s.
The committee on judiciary, to-day,
agreed, almost unanimously, to report ad-
yersely to the House the bill providing for
the forfeiture Of the land granted to the
Northern Pacific railroad. 1t has been
under consideration for some time and has
caused no little disturbance in the North.
west. The committee consider that less
than GOO miles OF the road remained to be
completed; that Jay Cookies failure had
hampered the road and that a forfeiture
would be inequitab!e and really not within
the spirit OF the law. It is believed tha.
the other Pacific roads, the Southern
Pacific and the Atlantic ( Pacific, will be
treated in the same way. 81.
Under the United States law a person
who helps criminal to escape or takes
plunder is an accessory after the fact and
cannot be tried until after the principal is
tried and convicted. As many OF the
principals are never caught the accessories
are OF course never punished. The COM
mittec on judiciary, to-day, reported bill
changing the criminal law SO that the ac-
cessory after the fact can be tried ut any
time. This action is due to the annoyance
given TO western officials by large numbers
OF citizens who sympathized and aided
such desperadoes as the James brothers.
Mr.. Hoge presented in the House, to-
day, the petition Of Wm. Gray and large
number OF other citizens OF Palatinc, Ma
rion county, West Virginia, for an appro-
priation for educational purposes. q
A new postotiice has been established at
Daisey, Morgan county, West Virginia.
The Cabinet Meeting. .,i- q