The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-23
A BIG LANDCLAIM.
COLONEL BEN WILSON COUNSEL
In Claim for sII MILLION Dollars-N.tars Oft.
A Chat on State aad National polities-TAe
Next Coasnss and the Tariff = what
the ColonsI Thiaks ShouId Be Dons.

From Our Special Correspondent
W4smSo1oS, D. o. April 21.-The In
TRlL,GEScRR representative met ex.Rep'
resentative Ben Wilson, Of West virr
ginia, at the National Hotel this morning
and in answer to the question as to what
brought him here at this season Of the year,
he said: y - 20
"I am prosecuting before the State De.
partment a claim Of Capt. Webster's against
the Government Of Great Britain for the
sequestration OF lands in New Zealand"
"How much land, Colonel?'
"Five hundred thousand acres. His
claim also includes something for the
spoilation OF considerable personal prop.
erty, such as ships, spars, stores, &c"
"What IL the amount OF the claim ~
asked the 1STELLlGESCRR representative.
.sAbout six millions Of dollars, answered
the Colonel, with twenty years interest. j."
"When did Captain Webster go to New
ZEALAND, Colonel?" M ~
I'm 1885"
"Where Is he from ?" ...-
"He was shipbuilder in Maine. When
he was q young man he went to New Zea-
land, at the time when the people were in
q barbarous state, with caunibalistic habits.
After he got there he sent to the United
States for various garden and farm vege-
tables, and he was among the very frst
men 10 instruct the natives OF that island
the mechanical and industrial arts, such as
ship building, &C., and eventually he &C.
quired 100000 acres Of land, which is To-
Gated principally on the coast, embracing
good fishing territory. He represents that
the people were very apt in learning the
trade and the pursuit OF agriculture"
"How did Capt. Webster acquire the
land?" was asked.
+The lands were conveyed to him by the
various Chiefs"
allow was he dispossessed Of his prop
erty2" 80
HOW THE LAND WAS GoBBLED UP.
an 1S4O," answered Colonel Wilson,
"the Queen Of England asserted her SOW
ereignty over the island, and has since
spoilated Captain webster's entire valua-
bic property. The same chiefs who granted
these lands to him subsequently granted
the Queen Of England the sovereignty Of
the island, when abe extended the gov.
ernment Of New South Wales over the
Island,o New Zealand. On some Of his
lands large cities have sprung up, and
street cars are running and other modern
improvements have been established"
"How do yon propose to reach a settle
ment, Colonel?".. '''-'
"My purpose is 10 get the State Depart.
ment to launch the claim, and II 1t can.
not be settled by compromise, 10 ask this
Government 10 demand Of Great Britain an
arbitration"
"Have you any precedents for this?"
3 'The principles involved" said Col. vii.
son, "are we'll established by international
law, yet there are precedents. refer to
the Oregon treaty." .
,aWhat was the nature Of the treaty."
aWhy, at the time the United States &C.
quired Oregon some British subjects were
the owners OF land in that territory, which
was acquired by the United States, and at
the instance OF Great Britain the owners
were paid for the full value Of their lands
and properly"
"How long will It take TO settle the claim
OF Captain, Webster's2n
"If compromised, 1t will be ended in a
year. II arbitration is resorted to, twill
be two or three years"
"po you expect TO spend much time in
WashinRton?" ilI s.
/ "I am employed in several important
matters which will require good deal Of
my time and which will call me to WASH
ington quite frequently"
STATE AND NATIONAL PoLITlcs.
'"what do you know about the contest
for the successorship Of Mr.. Kenna in the
House Of Representatives" 4
Colonel Philip Snyder is the Demo.
cratic nominee, and Judge Brown is the
Republican candidate. Both are popular
gent emen.
.sWho Ia snyder?p
,t'Snyder Is a young lawyer who succeed
ed Mr.. Kenna as Prosecuting Attorney in
kanawha county," q
InWill he catch up to him in the Senate ~
: "The successor 10 the Senatorship is too
far In the future" ~
"Doyou know Judge Brown?"
"Yes; Judge Brown is . good lawyer; at
one time he was on the bench Of the Su-
preme Court Of our State, where he &C.
Quilted himself with decided ability"
"Who will the Democrats Of West Vir-
ginia favor for the Presidential nomination
next summer" Z q !, ~.
"oh, the woods are iull Of gentlemen
who would be acceptable to the Democrats
Of West Virginia. The settlement Of the
currency. question has removed the objec-
tions to several prominent aspirants. AT
this time" said the colonel, ,'it strikes me
that Senator Bayard for the first place on
the ticket, and some popular western man
for the second place would be acceptable
TO the West Virginia Democracy, and that
ex. Senator Mcdonald OF Indiana, with ex.
Senator Wallace Of Pennsylvania, would
be an acceptable and winning ticket. I
might mention others, but there are too
many changes OF the moon to intervene
between this and the nominating time to
predict with certainty" -.
"Who will the Republicans nominate 2"
"That question j cannot answer. As far
as my observation goes l believe ex-Secre-
tary James g. Blaine is the most popular
among the West Virginia Republicans"
tWhat do you think the next Congress
ought TO do with the tariff question:" ,i
TIE NEXT CONGRESS AND THE TARIFF,
Ii I were member l should advocate
thegiying 81 the present or new bill fair
test, correcting only such errors and omis.
sions as may have crept into It. I believe
itwoud bevery iniuriousto open up that
perplexing question again. It would dis