Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-11
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Senate.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-In the senate
a memorial was presented from the
Mexican veterans asking for pensions.
The standing and other committees
were appointed. The following bills were
then introduced:
By Senator Hill, providing for a coinage
branch mint at Denver.
By Senator Cameron, of Wisconsin, q
regulate the elections of representatives OF
congress and punish violations thereof.
By Senator Ingalls,, to prevent the IN,
lawful Enclosures of public lands.
A resolution by Senator Voorhees, agreed
TO authorize a committee on military
affairs to inquire into the expediency OF
purchasing the encampment grounds oc-
cuPied by the re evolutionary army at Valley
Forge for a national park. He also offer
ed the following which he asked to have
printed:
Resolved, In the judgment Of the senate
the public debt IS not q public blessing,
and any measure of financial policy look
ing to the perpetuation of the present in
terest bearing national debt for the pur-
poses Of national banking or any other &C
count meets the disapproval of this body,
end should be viewed with alarm by the
HI=A Bty 4 " SAO OhlLCAA 0baLSos
Senator Hill called up q resolution ask
ing the secretary of the interior to furnish
copies of all papers relating to the trans
fer of the land grant of the New Orleans,
Baton Rouge & Vicksburg Railroad COM
pany to the New Orleans Pacific Railroad
company. He said that about 10000 O
acres were at stake in this matter. The
land had been granted in 1871 by the
terms of the act. The claim lapsed five
years from that time, the road not being
built, and there is now an attempt to trans
fer the land to the New Orleans Pacific
railroad.
Sc aato Ingalls, said the matter had been
before the attorney general, who had given
the opinion that the grant of land by the
act OF congress was q grant in present aud
vested the company inteIe in lands, but
the grant did not acquire precision to at
tach to any specific lands until the route
of the road is definitely located. A proviso
requiring the road to be built in five years
IS merely a condition subsequent which
did not work for future, but enabled the
United States TO declare a forfeiture by
proper judicial proceedings, and until
such declaration of forfeiture the grant
claimed in the grantee, and the Bat on
Rouge company had the right to transfer
its interest to the New Orleans Pacific
company. Such was the syllabus of the
attorney generals opinion.
Senator ingalls, stated that he had heard
th,t this session would be characterized by
opsSaughts on the department of the in
terror. He did not know whether the SEN
ator from Colorado (aill) shared in this
opinion, but Ingalls, thought this the first
of the series of assaults intended to be
made on the administ alter of that depart
ment. He Is informed and believes it is
to be followed by assaults upon the ad-
ministration of the pension bureau, gen
eral land Office and Indian service. The
secretary of the interior, he said, invites
the utmyst scrutiny of all CT his acts.
Senator Hill said he was merely per-
forming his duty in the matter. The
facts are, during five years
allowed, not one foot of railroad was built.
He believed the sources of his information
were as good as those of the gentleman
from Kansas and he believed the state
msnt that the quantity Of the land in
question is 100000 acres, is substantially
correct, and 9Th regard TO the pnblic im.