National Republican., 1883-01-06
A pRoBABLE MARES NEST.

Senatorial story About the Attempted
Grant.
Tie New York Sun yesterday published
what purports to be an expose of scheme
for the theft of q 100000 acre forfeited land
grant in Louisiana. The account isa curious
blending of fact and fiction, romance forming
the larger part Of the literary mosaic. The
Suns history is to the effect that the forty
first congress in 1871 voted the New Orleans,
Baton Rouge, and Vicksburg railway COM
pany 1,492,000 acres Of land to aid in the con-
struction of u railway from New Or
leans TO Shreveport, a distance Of 3lS
miles, conditionally upon tho compleI
tion of the road in five years from the
passage of the act; that the originators of
the scheme bought it through congress by
means of generous distribution of tho com
pany's bonds among congressman; that the
company went topieces and never constructed
the road according to the terms of the act,
thereby forfeting its rights to the land; thataf-
ter the grant had lanscd the officers of the then
defunct company had transferred its phantom
title to the lands to the New Orleans Pacific
company; that the land in question is worth
$3,0O0000 at a low valuation; that the ghost
of the dead New Orleans, Baton Rouge and
Nicksburg company had no more title to the
land than the emperor of Brazil that when
the congressman and others who had received
New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Vicksburg
bonds as " "retainers learned of the scheme
concOcted by the Texas Pacific, or New Or
leans Pacific, to gobble the land grant they
swooped down On the interested parties and
forced q settlement from them on Il basis of
twenty cents; that j. Hale Sypher, of
Louisiana, represented syndicate which
held SlsO,OOO of these bonds; W.
p. Kellogg 100000, and Others less
sums; that by the terms of the purchase the
New Orleans Pacific company was to give
S3,0O0,000 in its bonds for the 1,402,000 acres,
conditional upon the confirmation of the sale
by the secretary Of the interior, and that
Sl,0OO,O0O of this was to go in settlement of old
corruption claims. Ii is further stated that
Secretary Teller, backed by an opinion from
Attorney General Brewster, stands ready at
any time to put the seal ofhsapproval on the
alleged job, and that but for u protest from
Judge Payson, member of congress from Ili-
nOis, tho steal would have been consummated.
Now, the facts arc that the New Orleans
Pacific built line of railway over the same
general route contemplated by the original
company, from whom il bought the land grant
franchise, and that although the road was not
built by the original projectors it was built
nevertheless, and by company which had
assurances from the attorney general of the
United States and the secretary of the in
terror that the franchise was trans
terable. Judge Payson opposed the con
frmation of the terms of the transfer
under the belief that it was clear case of
unjustifable grab but since his return from
Illinois he has investigated the subject fur
ther, and has reached the conclusion that
while there might be doubt as to the validity
of the transfer, the New Orleans and Texas
company constructed the line in good faith,
and that in equity, though possibly not in
law, they might be entitled to the land. He
finds too that the Louisiana delegation is a
unit in favor of letting the sale stand as n
matter of right. He has therefore withdrawn
his objections except so far as they relate to
sixty-eight miles of the road, which were ac-
quired by purchase from the Morgan steam
ship company, and not built by the holders of
the franchise. That portion of the grant
covered by these siXty-eight miles he is satis-
fed should be forfeited, and he will stand by
l. =. IL. -. L -.