The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-08-30
STIRRING UP THE ANIMALS
Statement OF Governor Crawford IN Re-
gard TO Land Grants TronEfuIly
Held by Railroad Corporations

hs very successful agent of this ttase for
he prosecution of claims at Washing
Ola. Mr.. Crawford is frsh from the ex-
cuIiVc departments al the national cap
tel, where he has been l,t,,ri.,usly al
work for several mnnlhs boxing up The
aw and the testimony-ina matter which
aieiy has excited not little specula-
ion In legal circles. namely the
LAND GRANT
D the state of Kansas for the A,chison, 1
Topeka & Santa Fe railway and
having recently filed cumpre
lensive brief upon this matter of vital
interest To this state befnre the Hon. N
Mcfarland. commissioner of the gen.
raj land Office.
In the prosecutions 81 lhis clAIn., one
II the most imptrt1nI jet undertaken by
Mr. Crawford during his successful 60 i
reer at Washington, that gentleman ncas
under the direct suIhoEity Of the stats.
the Legislature aS its lEst sesSlOn paying /
Mr.. Crawford the compliment due his /
labors, and recognizing his especial it |
ness for the task, by passing an act, Of
which the tollOFing is an extract, viz:
"That the Hon. 3. j. Crawford, state /
agent, be, and Is hereby, authorized and
empowered TO represent the state OF
Kansas before the executive depart
meats of the government At Washington,
and before such committees Of congress
as may be necessary in all malters per-
tanning TO grants of land made by con-
a.,
roads within the state of Kansas; and
that, in the execution of his authority
under this act he shall investigate and
ascertain the amount of iand granted
by congress for the benefit OF railroads
10 Kansas, and the amount To which
each of sand railroad companies Was or
is entitled as Indemnity; AlsO the amount
withdrawn, transferred, CT set apart fnr
such purposes, and whether, N the adj
publications of such grants the just rights
Of the state or of citizens thereof have
been inpaired Thes I'D gent lie here
by authorized 10 adopt such measures
and take such action in the premises,
either by petition, application. motion,
or otherwise, as may he necessary, n
the end that the interests of the state
and of the citizens thereof may be &C.
cured and protected
Armed with this authority, Mr. CraW-
ford, with Characteristic energy. entered
upon the large field of inquiry thus set
before him, submitting, on the 10th day
of March last. brief and argument be-
fore the Hon. Secretary Of the Interior,
showing that large amount of public
land had been
wRONGFUILY AND WITHOUT AUTHORIZE
OF Law
certified 70 the state of Kansas for the
benefit Of the Atchison, Topeka & SAINTS
Fe railroad company. 1t being the first
time that this statement, of such moment
70 Kansas, had been made IN a manner
carrying weight with the public. In
this brief Mr.. Crawford. in behalf of the
state. asked:
| FIrst-That no more land be approved
listed or certified to this Company.
iSec0nd-That the lands remaining
within the granted limits be retained
within the control of the department
and the company be called upon to re
linquish the same as part indemniflca
ton for the excessive Qualifications al
ready made.
TAird-That the existing indemnity
withdrawal be ct once revoked, and the
lands which have been held out o
market for ten years to satisfy an
oVER-sATIsFIED GRANT
be restored TO the public domain, ana 4
the legal settlement rights Of the people
of the state.
FOurtA-Thst the exact amount o
lands that have been improperly anC
illegally certified 20 the company b
definitely ascertsined without unneces
sary delay, the oveg-certiGcations can
celled. and the banda opeaed to settle
ment under the homestead and Ere
emption laws.
Mr.. Crawford presents from the De
partment VI the Interior, over the sig
nature of Land Commissioner McFaE
land, the following figures. showing tn
lands thus far certified TO the company
Approved to state for comply
in granted limits ,S3l. e.77 acre
which it is entitled granted
still vacant IN gfantei I'M
Approved for company in
indemnity limits -.........- 9l4, z6I %
2.9s5, 4Ol.s9
Total area Odd sections in
| granted limits ....--.-...-. z,slb. 1914 "
A GRAB.
The company having completed with
in this state 469 So miles of railroad, thi
leaves an access of Is, 8s2 10 acres of in
demnity land approved to the state 70
their grant. and this upon the showin
most favorable tor the company.
SHARP sTRIcTURRs.
Commenting upon this Agent Craw
ford says: "Thus 1t will be seen tbs
there has already been certified 20 th
, state, and by the state transferred 70 tn
railroad company, two million eeye
hundred and forty-five thousand min
hundred and aeventy seven and one hal
|, acres. In addition TO thu the compsn
has presented an additional list OF on
hundred and eighty nine thousand thre
: hundred and eighty-four and one-hG
acres within the granted Limits, Whic
awaits action in the department.
:, This IL more land than the cempan
D would have been entitled TO on the mai
line If the granting act had been full
complied with, and every section ha
J. been full section Of six hundred an
!, forty acres, and no reservation had bee
:. made Of lands previously reserved {
q otherwise disposed OF. The line. In (
j, far as the adjustment Of the grant is col
cerned, is not four hundred and ski
!, nine and $500 miles That is Il
8 length Of the road. including ali sinuoe
a ties, side-tracks, Sc, from Atchison
4 the west line of the state; but no lsr
4 grant can lawfully be adjusted on a.
f such basis. The adjustment must
J. based upon the length Of the sections
b land through which the road runs. Al
!. not lineal miles OF constructed road.
,. the line of road in crossing section
K land from east 20 west should conta
I. within such section curves and switch
! sufficient to make two miles Of co
structed road instead Of one. the col
pany would not. on that account, be c
u titled to twenty sections instead Of te
# Congress never inteaded anything Of q
It kind and the department never adjustl
il . grant on any such hypothesis. Il
{. grant can not be enlarged In shAs va
Il The grant was OF every alternate seeti'
5 Of land on each side Of said road. q
e each Of It's branches. Curves. sids-trGe
j. and sscfteIes Gre not 0rGssekes.
e "NOs only has this enormous asnon
{ OF $40, 766.12 scres Of he psbiic lands
o the United States bean wTOegfuIly Il
c without authority Of Law, certified /
J. said railroad company. but b orde