The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-09

of an Interested Road.
WASHINGTON, May 9-The following letter
was to-day written and delivered by Senator
Van Wyck in person to the Secretary of the
Interior:
WASHINGTON May g.
Dear Sr--when the order was made recoguiz.
sng the claims of the New Orleans Pacific Rail-
road Company to II land grant many years for
fcited, felt IL my duty to ask your department
10 be informed of the progress of proceedings
and to preAeDt the absorption of the public do
main by corporation which had not even a
semhlance of legal or equitable right, and also
TO prOtecr settlers who have been occu-
pying and improving portions of this
dead land grant. The New Orleans,
Baton Ronge vicksburg Railroad Company
in 1871 obtained large grant, specifying ''that
said company snail complete the the whole of
said road within 1--we years from the passage of
this act"
Five years expire, and not mile is built, not
even survey, not IA definite location. The only
act was TO issue and distribute bonds among the
patriots who were intent upon developing the
country. Five more years. pass and the road
has OF mile constructed, nor even is it defn-
itely located It's decided act was, in December,
1880, to assign what II did not own to another
corporation, which was organized by the Lcgis-
lature of Louisiana in 1875, to build through
s sa9 ,Ss ne same Seo'ion, VIII
known as the New Orleans Pa
cifc Company. which finally drifted into the
bands of the syndicate who had also been patri.
otieal,y developing the country so that millions
of dollars and millions of acres had rewarded
their sacrifices and eXertiOns. 1t became neces-
sary for the system of roads they controlled to
connect with New Orleans. They built without
any assurance Of assistance from the Land De-
partment or Congress, not even filing map or
definite location of any portion 0f the road.
They know that only Congress could vitalize the
dormant grant. IL Ia a great presumption, even
for q railroad corporation, to assume that this
could lie accomplished simply by their nat, aud
they hope to forestall action by this recogni-
ton they have obtained from your department.
they must have well known that the title to
these lands is not complete unt I'll final action by
Congress-
realize your embarrassment, when Congress
ct it's last session failed to act and the Attorney
general had given to your department., in re-
spOnse to n request of your predecessor, an
opinion that the company had the right to said
grant.
An additional necessity for this notice is that
she present company the New Orleans Pacific
are about issuing mortgage AMI bonds on the
basis of this forfeited land grant, and they naJur
ally desire 1t legalized long enough TO place
these bonds on the market. Two trustees are
named. one in the interest of the present com
pAny and one in the interest OF the bonds issued
twelve years ago, so the victims to be the
people, the settlers on that portion of the D ub
lie domain, or the purchasers of the bonds
NY object lie that Congress shall not be met
the next session with the plea that innocent
purchasers bought these bonds and they should
be protected. patient government has been
delayed thirteen years, and now "a few months
further delay will work no injustice. as the
pOrat1Ons endeavorlng In this manner TO utilize
The dormant grant are not in an Impoverished
condition. You will allow me to make this pub
lie, as IT. is my purpose to aid the puOlie aud
prevent IMPOSITION by the sale of bonds secured
by forfeited title which may be declared worth
less. Yours, respectfully. C. II. VAN WICK.
To Hon. Henry NJ. Teller. Secretary of the In-
terror,