Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-05-19
ID IL X
POST INTELLIGENCER.


Congressman Holrnsn, OF Indiana, has
lately been investigating land grants 70
railroads, with view 70 the recovery Oh
"a much to the public 1oraaia as posi-
BILE. He finds that the aggregate Of iii
the grants made TO staies and ieflo-
ries for public improvements up 70 1914
~ss lea. than aO.OODD0 acres. Since
Isl Grants aggrsea,ing 1872 900 900 acres
have been made to corporations. IN Tue
holdino Of such portions of these lanes
IA were not earned according 70 'iS
terms Of the original graft, and II '''e
efforts 70 Get them back il eontro'e'
ssry With the people on one side ana
corporate interests, involving inas
eouaI to the territory OF six "r seven
great States, on the other. The f'sopse
are neither 50 persistent or vi2iiant a.
the corporations. As late IS is'- Dill
went over 70 the House from the Senate
10 revive q grant Of land to the NJ.
I,ouis a. Lake superior Railroad. he
yssuit was two days fillibusteTing ana
the defeat Of the bill. Mr.. Holman
says that among all the lawyers OF the
senate and House in that pro'raeteo
debate, not one ever intimatei that TIE
grant was still subsidy grant without
revival. 1t was taken for granted tha'
IL was dead unless Congress revived IL
In 1875. however, the Supreme Sonf'
decided that there must be either
Indictment declaring the forfeiture or an
act of Congress declaring It, else the
title would remain Ia the company; bn'
the Supreme Court has never decided
that tho Secretary of the Interior can
issae p,tcnts to these Companies iof
the forfeited lands. IL Is understood
that Commissioner Mcfarland Is op-
po,ed 10 the issue OF patents for the
forfeited lands. and it is supposed ssc-
ret.ry Teller intends 10 await some oeh-
n,ts declaration on the part Of Congress
The forfeited grants include In the az
cregate something over 96,ooo,oo acres.
The railroad companies have already
cold lands 10 the aggregate arnouat oil
over 800 10000, and they yet ciaim
I6a 600 900 acres, easily worth IN the
course of the next ton years, s'vO,OOo,-
COO. That this ia prize worth con
tending for is plain, and hence the
preat efforts Of the railroad companies
TO more firmly secure il.
Congressman Townshend was recent.
ly interviewed on the land grant CUES
ton. He was asked If the matter Will
be taken up ia the next Congress, and Is
reported as having given tho Ieply fol
loving:
"This is a question that will be aRita-
tad for years and years. Ii was thor
olphly discussed in the judiciary Com
mittee of which was a member, and
voted To forfeit nil the Land grants
which had not been earned. give II as
my opinion IA n lawyer that the North
arn Pacific can never get title to the
land granted to it after tho 4th of July,
1879, when the land giant ispsod. III
makes no difference how long u may
occupy the land or who may hold It.
One hundred years hence the govern
ment will have right to forfeit II, aud
there lies the safety of the people. Who
ever takes land from the company which
was acquired after July 4th, 1873, takes
il with nothing bat n tainted title. In
Drivate land transactions there would
BE- bar against such .forfeitures after
n certain time, bnt there can be no linn
itation against the government. The
Judiciary COMMITTEES had Just such
case before II two years ago III she Onto
nagon Railway land case, and held 10
the same decision TINT have stated,
but in the case of the Northern Pacific
IL lodged the question"