The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1883-07-20

sand acres. BY The construction oi one
Thousand and fIfty-two miles or road. out
lof the six thousand four hundred and
i'hirty-nine required 70 be built 10 secure
the entire grant.
The bill or Mr.. Cobb. the resolution
given above, and the report or Secretary
.lAirkwo0d. were all referred 10 the Jn-
dietary Committee OF the House, which
consists 0f Thomas n. Reed Of Maine,
Edwin Willett Of Michigan, George ID.
Robinson Of Nassac husetts. j. II. Briggs
.'of New Hampshire, II. 4. Humphrey OF
Wisconsin, Ezra B. Taylor Of Ohio,
Moses a. McCoid or Iowa, L. r. Payson
lof Illinois. A. Norcross Of Massachu-
Isetta, j. Proctor Knott OF Kentucky, N.
n. Hammond Of Georgia, David b. Gull
|herson Of Texas, q. l.. Converse Of Ohio.
Van H. Manningof Mississippi and r..
" Tcurlhend Of Illinois.
Mr. Cobb and others who believed that
'the interests and rights Of the people
were superior 10 those Of corporations,
and that justice demanded the forfeiture
lof the unearned Iand-grante, pressed Wig
!oronsly for action on the part Of the
ICommittee, but mono could be obtained
for months. The Chairman Of the Com
|mittee, backed BY majority, threw cv-
|ery obstacle in the way; and Il was
months before any report could be OBJ
|fained. Finally there was one 20 forfeit
the lands granted TO Michigan 10 aid Ia
constructing the Ontonagon road. This
was only few thousand acres OF land
Then came . majority report refusing to
forfeit the uncarned thirty-scvcn million
five hundred thousand acres OF the
Northern Pacific. A vigorous and ex-
lbsuetiye minority report, signed by
|Messrs. Payson, Hammond, CnIberson.
lNcCoid, Knott, Manning and Town
Ishend. declared in favor OF forfeiture.
But Mr.. Keller, Speaker OF the House.
lso ruled that no vote could be had on
the measure.
Ncssrs. James A. George, Of Texas,
and J. J. Newell, OF Michigan. asked 10
DO heard By the committee, and offered
10 provebribery and corruption IN the
passage Of the bill meking the grants TO
the Texas Pacific, the Southern Pacific,
Iand New Orleans, Baton Rouge and
Ivicksburg railways. II was voted 20
hear them, but at the next meeting OF
the Committee this vote was rccinded |;
and on the 81 OF August The land grant
,of the Texas Pacific. fftcen million acres.
was declared forfeited, BY . vote OF
twelve 10 one. In : future number
will show The influences which caused
this sudden change upon the part of
those or the Committee. who had been
'opposing the forfeiture. They were
personal and political.
Mr.. Reed was instructed 10 report this
resolution 20 the House, that Il might be
!dieposed OF, but did not do 60 ; and being
called upon after the House had been in
session over three hours, 10 know why
the resolution was not presented, he
Istated that the Committee clerk was
copying II. As the entire resolution Is
less than ten lines Of print, this excuse,
III may use little slang, seems to Be
l4very thin But Il answered the pur-
pose aud the resolution was not report
ed until long after Congress bad ad-
journed, Il being sent from Portland,
Maine, Mr.. Reed's home, after : speech
made there BY Mr.. George, IN which
Reed was charged with supprcssing Is.
|. Il may not be amiss 10 say here that
Mr.. Reed has great influence with the
Northern Pacific Company, and there Is
no doubt he ought TO have. There IL .
large iron manufacturer in Portland, :
Democrat, but friend Of Mr.. Reed, " no
IN '82 was : candidate for reelection.
Reed asked this manufactures why he
did not get contract 10 do some work
for the Northern Pacific" The man
told him he knew no one connected with
it Reed gave him : letter 70 NORTH
crn Pacific man, recommending that =
contract be given; and one WAS given.
for large amount Of work. When il u
remembered that those works at Port
land are the farthest away Of any In the
United States from the Northern Pacific,
Il will Ne seen that Mr.. Reeds influence
is very powerful with that corporation.