The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-06
MIR. HENDRIcKs's BOOKS.

MIR. HENDRICKS'S BOOKS.
His Unlawful Withdrawal of Public Lands
for Benefit of Corporations.
Washington Special to ew York Tribune.
Democratic speakers, especially in Indiana
are devoting much time and energy of deuncia-
tions of the Republican party, which they at
tempt to hold responsible for every acre of pub
lie land granted to aid in the building of rail
roads, when, they know, tens of millions of
acres were thus granted before the Republican
party came into power; and since that time the
landgrant policy has been sustained by the
votes of Democrats and Republicans alike
Democratic orators in Indiana and other States
taking their cue from the speeches of Mr. Hen
bricks are clamoriug for change" in order
that the people may see the books, when the
fact is that the records of the government are
open to the inspection of any respectable citizen
A few days ago the Democratic newspapers were
Mortified by report that the books of the Gen
eral Land-ofice We're being examined in the
hope of unearthing something to the disadvant-
age in the official record of Mr.. Hendricks as
Commissioner. His friends made so loud an out
cry as to arouse a suspicion that Mr.. Hendrickss
official career would scarcely bear a rigid inves
confirmed by certain passages in the published
reports of the General Lard-office during the
period of mis- tenure as Commissioner The pas
sages referred to relate to the lands granted in
May, June and August 1856, to and in the con
struction of nearly forty different railroads In
his annual report for that year Commissioner
Hendricks said: Gas usual, under similar laws
the lands falling within the probable limits of
the grants were promptly withdrawn from sale
and location. The sudden withdrawal from
market Of such important bodies of land almost
simultaneously in seven different States, had a
tendency to produce great public and private in
conveniences."
That the lands promptly withdrawn"
there can be no question. Just at that time
Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota were
rapidly filling up with settlers, and the public
lands were in brisk demand. The corporations
forwhoSe benefit the grants had been made were
not idle They were all represented in Wash
ington, and they did not lack influence with
Commissioner Hendricks. On May 10, 1856,
an act was approved granting 4 quantity
OF public lands, estimated at 1920 900
acres, to five railroad corporations in the State
of Iowa. On May TO- five days before the bill
became law, Commissioner Hendricks issued
telegraphic order withdrawing from SALE loca-
ton or entry all the public lands within the
probable limits of the grants thus shutting out
from large area not only persons who desired
to pay cash for public lands, but also actual set
tiers, who desired to secure homes under the
pre- emption laws, and soldiers of the of
1872 and the Mexican war; who had received
land warrants under the authority of Congress.
No survey of the railroads had been made, and,
of course no maps of location had been filed;
and therefore, the premature and unauthorized
order of withdrawal for the benefit of the five
Iowa corporations covered much greater guam
tlty of land than they entitled to by the
act afterward approved. The arbitrary and un-
lawful order of Commissioner Hendricks seems
to have aroused a storm of opposition among the
pioneer settlers of Iowa. and, on June 16, he
modified it far as to allow pre- emption
entries to be made pending the filing of maps
of definite location Soldiers however, were not
to be permitted to use their military land war
rants to obtain homes on the public lands with
drawn and subsequently, upon representation
by some of the corporations which received land
under the several acts of 1856, to the effect that
the pre- emption privilege was abused by specu-
lators all intending settlers, including those
acting in good faith were deprived of it.
On June 3 1856, an act was approved grant
ing 100000 acres of land, according to Mr..
Hendricks estimate, for the benefit of four
railroad corporations in Wisconsin, and on MAY
20, five days before the bill became law Com
missioner Hendricks issued an order withdraw
ing from sale and location for their benefit sew
eral million acres of the public domain. The
act granting f. l28 900 acres of public land for
the benefit of five railroad corporations in Michi
gan became a law on June g. 1856 and on the
Both of May preceding Commissioner Hendricks
nltue an Oruer locking up several million acres
more of the public domain for their benefit.
His report dated Nov 20, 1856 does not show
that any steps had been taken by the
corporation to determine the actual boundaries
of their grants. Commissioner Hendricks
May 81 withdrew lands for the benefit
of two railroad corporations in Louisiana, al
though the granting act was not approved until
June g. This order of withdrawal covered
nearly 100000 acres On Aug. 8, 1856, two
days before the approval of the granting act
Commissioner Hendricks withdrew for the bene-
fit of a railroad corporation in Mississippi more
than 1000, 600 acres of the public lands in that
State
In view of the facts above given it is not sur
prising that Commissioner Hendricks in his re-
port dated Nov. 20, should remark that the sud
den" withdrawal of so much land almost stimuli
taneousy" should have produced great public
and private inconvenience" That ''inconven-
ience," not to say injustice, must have been
greatly aggravated by his fragrant disregard of
law in his haste to serve the railroad corpora
tions. At the present time, and for many years
past, under Republican administrations no lands
have been withdrawn from the market for the
benefit of railroad corporations, under grants
made by Congress, until after they have filed
definite maps of survey and location.
BEER AND POLITICS.