Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-01
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
CHAIRMAN MORRISON NAMES HIS
COMMITTEE CLERKS.

The House Military Committee to Look
Into Courts -MartiaI-A Chance that
the Railroad Land Grabs will be Re
elaimed-The Comparative Values of
Foreign and American Coins.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.-The members
Of the Ways and Means Committee who
are in Washington met this morning.
Mr.. KassOn was the only Republican
present. Chairman Morrison announced.
with the consent of the committee, that
he would appoint Henry Talbot, of Illi-
nois, clerk, and Willis Allen, also of Hi
nois, assistant clerk. Tuesday, January
5, was decided upon as the day for hold
ing the first regular meeting OF the COM
mittee.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The Committee on Public Lands expect
TO report number Of separate bills when
Congress reconvenes next week, declaring
forfeited lands that have been granted to
certain railroad companies. The COM
panies most interested are those in the
Northwest and South, and the amount of
Iand involved is reported by the Chairman
OF the Committee, Mr.. Cobb, to be between
50,OO0,O0 and 100, 100000 acres. The
Texas Pacific land grant, it is expected,
VIII be reported as forfeited, and this
grant alone involves IA, 600, 600 acres. In
an interview with an Associated Press re-
porter tonight Mr.. Cobb said that there
was no question of the right Of the gov
ernment to declare forfeited 25000,000
acres of land on various roads. The at
torneys of the railroad companies, he con-
| tlnued, VIII be given an opportunity to be
heard, but they will not be given
too much time. The Northern Pacific has
not complied with its grant. 1t has 4S,-
| 100000 acres that ought to be forfeited
In the Judiciary Committee of the last
| Congress the vote for its forfeiture was
to 5. There are number of railroad men
here now trying to oppose any legislation
OF the character contemplated. They have
been trying to influence the members of
the present Congress. Some years ago
they got the Supreme Court to declare
that the Judiciary did not have power to
| declare land forfeited, and now they say
that the legislative power ought not to
take any action OF that kind be.
cause the question is not thoroughly
understood. These same men controlled
the committee from the close of the war
up to the FOrty-fOurth Congress, and they
| controlled the last Congress. They had
the committees packed in their favor. Il
is a fact that every Republican Congress
since 1860 has favored the railroads. No
| justice is done to the country and to the
government. Over 100000 acres Of
land will be declared forfeited. Ques-
tiOns of private claims, which will of
! course arise, will have to be settled by
! future legislation. The government will
not oppose men who in good faith have
bought lands from railroads.
COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS.
At a meeting of the House Committee
| on Military Affairs this morning Gen.
| Slocum was authorized to report to the
House favorably the FitZ John Porter bill
which passed the Senate during the last
Congress. The committee also decided to
report favOrably the House resolution call
| ing for information from the War Depart
ment respecting court martials, subse-
| quent remission of sentence and the res
tOratiOn to rank by Congress of officers
| from 1857 to 1861 and from 1877 to 1891.
! The object of the resolution is to ascertain
| what changes in the discipline have taken
| place in the army and to learn the causes
/ of tho legislative plpmanpV