Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-28
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
THE FORFEITURE LAND BILL
UNDER DISCUSSION.


ing for the settlement Of accounts with
the Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company.
1t authorizes the Attorney General and
Secretary Of War to adjust and finally
settle the accounts of the United States
with the road named, for property receiY-
ed by that road from the United States in
1866.
Mr.. Butler gave notice that on Monday he
would ask for a vote on his resolution of in
quiry into the condition of the New York
Mr.. Dawes presented the conference report
on the invalid pension bill. The report was
agreed to.
On motion Of Mr.. Riddleberger the
House bill authorizing the extension of
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company
TO point on the military lands at Fortress
Monroe, Va, was read the third time and
passed.
Mr. Hale, from the Committee on ApprO-
priatiOns, reported the general deficiency APP
preparation bill with amendment, and gave
notice that he would call it up to morrow.
The diminished business WIS then laid before
the Senate, being the bill providing for the
forfeiture OF unearned lands granted to the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company.
The bill declares forfeited all lands except
ing the right of way and land for stations
heretofore granted the Atlantic and Pacific
Railroad Company which are adjacent to and
cO-terminal with uncOmpleted portions of the
!
sumption by the United States of the title to
such lands; their restoration TO the public do
main, and their subsection to disposal under
the general laws as though the grant had
never been made.
The Senate Committee on Public
Lands has added to the bill a provisO, which
81 so an acre.
Mr.. Morgan offered an amendment to take
the place Of the provisions restoring the lands
to the public domain and the resumption of
the United a n
authorizes and directs the Circuit Court of
the United states for the Western District of
Missouri to hear and determine all questions
arising out OF claims to lands decided forfeited.
and directs the United States Attorney for
that district to proceed in that
court in the name of the United States
as plaintiff against any lerson or corporation
claiming interests in the lands referred to, so
as to bring the subject before the courts;
gives either party to the proceeding the right
of appeal to the Supreme Court of the UAited
States, and directs that the court advance the
case on its calendar. Mr.. Morgan spoke at
length IN favor of his amendment, and whilst
holding the tloor gave way for motion to go
into executive session. Before the motion
was entertained Mr.. Hawley said he had ex-
pected to say few words respecting the great
holdings OF land that we had permitted to
grow up in the West in the~hands of corpora
tions, but he would forbear this evening.
There was one thing, however, he desired to
say now. He found in the Congressional Re-
cord OF to-day, and he invited the attention
of Senators to it, statement containing a
catalogue of citizens of the United States
holding enormous estates in territories and
various States. Among them he found the
name OF Senator Logan as holding $4,000
acres. II can hardly mistake" continued
Mr. Hawley, when / say that the
object OF statement OF that
gentleman whose circumstances are such
that he can hardly speak for himself, though
abundantly qualified, as everybody knows, to
do so. i beg leave, therefore, to say that the
gentleman referred to is not owner of any
such quantity of land in the Territories or
anywhere else. He is only the owner of
lands on which his father died, and which he
purchased from other heirs, and he has added
little in his own State. He has not the good
or i'll fortune to be the owner Of the $4,000
acres referred tO.'
Abiding to the same matter, Mr. Logan said: [:
''The statement is false, but don't think it is
material. don't propose to give a schedule
Of my property to any one, but the property
DO own is in the state Of Illinois. do own
some two or three tracts OF land, but alto
gether it wouldn't make ne-hundredth part
of what they charge of me to own"
The Senate discharged the Committee on
Privileges and Elections from further consid-
Grafton of the House bill on the electoral
count and ordered a committee of conference
| on it.
At 5:45 p. m. the Senate went into execu-
| tive session, and, on the doors being re-
opened, adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day Mr. Wellborn, of
/ Texas, submitted the conference report on the
| bill granting the right of way through Indian
/ Territory to the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe
| Railroad Company. and it was agreed to.
Mr.. Hancock, of Texas presented the con-
| ference report on the pension appropriation
| bill. and it was agreed to.
| MIR. Turner, Of Georgia, called up the cleo
ton case of Thomas G. Skinner, from the Sec
/ Ond district of North Carolina. The question
at issue is whether skinner was elected from
/ the proper district, and final determination of
| the contest is not involved.
/ Mr.. Mcmillan, of Tennessee, raised the
| question of consideration in favor of the
/ private calendar. and the House declined to
consider the election case.
| Mr.. FOrney, of Alabama, submitted the con-
/ ference report on the army appropriation
| bill The report announces an agreement
upon all the items except on the Senate
i amendment striking out that part of the bill
4 which regulates the compensation to be paid
/ to subsidized railways for army transporta-
tOn. The other sections of the bill as agreed
/ upon appropriate 24,454 450, being $2l0,0
| more than was carried by the bill as it origin
/ ally passed the House. The report was agreed
/ to. The disagreement to the amendment
| indicated was insisted on, and Messrs. For
| ney, Townshend and keifer were appointed
/ as cOnferees.
| Mr. Henley, of California made an unsuc-
| cessful attempt to secure consideration for
/ the Northern Pacific forfeiture bill and the
i House at 1880 went into committee of the
! whole. with Mr.. Cox, of New York, In the
| chair, on the private calendar. At p. m. the
committee rose for the purpose of permitting
| the House to dispose of the Backbone Rail-
road" forfeiture bill. The Speaker announced
| the question to be on the motion to reconsider
| the vote by which the House yesterday de-
| feated the backbone forfeiture bill. The
motion was agreed to by l3I yeas to ia nays.
/ So the bill was lost,
! The House then proceeded to the considera-
| tiOn of private business, and number of re-
| lief bills were passed.
The bull for the relief of Willis n. Arnold,
of Tennessee, was recommitted to the Com
| mittee on War Claims, after an unsuccessful
attempt had been made by Mr.. Taylor, of
! Tennessee, to have adopted as a substitute
| the bill for the relief of Hiram johnson.
| Both these measures have been before Con-
1 gress for many years and grow out of the
| Confederate raid upon the town of Hender-
/ son, Tenn.
MIR. Valentine, Of Nebraska, rising to
question of privilege, said that some days ago,
| while the House had under consideration the
| bill for the establishment of branch soldiers
home in one of the Western States, the gentle
/ man from New Jersey, Mr.. McAdOo, had
i obtained leave to print some remarks upon
/ an amendment offered by him. He ur. Val
/ entine) and others present had granted that
/ leave. The gentleman's speech appeared in
the Record Of o-day, and it was found that
he had left the subject of soldiers
| land -grabbers, or what is known as
/ the land monopoly of this country. He had
taken occasion to print as part of his re-
/ marks a very long dispatch sent from this
| city to the New York Star on Jan. 6. 1t con-
| tanned the names of some of our native land
! mon0pOlists. saying that a full list would I'LL
| every page OF the paper. In the list OF names
| as printed in the Record to-day appeared the
| name Of Senator John A. Logan. as owning
| $4,000 acres of land. Senator Logan had called
his (Valentine's) attention to this to-day,
| and had desired him TO say to the House that
so far as il related to him the statement was
absolutely false. The only land he owned was
little homestead in Illinois. The gentle
| man from New Jersey had taken occasion
| while he was lauding the soldiers OF the land
to stab one OF the brightest and most gallant
| of those soldiers Loud applause on the Re-
publican side.l The action Of the gentleman
/ from New Jersey was an abuse OF the prlvi-
leges granted by the House.
! Mr.. Bland. of Missouri, objected that the
/ question raised by the gentleman from Ne
braska was not one of privilege.
The Speaker said that if the gentleman from
i Nebraska had any proposition to submit he
Il wOuld then decide whether it was a matter Of
/ privilege. The gentleman had not disclosed
\ anything which would have been out of order
/ if spoken on the floor
Mr.. Valentine thought that if the language
| complained of had been spoken in debate it
would have been out Of order.
1 The Speaker suggested that language did
not refer to Gen. Logan in his Senatorial ca
/ pacIty.
Mr.. Yalentine-It says Senator John A. Lo-
Mr.. Cox, Of New York. did not think any
/ thing in the shape Of a question Of privilege
was presented. He pledged himself that if
the gentleman from New jersey found he had
/ made an error in copying the statement in re-
/ gard to Senator Logan he would correct it.
/ Mr.. Randall hoped that the gentleman from
Nebraska would be permitted 10 continue. Tie
was advised that the gentleman from New
| Jersey was quite ready to meet him.
| Mr.. Cannon, Of Illinois, said that the Record
| did not show that the gentleman from New
| jersey had obtained leave TO print, and there
| fore the Record on its face misled the House
| and country. He claimed il was his right to
| have. the Record show that the gentleman did
not stand in his place and make a newspaper