The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1884-02-06


this grant was made that the war cleud
gathered above the horizon, so soon az
ter TO burst in the terrible tempest Of
battle.
Whatevor could be done in the North
and West, in the section where the
grant Is located no. road could have
been built clear up from the time the
maps Of location were filed until the
! time Of the forfeiture. August IL, 1886.
At that time the war was Just over. The
people in that section we're in the throes
and troubles Of reconstruction trying TO
build up new order of things. In
fact railroad building about that time
was Just the last thing they could
| think Of s4a..4A - .~-ss .isasss--ss
so much for that, Mr.. Chairman. ]
think just barely to state the date of the
decade in which the act required that
road tobe built, and TO state the location
Of the country in which it was, ia to
state reason full and ample why that
road could not be completed in the ten
years.
But We are met with the argument
that seventeen years and more have
elapsed, and all that time you have
done nothing. Mr., Speaker, we could
not avail Of that grant since.thc llth OF
August, 1866, for the simple reason that
the deed of forfeiture had attached, and
we could get no capital, no men Of
money 10 take these lands and base a
loan or mortgage upon them and use
them as The basis Of credit for the con.
struction of the raod. No man would
touch them after the forfeiture had
attached.
But what else could have been done I
1t is said we might have shown an hon
est disposition to avail Of them. So we
have. II has been the dream Of the
people Of the State of Mississippi for
more than a generation 10 have this
road built The act Of 1856 was so far
the commencement and putting in prac-
tice of their desire.
Now, sir, as soon after the war, M
soon after the troubles and turmoils
consequent upon the war, as they posi-
bly, could, the people of the State ol
Mississippi commenced moving In thin
matter, in convention, in Legislature
in public meetings and gatherings, ex
ressing their desire that this lane
grant might be again put in force anC
effect by Congress. am told by m,
colleague from Mississippi Mr.. Barks
dalel that the first act OF the State Leg
islature on this subject was in 1876
Mark the date. About as soon afte
the date Of forfeiture us you could ex
pect the people Of that section to thin
about making railroads they memorial
lied the Legislature, in 1870, when th
tState was tiiiter Republican rule; shoN
ing this Is no partisan measure, that n
the people, without regard to party. Dc
sire this grant and desire the buildin
OF this road.
And so on from time to time the Leg
islature asked Congress to restore thi
grant or renew it. And, Mr.. Speaker
am going to ask to be read from til
Clerks desk now the last memorial Ol
that subject, the memorial Of the Legis
Iature OF 1882; and | beg the attention
Of the House while it is read, to shoV
what say about the position Of tn,
State Of Mississippi is correct. wan
the whole memorial read.
/ The memorial was read.
Mr. Van Eaton. Mr.. Speaker, tn,
point desire to make right here Is this
that in addition to the memorial whicl
has Just been read by the Clerk, memo
rial after memorial has been sent up I,
this Congress by the State Of Missis
sippi since the forfeiture of this gran
In 1866. Taking this fact in connection
with what / said before, | think | hav
made out a clear and reasonable case il
which neither noh-user nor laches cal
be attached TO the bcnefciaries Of thi
particular grant.
! desire now TO call the attention O
the House for moment TO anothe
phase Of this matter, and | will be q
brief as can. In looking over tn
tables Of liant grants, ] find that tier
have been granted grdated, say, no
patented, but voted by Congress- cor
porations, not TO States, in all $4,000
900 acres, and to States there have bee
granted 35,000,O00 Of acres, or say lS0
0O0,0 Of acres, or 10000 square mile
in all.
Now wish 10 call the attention Of Oh
House, in no ,invid Gus spirit, with n
sense Of complaining, but to fortify th
principle upon which ] started out, 0
D something like equal and exact justic,
or at least fair dealing. Let US for
: moment see how the account stands wit
5 the States on the subject Of land granti
. ] have shown you that TO corporation
! there have been voted $4,000, 900 acre
t quantity so vast that the mind CA
! hardly grasp it. As has been well saiS
D whole empires have been voted away I
corporations. But let that pass.
D How does the account stand with r,
g gard to the States2. / hold in my han
4 a table showing the actual amount Z
y acres patented-not granted, but abs
e lutely p1tented to the States. At Ii
r risk Of wearying the House | will ri
. over it very briefly.
The account stands thus: IIlino
I 2,595, ,053 acres; Florida 1857 ,55s; AL
8 bama 1857 ,45S; Louisiana I,072, 40
T Mississippi 937, ,l59; Arkansas 2,144.94
!. Iowa 4,544.332; Missouri 1875, 90
: Michigan 3,3J6,937; Wisconsin $50,
4 $50; Minnesota 1872, 1868, and Kans,
n $3.50, 1893.
e / am not complaining that these diff
= ent States have been so far benefits
e BY the magnificent bounty Of Cengrei
d | only want to compare my own Sta
q with other Gfataa The cfata Of M;.s