Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-07-04

! then laid before the senate, being the
! bill providing for the forfeiture of the
unearned lands granted the Atlantic
and Pacific Railroad company. Mr..
Morgan offered an amendnent to take
the place of the provision restoring the
lands to the public domain and resump-
tion Of title by the United States. Tn )
amendment 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 the land declared forfeited; !;
directs the United States attorney of
that district TO proceed in that court in
the name of the United States as plaint-
III against any person or corporation
claiming interest in the lands referred
to, so as to bring the subject before the
court; gives either party to the proceed
ing the right to appeal to the supreme
court of the United States, and directs
that court to advance the case on Is
calendar. A long debate ensued, and
finally melton TO go into executive
session prevailed.
j., HoYse-At l o'clock the committee of
the whole rose for the purpose OF per-
mitting the house to dispose of the
backbone land-grant forfeiture bill.
Mr.. White, of Kentucky. rising to a
question of privilege, sent to the clerks
desk and had read letter published
this morning written by Represe ntative
Ellis i'll 1881, to Captain George, in which
he intimated that there had been improp-
er means used to obtain the original
grant. Mr.. WEite thought Il full inveS-
tlgation of the whole matter should be
made. The chair decided the question
not one of privilege. Mr. Ellis said the
letter had been materially altered and
garbled to suit the purposes of the pub
Usher, and at the proper time he would
expose the falsehood and malignity of
the unwarranted innuendo directed
against him in the publication alluded
to. 1t is, he said, the last vindictive
thrust Of a professional blackmailer,
whose disappointed greed and avarice
directed this blow at one whose cOnnec-
tioa with him originated in the desire to
do him a kindness. The speaker an
nounced the question to be on the mo-
ton to table the motion to reconsider
the vote by which the house yesterday
defeated the backbone forfeiture bill.
The motion to table was agreed to
yeas, 1874; nays, ia. So the bill was
lost. The conference reports on the pen
sion bill and the bill granting the right
of-way through Indian territory TO the
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad
were agreed to.
MONDAY, JUNE 80.
,Sendte-Mr Slater, from the commit
tee on public lands, submitted report
to accompany the bill forfeiting the uH-
earned lands granted the Northern Pa
cific railroad. The report, he said, was
not unansmous, and the minority would
submit its views. Mr. Morgan, from
the committee on public lands, reported
adversely the bill to grant public lands
to the survivors, OF the Mountain Meadow
massacre. Mr.. Morgan said the commit
tee was satisfied that, if valid claim
existed against the government arising
out of the massacre, it was not claim
that should be compensated in public
lands, but in money. Placed on the cal
endar. Mr.. Cameron, of Pennsylvania,
called up his resolution, heretofore sub
mitted, discharging the finance commit
tee from further consideration of the
bill for the rrtirement and recoinage of
trade dollars. On motion, the resolu-
ton was not agreed tO-yeas 81, nays
%.
Consideration of the river and harbor
bill was then resumed. One of the
0hlShiLlShbo plOPOoSd W tilS SCliatt VIII
mittee was that $3.50, 900 of the ST. ESQ.,
600 appropriated for continuing the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river should
be devoted to the harbor of Memphis.
Mr.. Jonas moved to amend this provi-
sion so as to make the Memdhis appro-
priation separate and independent
one, leaving the $3.50, 600 to be all aP-
piled to the river at large, but the senate
decided to stand by the committees
amendmendment and voted down that
offered by Mr.. Jonas Mr. Coke, from
the committee on commerce, reported
fayorably, to be acted upon next session,
the bill to provide for the improvement
Of the channel between Galveston har-
Dor and the Gulf of Mexico. The senate
then adjourned, after having disposed
of the committees amendments. leav-
ing other amendments to be proposed
tomorrow.