The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-06
The GuIi and ship Island Land Grant
coNaREssIoNAL pRoDEEDINes.
Speeches By MessrA Van Eaton and
Barksdale-Messrs. Singleton
and MuldroE Define Their
Positions.
Congressional Record, Jan. slst-l
FORFEITED LASD GRANTS.

Mr.. 10DD. i now mOFe tHat eNS !
House proceed to the consideration OF
the bill (H. r. $500 declaring forfeited
certain grants of land made 10 certain
states in aid of the construction OF rali-
roads.
Mr. Van Eaton. / desire to offer an
amendment to the bill.
The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Spring
err in the Chair.) The gentleman from
Indiana is entitled to the floor.
Mr. Cobb. What does the gentleman
desire?
Mr. Van Eaton. wish to offer an
amendment.
Mr.. Cobb. I consent that he may
offer it.
The Speaker pro tempore. The amend
ment will be read.
The Clerk read as follows:
Amend the bill By adding after the word
act' in the fourteenth line the following
words: ALSO except so much of said act as
relates to the grant of lands in aid OF
railroad from Brandon to the Gulf of Mex
leo, commonly known as the Gulf and Ship |
Island Railroad"
Mr.. Van Eaton. Mr.. Speaker, de |
sire briefly to call the attention OF the
| House to the views as set forth IN the
amendment had the honor to offer t.
/ the bill under consideration. desire
/ in the first place to return my sincere
| thanks to the Chairman of the Commit
| tee ON the Public L,Eds, as well as to
/ the House. for the courtesy extended t.
myself when this bill was first brought
np for consideration; for at that time
| was physically unable to present my
| views as | would like to do, whatever
NAV be the result of my attempt to-day
| Furthermore, desire to say that last
week when the resolution If the gentle
man from Indiana (Mr. Holman) was
I'D for consideration two of my. col
leagues from Mississippi and myself
voted against it. We knew that thu
neople of our State had never ceased to
hone for the benefits that were natural
ly expected to flow from this grant
wi ich we are now considering. We con
sidefed that we were instructed, when
the matter came up, to vote against the
forfeiture of that grant; and we believed
shat we would be placing ourselves III
an antagonistic or contradictory position
if we voted for a sweeping act OF for
fixture one dav and the next came in
and asked the House to make an excep
ton in our favor.
Now, speaking for myself alone, Mr..
Speaker, | have this further to say: !
did most heartily concur in the sentl-
l ments 50 well expressed by the gentle
man from Maine (Mr. keed) on that
question, and the gentleman from Mich
lgan Mr.. Horr), to the effect that it was
rather swee ping legislation to be hurried
l through on such short consideration.
L IL ,1Oht ho XCh
? there should be an exception; where the
: .Uaus, .tI.uough not completed, mlghi
fairly appeal to the justice and equity
of his House; where we might not &C
.ept the pou Id of flesh, although we die
s happen to h We the bond.
/ / heartily concur with the genera
e spirit ana scope of the resolution Il
= which | have referred. AS a genera
. thing | thiak these old grants, wher'
IS they have not been availed of by thu
n companies for whose benefit they wer
If made, ought to be forfeited, but thinl
q there might be exceptions. l thin
:, chat there may be cases where we nigh
II very properly decline to make forfeit
N ure, and | think, Mr., Speaker, the cas-
to under consideration, covered by m
b. amendment, is enc of those exceptions
e as / shall hope to show.
j. Let us look at it. In 1856, on tn
10 18th day OF August, there was approve
an act of Congress granting lands
States in aid of certain new railroads
n, Among the rest, as expressed in the ac
j. was a grant to the State of Mississippi
RI in aid of the construction of railroa
n from Brandon to the Gulf of Mexico
This. | say, was on the 18th of Angus
1856. The bill had the usual provision
n for SURVEYS, location, filing of map
a and sale of lands. The bill further pre-
al vided that if the road was not compile
n ed in ten wears no further sales shout
: he made. and the lands should revert I
the United States.
We'll, now, at The outset, to be unde
STOOD to be plain, admit before thi
is House that this road has never bee
,c- built or commenced, and yet l appe;
to the sense of justice of this House ne
y to forfeit this particular grant; an
ed Why? Has anything been done upo
m it?
It's Mr.. Speaker, find on reference
uo Executive Document No. IA of tn
Forty -seventh Congress, which / hol
y in my hand, the report of The Secretar
IL Of the Interior upon this subject. ID
he states that on the 9th day of NoVen
:. Der, 1860, map of the definite locatio
." of the road was filed in his office. Mar
m the date: November 81 1860. So thu
of IN to that time we find the benefciarit
,rs Of the grant were taking all prope
!, initiatory steps to avail themselves of i
TX n Now, Mr.. Speaker, it is only nece'
N sary for me to refer to the state {
3 things prevailing in this country
es- November, 1860, to show you by til
nd mere statement, stronger than any a
gument, that in that section of I'll
country at least nothing further coul
ID. be done in the way of railroad buildin
cts at that particular time. In fact, yo
"A may say during the whole of the tie
nr years covered by this grant in that Sc
Oh tiOn of the country it was literally
physical impossibility to construct
road. We know it now We did NJ
know it then. 1t was not long aft
ter this grant was made that the war cleu
of gathered above the horizon, so soon a
av Ter to burst in the terrible tempest
HE battle.
oie Whatever could be done in the Nor
get and West, in the section where Il
ole grant Is located no road could ha'
Y a been built clear up fir. the time Il
,an maps of location were filed until Il
time of the forfeiture, August IL, 1876
US At that time the war was just over. II
people in that section were in the thro
,ur and troubles of reconstruction trying
r. build up a new order of things.
' fact railroad building about that tin
Tue was Just the last thing they cou
set think of.
cen So much for that, Mr.. Chairman.
yes think Just barely to state the date OF t
the decade in which the act required tn
road to be built, and to state the locati
py of the country in which it was, is
ave state & reason full and ample why til
ire Dad could not be completed IN the {
cal years.
LII we are met With the argume
use that seventeen years and more ha
Hg- eIapsed, and all that time you ha
irt, done nothing. Mr. Speaker, we cou
bsti not avail of that grant since the 18th
August. 1866, for the simple reason tn
ma the deed Of forfeiture had attached, a
md we could get no capital, no men
itv money to take these lands aHd bass
the loan or mortgage upon them and !
them as The basis Of credit for the ct
- struefion Of the raod. No man VOL
ion touch sisel9 after the forfeiture b
ate attached.
.ity But what else could have Eeea don
,at- It Is said we might have shown an be
est disposition to avail of them. 50
~ have. II has been the dream of |
oeople Df the State of Mississippi
luis more than . generation to have &
-ge- road built. The act Of 1855 xas 50
the commencement and putting IN pr
!, tfce Of their desire.
- Ecz. sir, as soon after the war,
.loE soon after fSs troubles and turmo
{ consequent upon tls vi, IS they POI
the BY could. the people Of the stase