Morris tribune., 1884-12-03

grant forfeited because the road Is not com.
pleted within the time fixed in the grant Tho
Supreme Court Of the United States declared
in the case of Schnlenbepg Vi, Hartman that
failure to complete the road within the time
fixed in the grant did not forfeit the grant.
Under this decision the department. cannot
treat the land SO granted TO the railroad COM
panies or to the States for the benefit OF such
corporations as public lands; and to all 1ntentB
and purposes, so far as the public is cor cerned,
the grants are private property, notw1thstand-
ing that the companies in some instances have
not even attempted to comply with tho con-
ditions of the grant. Complaint Is made that
grants made more than quarter OF century
ago still treated as valid subslsting grants
and the settler forbidden to 60 thereon, although
nothing has been done toward the Duliulng OF
the road, which must be built before the rail-
road company can receive the evidence OF one
title given to it by the Government SO many
years before. If the grants are not 1ortelteQ
when there has not been full compliance with
the conditions of the grant, 1t seems to be Just
and proper that some provision should be made
by which the settlers, who, throug n ignorance
or because they believed such grants had been
or would be forfeited, have made settle cement on
such railroad lands can secure title through
the railroad company or from the Government.
The figures given in Commissioner Dudleys
recent report are repeated, and In conclusion
the Secretary says:
Persons applying for pension prior to July 1,
$780, are entitled to pension from the time OF
discharge or the death of the person on whose
account the claim is made, unless the disability
subsequent to that date the pension must COM
mence from the time of the filing of the applica-
ton. No good reasons can be given why the
claimants who file their claims after July l..
1880, ought not to receive their pensions
from the time of discharge if such dis
ability then existed, or If not then existing,
from the time such disability originated.
1t is but Just that all persons who are able to
establish the right to receive pension should
be treated alike with reference to time OF the
commencement thereof. 1t has been urged in
favor of this limitation that the large amount
of arrears is an inducement to applicants to
apply and secure a pension, and that the large
amount to be realized is temptation to com
NIT fraud on the Government by means OF false
witnesses. The Government has the means OF
detecting fraud if attempted, and injustice
should not be done to the deserving and needy
soldier for fear the Government may in some
few instances be imposed upon and compelled
to pay pension to which the soldier is not
justly entitled. 1t is impossible for soldier to
secure pension for disabilities not existing;
1t is often, however, a question whether such
stability is is not the result of service in the
line of duty. The rules of the Pension Office
for the determination of this question are suf-
hciently strict, and. with a proper admin1stra-
ton of the affairs of that Office, very few PEN
sions will be allowed parties not entitled to re-
ceiye the same
The relations of the land-grant railroads to
the Government are given in detail, and are
comprised in the following summaries. The
accounts with the Pacific roads as to moneys
no account of the moneys in the sinking fund
held by the United States Treasurer or of the
compensation for services not settled at the
time G follows.