The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-03-11
THE roc. 600 AORE JOB.


With several Republican organs Mr..
Hughes Easts appolD tmeot seems to have
overshadowed the giving away of 100000
acres of public lands by Teller, the last Re
publican Secretary of the Interior. The
organs are backward in referring to the mat
ter. but the Republican Senator, Van WICK,
of Nebraska, yesterday called the attention
of the United States Senate to it,
and although its immediate consideration
was objected to by Senator Edmunds, we
will probably get to the bottom of the job
before many moons. About two years ago
jay Gould, with some other railroad monop-
olists, were discovered secretly working up
a scheme to get possession of this vast
amount of Louisiana lands. As the SentI-
mel stated yesterday morning, it is worth
from 81 % to 50 so per acrs. The entire
track is valued in the neighborhood of
50, OOO, GOO, or perhaps a half million more
dollars might be added. Gould
and his crowd probably secured the
services OF the very man they wanted, and
be il rendered that bis name is Teller, and
he was. until March 4, the Republican Sec
rotary of the Interior. He now goes into
the United States Senate. 1t was only the
other day that very serious charges were
made against him by the Republican Ssns-
tor from Colorado. Mr.. Hill. They were in
relation to some very grave transactions con-
corning lands in New Mexico. Mr.. Hill de-
manded the papers in relation to the affair
from the Secretary OF the Interior, but he
l. a, Il. L. 1t
SIGN, when his term of Office was about to
expire. Mr.. Hill viii probably not let the
matter rest, however, aud in the meantime
Mr.. Van Wyck's resolution talks as If it in
tended cuisines" on this last 100000 acre
job. The only explanation that we have
seen concerning the matter is contained in
the following special dispatch to the Chicago
Tribune:
This is one of the grants which were never
canned, and which the present company claims
oy way OF assignment. William II. Barnum has
been enc OF the prominent owners of the charter.
The amount OF land involved is some 700 600 acres.
much OF II valuable. Questions relating 70 this
land grant have been repeatedly referred to Con-
gress for action, but they were not reached. The
position of the Interior Department has been that
no action should be taken as 10 the granting of
the patents until Congress should determine
whether or not the grant should be
upon It. if the Secretary of the In
terror in the closing days of hts administra-
ton, did direct that the patents should issue he
has the opinion OF Attorney General Brewster TO
fall back upon, who declared last summer that the
grant wes grant OF lands in presents that the
assignment OF the old territory was valid, and
that the lands consequently belonged to the road.
If the patents have been issued Congress next
winter will undoubtedly make inquiries regard
Ing il. but it is difficult to see what Congress
do about it. The senate, in special session, has
no power to DO legislative business, and the pat.
tents once having passed under the opinion OF
the Attorney General, and Congress not having
declared forfeiture, II is probable tsat the
United States Supreme Court would declare that
they gave a valid title 10 the land
If everything is correct fair and square in
this transaction, as intimated in the
cooked dispatch, why did Mr.. Secretary
Teller allow the matter to slumber until the
very last days OF his official life, then qui-
city, without saying word to President Ar
thur or to the Congress which expired March
4, issue the patents for this immense amount
of land, walk out OF his Office. hand the key
over to his successor, and exclaim: "Well,
what are you going to do about it?' The
Senate and House are tied hand and foot,
and the Supreme Court is expected to in
dorse the job. We do not believe that we
are very far from the jobbers in the scheme
when We name Gould, Huntington, the
Seney syndicate ana Leland Sandford, the
new Republican seventy five millionaire,
from Galifarn1a