New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-03-10
ATTACKING MR.. TELLER
.n,p,rrn DEFENCE BY THE SENATOR.
Nm VAN wYcK's CHARGES AGAINST The La"
IN ..,,,sr. .r,oS-THE BACKBONE RAILROAD.

vU.sy,ycroy. March O. The resolution
.rsr.d on Friday by Mr.. Van Wyck, making inquiry u
~ secretary of the Interior with regard to the
!, n,tcuts TO tho Backbone road was laid before 'n'
SENATE to-day Mr. Van wyck said that IL woud pe o"
,dered matter of sincsrc regret that an admiis'ra
t,on which succeeded to those which began quarter VI
q century ago to break the power or orgahi1oo
and check the aggressions of the greatest monopoy
which ever cast it, light upon the coh'nen' '" 49,.
have clonnded its good name IN inc "'''
aay of its existence-more than could be dohe ~ ay
word mr. act of its enemiesthat its final act shouo nav"
been performed at the dictation ana IN 'he "'o,o
coruorate wealth whose power had grown W 10 o"t
font whose ageressions deadly as inc ono w.
thrown The bond OF slavery has peen proAo"' o"' ~.
N,,oo had been apecty surrendered TO the more trn
'' no,,o,v of corporations Tue record OF the
p,.t,,ore Railroad he said was most remarhaoic
cha,ter In 1871 large grant was given thus company
IN condition that its road should be compe'e" win"
Ave years. During the time not mile was ou'i'' I've
only act was to issue millions In bonds fiVo 'o"''
moro passed and not rod OF roao was
n.,r,ctca Tho eompany was absolutely bankrupt
n would he said that the New-Oreans and racine !"
ss, became the successor OF the Backbone company,
and built not the road mentioned In the grant, ou'
nm the faith or expectation of this grant-ae'u a" "
,,sd by reason Of conditions twice broken Ius No"
oans and Pacific was incorporated in 1879 as rival
:" the Backbone and repeated attempts were made
to have its rivals grant forfeited py 0oh-
eress and the land transferred W iso'i'
Messrs Gould aud Huntington would not consent '''
Congress sho ud felt this grant unless IL shouu o
yey 1t to them. In the end, when they haa nearly 'o
n,s,Aa the NewOrleans and Pacific road they receVeu
from the bankrupt Backbone Company the assignment
of what they had themselves asserted was wo''me'
rant The only way to obtain the grant was py stear
ing It. and they mad now partially succeedeu ae"s e
protest of the Nation and portion OF Congress ~ ~
said that there was special meeting OF the ia'o 'o0
its last-to legalize this fraud The question: VI oi
CanO
been held for ten years and more Without any ao",
"a conoly with the conditions, and what rgne
had that company In its assigns to stand AZ the
of Congress ami demand i'm mediate action at inc perm
being compelled deliver nearly million OF acres Oh
land. worth from 81, 100000 to Sl0o000o0i BY what
mysterious p>wer could they cOerce this Governmon'
into an extra Session OF its Cabinet and secure action
with which they would seek to forecose Congress anu
the people from effectively rendng the spoer Oh MS
prey, What right had the President and Cabinet
70 waive broken conditions That power was. Ves'eu al
Congress alone.
nights insult the religious sentiment OF TINS Na'o
by working ON Sundays Was all other business In the
Interior Department concluded by March ~
Mr. Teller replying to Mr.. Van Wyck said:
Mr. PREspENT:-My experience In this body mas not
been lengthy as that OF some that SIT oelpre M Jun
after the something over eigt years tnst nave oeeh
ent on picking up resolution discourecus 50 I'M
senatorial as this coordinate branch OF the Govern
m
which II Was INTRODUCED II enabled the mover Of
this resolution to appear before the Public n n0'
s ssi the special Champion lsorn o .aS
opponent OF corporations presume that the senator
IN introducing The resolution of the Govern
ment would allow itself ~ be thus assaed Withoat
closs and on some other occasion, l shall call the
attention of the Senate to the remarkable character
Of yarl Saxs Sen directed to the Executive
partmcnt Of this Government within me ne last last
fhrre wears want to give notice here ana 10 every
body that although the administration has passed INTO
the Of political parly with which am mo not s
tive Department Of the government l never Intend,
be treated by this Senator other by resolutions
as the late Administration has been treated ,,,
All that this honora6le senator has said today you would
that IN the issuing Of this patent tae Ger e
something that has never oeen done 6siore Every
s tor Tor the last eight years has done exactly
what has been done by the secretary VINO mas Just re-
senator mas been member either OF the House OF Rep
resentatives Of this body He has been member OF
the Committee Pablie Lands ana never ether On tna
committee or in this body has he been heard TO say
word this subject II is IN the press II Is where the
senator can get credit OF being the champion OF the
downtrodden aud oppressed sla ths 9pPoneu I I S
aud the interests OF che Government can pe
If desirable TO project them-he has Deen a. Silent
as grave. There are on he records OF the Lana ONO
millions of acres land Issued under exactly the same
sluation as under which this land was Issued
LUIS recoanzed by tie act OF 1871 known as
the Texas Pacific Act 1t was tue policy OF me general
oyernme Mt to give the people OF that section OF the
country 1t had given TO the northern section OF inc
country continental line to the P@enc eoas anu io
name conferred on them grant Among others was the
nm commonly known the Backbone Company:
This company was organized nhaer inc laws oi
the State Of Louisiana with remarkaoe poweIs anu anu
privileges whole que tion involved related to the
limitation of i've years provided 9y inc ac ior tpe oS1
railroad grant aud the question IN this case hsd Dee PC
fore he department for three yeS sa tae ony
question whether the company haVlh. tom,
AZ II had completed the road within time The ques
ton whether they had the right TO assign IS they ora
assign TO another corporation had been long since aDd
doned by every body The Supreme Court had decided
more than one occasion that those lana gaa's SeTs
IN present. meant. The assignment once hlaue, the
ssSa " ac The Roase
being unwilling or unabe-it made no difference when
those lands to another company called the Neworeans
and Texas Paec the latter co'n pay accepted dae ION
condition they should comply with the condition
subsequent, which condition subsequent was me Dn
ing OF the road They then came 10 the Department OF
the Interior.
In reply to ntcrrogatories by Mr. Van wyck Mr. Tel
Ter said that the company had claimed nothing except
for the road had built subsequent to the assign
ment The Senator from Nebraska nc said,
had been heard the stump ana In the
newspapers claiming that this was a precedent
for the grant OF 100000 acres to TIE Texas Pachc
Mr. Teller didn't charge that Mr. Van Wyck had maze
that statement wilfuly, for he doubted whether Mr..
Van wyck could appreciate the difference between this
ease and the Texas Pacific, although the Attorney Gen
eral had declared that 1t not similar case but as
widely different 1t possible for two cases to be-
Mr. Van wyck asked how many miles the company had
received patent for 2
Mr. Teller could not positively say, but the order had
been for 1t TO receive for much AS they had built
subsequent to The assignment.
The Interior Department Mr.. Teller said had waited
ana waited for final action by Congress The Sen
air from Nebraska appeared In the newspapers and on
thd stump but he had not spoken where his voice