The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-10
TELLER'S DEFIANCE.
The COLORADO SENATOR ON THE
BACKBONE" LAND GRANT.
Ee Defends His Action rs Secretary and
Defies Van Wyck to Make the Most
of It-CIeVeland's Latest-Cap-
ital Gossip.

dent called Ihe senate TO order at at Il
O'Clock every seat was iiiled. The chair lai1
before inc senate communications from
Lamar anu 9ariahd informing the vice pres
ldent that they mad accepted the portfolios
of the department of the interior, and that
OF the department OF justice respectively.
The chair also laid before the senate the
governor creientials OF Henry W. Blair
to be ohIted States senator from the state
OF New hampshire Salisbury denied the
right Oh governor TO appoint a senator for
the beginning of term. After some debate
the question went over for the day.
At the request Of Van Wyck the chair laid
before the senate the resolution offered by
HIM on Friday last, calling upon the sacre-
tary OF the interior for information respect
ing the issuance Of land patents to the New
Orleans, Baton Rouge & Nicksburg ("Back-
bone'l railroad, and inquiring whether unu-
sual means had been used to hasten such
patent. q
Van Wyck, after the resolution was read,
proceeded to address the senate, reviewing
the course of procedure by the railroads to
secure these lands. lie dwelt at length upon
what he termed the fraudulent acts Of the
Gould -Huuton crowd. 1t has been an
nouuced, said the senator, that a special
meeting of the cabinet was held 70 lelraliz,
this fraud Why such hasteg Why should
the clerical force be compelIeJ to work
night and SUNDAYS to get the natants
through before the 4th of March, Was it
supposed that the republic would die with
March AZ
After further remarks the senator gave
notice that the locality of the natents ,y1pIj
be nrotosted
senator Teller was sprnrised Mt tbe reso-
Iution offered bv the senator from Nebra,ka
1t was not his first anpsarance before the
ruhlic He wisbei 10 he known as tbe srarial
chananion OF the laborinr classes \ uum-
ber If similar resolutions had reached fba
executive Of the administration which has
inst retiral from the same sourca es this
ona He w.nld nct rermit similar ras,-
lu,inns to annoy the present administration
without his earnest protest. "Whv. Mr.
President" said Teller, from the ding OF
this resolution. YOU would sIIppose that il!
issuing these land patents something had
been done which had never been done be
fore; but as u matter of fact, every secretary
of the interior for the last eight years has
done exactly what was done in this case by
the retiring secretary.
During the course Of his remarks Teller
was interrupted with questions by the sen
ator from Nebraska, which were met with
sharp responses to the effect that the very
questions put 10y the senator showed that
he was entirely ignorant of the facts
IN the case. Teller explained at length
the course by which the department had
Ja1l N he Ita1 /
TO shield the department. The records
would snow thGt The lands were granted by
authority OF law, and the house committee
had declared that they were assignable. Ih
question OF assignment had been submitted
to the attorney general who, after months
OF attention, decided that the assignment
was valid, and that the company was en-
titled TO the land. The attorney general
clted the differences between this case and
that Of the Texas Pacific and Southern
Pacific grants Teller sent to the clerks
desk to be incorporated in The Record the
opinion Of the attorney general, and various
other documents bearing on the case, and
said that were it necessary he could
fortify the position Of the department with
innumerable court decisions. lie also re-
ferrad to the bill reported to the senate Dec.
"a. 1874, by the committee on public lands
which Iegalizei to the road precisely the
same lands which were granted hv
the department. He cited instances
showing that twelve or fourteen rail
road companies had been granted lands long
after tie tine for the completion of their
roads had expirsd-in one instance thirteen
years afterwards. Referring t. tine cry of
the senator in regard to the settlers Teller
maintained that he had in his departmental
rulings done more for the settlers than the
senator had done for them in all his life He
had heard some reference to the action of the
cabinet He would not shield himself behind
the president or the decision of his cabinet
BY law and by Justice the railroad company
in this case were entitled to these lands two
years before they received them.
Inr,i.l.,+;,o opd evncrti,a b.orcbos of tba
government with relation to this road rs fol
lows. The lands were withdrawn in 1871
and 1871 The validity of tbe grant and of
the eass;rnrnant thareof was recognizad bv +be
commissioner of the general land Office Hon
A ! Williamson. by his letters Of Fea II
oi or 1891 py, co,r,t,,.,, L I-;,.I,,,,,-I =, .b,