The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-17
BONE OF CONTENTION:
TIE BACKBONE" LAND GRANT
AGAIN ATTACKED AND DEFENDED.
Eustis Loads the Charge and Teies
Stands to His Gun-An Important
Appointment-Ha Zen Explains
Investigation Ordered-Notes.

WASHINGTON CITY, March FIN the
senate, Monday, Blair submitted resolu-
ton proposing the continuation Of tho time
in which the committee on education and
labor may complete the investigation Of tho
differences which exist between capital and
labor; laid over
The resolution offered by Van Wyss call
ing upon tie secretary of the interior for i'll
formation respecting the issuance Of laud
patents to the backbone railroad, and in
curing whether there was undue haSta
used in executing said patents, was then
taken W.
EuStis asked the indulgence OF the senate
to mska q few remarks in opposition TO the
granting Of the patents He was personally
cognizant that by the issue of the patents
an injury, almost irreparable, hal oeen
done 70 no people in lis district. He pro
tested against the issue Of the patents
in behalf OF these people, because, by their
issuance. the poor settlers would probably be
disturbed on their present homesteads. He
denied that the title TO the lands was, a
has teen asserted, legal title. With a.
respects to tie senator from Colorado, h
proceeded to explain why, in his opinion,
the title was Illegal, briefly reviewing the
history of the road and maintaining that the
corporation had never built milo Of
road on the east bank of the Missis-
sippi river, and taking the ground
that the grant could not be earned unle;,
the whole of tie conditions were complied
with. He cited various authorities to show
that the New Orleans Baton Rouge & Vicks
burg railroad forfeited its charter by it
failure to comply with the condition
thereof; never compiled with the conditions
OF its charter; never paid q debt-nOi
even its lawyers: never lived for any
corporate pErpo q whatever, but wai a
skeleton of q derilect association. He con
cluiei with the hope that cqpEress still had
jurisdiction over this question: that it would
be investigated, and that its jurisdiction
shall not in the future lie ousted by any
executive officer of the government and
that we will in the future have an admin
istration in full sympathy with the poor PEG
pie, and protect them from the rapacity o
rich railroad corporations IApplause in the
galleries.
In reply to a question by George, Teller
! said that when the state of Louisiana
granted the original charter to the Back
bone company it was provided that the aet
| should not be modified or repeated withou
the consent of the company. Referring T.
the legal question involved Teller said i
had been recognized by his predecessors
who sent out commission to pas
upon il; that the attorney genera
| had decided tbs company ha,
| a right to build on the west side of tho river
and that every point made by the senate
| from louisa ma had been covered by re
| port made by thirteen out of tine fiftee
| members Of the house Judiciary committe
| in the Forty eighth congress. As the de
| partment of the interior had been vigorously
rs allied by the senators from Nebraska an
| Louisiana, be wished to call TIL
attention of the senate and tn
country to the names of mem
bers of the house judiciary com
mittoe who passed upon this question. an
after reading the list of members Of th
| committee said that he wss willing to stan'
| by their decision The subcommittee whic
passed upon the question consisted of Messrs
| Tucker, Poland and Broadhead, and tn
minority statement of the committee wa
| signed by but two members-MesSrs Ham
mOnd Of Georgia, and Ezra B. Taylor o
| Ohio.
Teller continued: Against the gentlemen
passing upon this question, there were tn
senators from Nebraska Van Wyckl an
| Louisiana lEustisl He expressed the opinio
that it ill-became any one in this body
complain Of the action Of the executive d.
partment Of the government, whic
was compelled hy law to issue patents fC
land whenever parties are .enttlei thereto
II the new administration about which W
hear is to commence TO undo what the lat
administration has dons, it should do it b
law and with dignity. How shall it be don't
! By he introduction OF a resolution in tn
body, Nay! by thu law Of tho land.
there is anything irregular in this matte
let it be settled by the courts.
At tho conclasion OF Teller's r
marSs resolutions were offered pr,
posing saSecs committees to sit dur,n
tie races IN tie subject of interstate con
merco AMI forestry. Cockre.l asked that til
resolution lie over He was afraid that tb
drain upon the contingent fund Of the sanat
to meet the expenses Of thsse special con
mittees wHs getting littls top-heavy, an
there might be grsat trouble TO get appr(
pTiations to meet such expenses.