St. Landry democrat., 1885-03-21
Pacific Railroad Company after said

tion, that in April 1888, the
New Orleans Pa ific Railroad
Company mortga ged this entire LAND
grant to Trust Company in New York
under which mortgage it was stipulat
ed that the amount of the bond should
be limited to the amount of $3.50 pei
acre of the land, and that no bonds
should be issued until the company
received the patents, which mortgage
was recorded in the different parishes
throughout the entire length OF the
railroad, in the State. There was not
the slightest allusiOn in it from begin
ming to end, to the settlers or their
rights in the premises. There was not
"a word or syllable contained IN the
document under which the settlers
could claim the benefit of the celebrat-
ed Blanchard and Robertson agree
ment.
[ had this mortgage in my posses
sion when | introduced the bill for for
feiture. called the attention of the
Hon. E. John Ellis to the omission to
protect the settlers under this Blan-
chard and Robertson agreement, and
said to him that [ thought, to say the
least of it, this was a strange omission,
in view of the fact that the Company
mortgage, then for the first time
ADVERTISED TO THE SETTLERS
to come forward und give descriptions
of the lands upon which they had loca-
ted after they had negotiated such a
mortgage.
On or about the 7th or 8tll of Janua-
ry, 1884, the company negotiated sup
Elemental mortgage, in which they, for
the first time. in corporated in any Off
cial document, provision looking to
the Blanchard and Robertson agree
ment. That instrument was dated
January 4, 1884, and in my Judgment
would never have been heard of had
it not been for the fact that l had in
troduced bill for the forfeiture OF the
land grant, and called attention to the
fact that they had neglected to make
any provision for the enforcement of
the Blanchard and Robertson agreement
in the act of mortgage. A curious fea-
ture of this supplemental mortgage is,
that it authorized the immediate issu-
ance of the bonds which was prohibited
in the original act. This will seem to
any fair minded man still more suspi-
cious, in view of the fact that bills for
the forfeiture of this land grant were
pending both in the House and in the
Senate. Whether these bonds have
ever been issued or not, am unable to
say. T..
the House, and favorabiy reported upon,
was finally, after severe struggle, de-
feated during the first session of the
Forty eighth Congress, by small ma
jority. A similar bill, however, was
pending in the Senate, introduced by
Senator Hill, at the same session. 1t was
in the hands of theCOmmittee on Pub
lie Lands, of that body, and no report
had been made upon it.
"The first session of the Forty eighth
Congress closed, without any final or
definite action having been taken in the
matter, the bill introduced in the Senate
being still before the Public Lands
of that body. In the mean
time the Secretary of the Interior had
given assurances to various members
Of Congress, both House and Senate,
that he did not intend to take any ac-
ton looking toward the confirmation of
and grants, for the forfeiture of which
bills were pending, and believed that
ne would carry out his promise.
"The bill before the Public Lands
Committee of the Senate was elabo-
for reported by Senator Morgan, from
That substitute proposed a forfeiture
IF the entire land grant east Of the
River, and of that west of
he Mississippi River, so far as the road
lad been constructed on the 1st. of
January, 1881. Itrellnquished the
TITLE OF THE GOVERNMENT
% the balance of the land grant on two
conditions precedent: One was that |
The New Orleans Pacific Railroad Com
,any should enter into written agree
nent to carry out the unexecuted obi |
rations and duties of the Backbone |
Company, and the other was that it |
hOuld also assent in writing that the |
Interior Department should issue pa
ents to the settlers in the actual occu-
)ancy of lands to the extent of no more |
ban 100 acres, at price not to exceed |
92 per acre, upon terms of payment to |
,e fixed by the Secretary of the Inte- |
ior; the money derived from the sale
hereof to be placed in the United States |
Treasury, to the credit of the conf
Dany.
This bill was disposed to accept |
d the interest of the settlers, rather |
han have no settlement at all The |
moment the bill was reported, I went |
O the Senate and saw Senators Jonas |
md Gibson, and requested them to SEQ
senator Morgan, in order that the bill |
night be called upat the earliest possible |
moment. Senator Jonas did see Sena-
or Morgan, and told me that he had |
aid to him, that was the chief oppo- |
Ient to the railroad in this matter, and |
hat he was authorized to say for me,
hat in view of the fact that my bill
ad been defeated before the House. at
he last session. I was willing to ac-
ept that bill, in the interest of the set
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