St. Landry democrat., 1885-03-21

NtSAA AZ <4t luSlduCS senator NTlD-
son made the same statement to Sena-
tor Morgan, consulted with Mr.. r..
John Ellis abOnt this bill. He told me
1t was satisfactory to the railroad, after
suggesting some few minor modifca-
tons, to which had no especial Obiec-
tlon, saying that if I could get the bill
through the Senate, he would assist, to
the extent of his power, in securing it's
passage in the House. I endeavored in
every way possible to secure some ac-
ton upon that bill in the Senate, and
had spoken to the Speaker of the House,
Mr. Carlisle, and explained to him what
the bill was; that hoped to have it
/ called up and passed in thesSenate, and
| desired him to recognize me for the
purpose of having it called up in the
House for that purpose and Speaker
Carlisle promised to do so. / hoped, up
to the last moment, that Senator Nor
gan might be able to call the matter up
III the Senate, and was astonished to
find, on the evening of the 28th of Feb
ruary, that Secretary Teller, in viola
ton of his promise to various mem
bers OF Congress, had issued orders to
his subordinates to expedite, by all pos
sible means, by working night and day,
Sundays included, if necessary, the
preparation Of the necessary papers for
Sbo 4CSboAASC "a
PATENTS IN THIS CASE.
son Monday, 2d of March, | drew
up protest which has been published
by the press of the country That pro-
| test handed to the President myself
in person on Monday, the Cd day of
| March, at 4 o'clock in the evening.
As is well-known that protest con-
| tanned a statement that the Secretary
of the Interior had assured certain
members of Congress that he would
take no action in these land grant mat
ters where bills were pending for their
forfeiture, the truth of which state
| ment has never, to my knowledge, been
denied by the Secretary of the Interior. |
Upon that occasion the President in |
quired of the Secretary of the Interior
whether patents had been issued. He |
was informed that they had not, but
were in the course of preparation. In |
my presence he ordered the Secretary |
of the Interior to suspend the issuance
of patents until the following day, when |
he could see him. On that occasion |
called to the Presidents attention the |
fact that Senator Morgan, who had |
been the leading 0ppOnentin the Senate |
to these forfeiture bills, that is to say |
their unqualified forfeiture, had signed
[ left the President
feeling confident that all |
further action in the matter would |
cease. Other members of Congress, as
well as myself, believed that the pro-
test would he an effectual check upon
the proposed action of
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
As member of the Public Lands
Committee, /, of course, became fami
liar with many other bills proposing
forfeiture of land grants as we'll as
this, and notably the Northern Pacific
land grant That company built over
500 miles of their road before the limit
within which they were to build the
whole road had expired. They built
after that limit had expired some 1900
miles of road. By the lease of road
over which they have control, they
have q Through line from Duluth to
Pugit Sound, the two teTwini of the
road as originally chartered. That
road, in my Judgment, under the law
and in equity, have far better
claim to the 45,000,000 acres of land
granted to them than has the New Or
leans Pacific Road to the 1900, 600 acres
granted in this case.
s. could see no greater reason for the
issuance of the Backbone patents than
that case in fact less reason. could
name other land grant matters, which,
in MY judgment. had equal claims on
the Interior Department with the Back
bone matter, and hence ] could not, for
q moment, doubt bat that the protest
above mentioned wODld, as / stated be-
fore. prove an effeetual check to the
proposed action of the Interior Depart
ment."
Reporter; General, in regard to those
land grants which you think had equal,
and in some cases better, claims than
the Backbone Grant, did the Interior
Department busy itself
TO EXPEDITE THEIR PATENTS.
Gen, Lewis It did not, to my knowl-
edge, and am satisfied if the Depart
ment had done so it would have come
to my knowledge, because / was mem
Der of the Public Lands Committee,
which had those matters in charge.
REPORTER General, have you had any
intercourse with other Departments or
officials in reference to this matter?
Gen. Lewis: had with other Off
cials of the Interior Department. On
the morning of the 5th of March
called upon the Commissioner of the
General Land Office, Mr.. Mcfarland,
and inquired of him whether or not the
patents had been issued, and to my ut
ter ama9ement, he responded that they
had been on the evening of March Sd.
/ said to him that regretted very much
to hear it, and that would have q sad
message to carry back to the poor set
tiers in my district The Commissioner
thereupon told me that the matter had
been discussed in the Cabinet. Secre-
karv Teller had presented the whole I