Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-13

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| WAzzSGrox. Feb. I2-Tae chair Iai,
before the senate the House eone1rreu
resolution providing for . joint CON
Irtss OF three members Of the Hoas,
OF Representatives AID tzo Senators 4
notlfy Grover Cleveland Of hrs ssecslsr
- President Of the CBfted States frou
tee 4fh of March rexf. and TO nosify
lnenss 4, Hendricks Of bis election a
vice President from the same date.
Us motion of Garland il zss referred
70 the Committee on Privileges and
Elections- Garland said the phrassolo
~ cf tee resolution needed looking al.
Ine senate passed the original Joint
resolution authorizing the President 20
retorn 20 the Government of Great
bfIilin Ehe steamer Alert, With the
thanks OF the United States.
lie resolutions offered Yesterday hy
ingalls, snd hoar, relating 10 the EIect-
ofaI Court, were on motion of Hoar re-
ferrsd without comment 70 the Con.
Uit.se on Privileges and Elecsious.
resolution offered by Sherman vas
agreed 10 author zin9 the President Of
the senate - appoint a eontnitt-e Of
inree Senator'S to make the necessary
arrangements for the insasurstion Of
the President elect.
van Wyck impaired of the ehair xhy
the bill TO forfeit the Texas Pacide land
grant had been displaced from its p1.si.
ton at the head Of the special orders.
he said the bill had not been consid-
cred by the Senate. but xhsther by mis-
sske Of the clerk or for some other rea-
son, the ball had within q few DAYS die
appeared from tbs special orders.
lie CHAIR tEdmunds) said IL was
owing to 40 mistake Of tn clerk. The
DILL had been placed before the Sepate
as 9 special order in a technical form,
and the Senate by vote refused to con-
slder IL and proceeded to consider an
other bill. This was the anti silver
coinage bill That refusal, the chair
said, under the constant rulings of pre-
siding officers Of the Senate, sent the
bill back to the general calendar and it
ceased te be special order.
Van Wyok asked unanimous consent
that shs bill be restored to its place
among the special orders. He doub
very Inuce whether the Senators, vheh
they decided 10 take up the silver bill,
thought they were displacing the Texas
forfeiture bill.
The chair said il Was in order for sny
SenstOr, at Any time after morning bnsi
Ness, to move TO proceed to the consid
Grafton Of any bill on the calendar.
Ingalls, did not think the Senate had
been properly advised as to its inter
probation of the rule when il displaced
the bill. Ingalls, had supposed that a
bill when once placed among the special |
orders remained there until disposed Of.
de die sot speak oomplAiniagly, but fe { |
satisfied that it had not bseu the DUR
pose Of the Senate to displace the for
feitars bill.
Van Wyck's request for q laniiaous |
consent was accede to, and the bill |
vas ordered restored TO its place among |
the special ord rs.
Vest read letter from a gentleman |
residing in Michigan, whom, he said, be |
did not know, but whose responsibility |
had been vouched for by Senator from |
Michigan. The letter stated that the |
ball introduced by Senator Palmer, ap.
parently for the benefit of bona fds par
chasers of public lands. was not In
reality In their interests, but in the in
terest Of few persons who through |
coliusioR with Government land agents
have been enabled to boy Rrea, tracts Of |
public lands at private sale. contrary to
law, 1T 81 70 an acre, lands worth SIS
to 800 an acre. With the letter were
clippings stating thas Barn
hart, hill and freeman, of Grand Rap
ids: Case and Mckinney, OF Marquette,
and others. now in Washington, owned
one hundred Thousand acres of these
lands. who ever heard" Vest asked,
''of people buying 10000 acres Of pub
Ito land without knowing what they
were buying?" With no personal know
ledge of the facts, Vest felt warranted
In declaring that this had been a stu
pendoas speculation in public lands on
The part OF men who hoped to come in
aud pose as innocent purchasers" ON
The passage of q bin like that by the
Senate.
Palmer said that no doubt specala
tors and lumbermen had invested in
ands, bat these were not the men that
Palmer was seeking to relieve. The
men he wanted TO help were the poor
farmers, who had Pot their sweat and
Toll into their lands. The aEendment
nov pending to the bill would confirm
and declare valid the titles TO land with
drawn from sale by reason of railroad
grants, or where land had been reduced
10 price to s % per acre and parch Ased
osen offered at public auction. The
was agreed to by % to y.
Morgan offered an amendment pro-
Viding for the settlement of all ques-
lions Of conflicting claims By the De
partment of the Iztsrior aud giving
iona 1ds settlers under the homestead
and pre-emption laws the preference
)ver previous entries at $l.25 an acre,
In the course of his remarks ON the
Morgan said he did not
ike the aspect Of the bill In the senate.
Lt looked 10 him too much as il some
private enterprise was being carried for
sard.
Dolph said there was no necessity fer
he amendment, as the Land Office
would decide the cases according to
aw. IL the law gave the homestsader
81 presumption claimant right, he
would have II anyhow.
Cockrill inquired how il came about
hat the officers Of the land department
had utterly ignored the laws.
Dalph said there had been many cen
rulings by the land office, as-
oording TO the different views OF those
in charge of IL.
Pending debate on NorRan's amend
ment the following joint resolution was
by Van wyek for reference
10 the Committee on Public Lands
3 That 10 shall be unlawful for any rail-
road company, claiming IN interest in
any grant Of land from the United
States, or from any person acting under
Its authority, to soil, or offer 90 sell, TO
mortgage or TO pledge any such lands
while q bill tor the forfeiture Of the
same Is pending in the houses Of Con
grcss, or before a patent in conformity
With law shall have issued for the same;