St. Paul daily globe., 1885-02-14
BEAUTY OF THE COUNTRY,

moved in there and com menced their settle
ments. They were originally squatters, and
they commenced TO set up their titles TO this
tract of land. They pressed their claims
upon the local land officers, and afterward
upon the department Of the interior, and
many Of them obtained certificates of entry,
and some of them obtained patents. Con-
gress sought to relieve the difficulty By pass
ing joint resolution explanatory Of the for
mer legislation. The effort of congress was
evidently only TO quiet the title and give the
state Of Iowa the grant OF lands that was EN-
brsced in the original act, not the later inter
probation, but to confirm as far as they could
con firm the titles that had been made under
the sanction Of the laws OF the state OF Iowa.
Out Of this mbroglio arose a number Of
LAW SUITS
between quite a number of different parties.
These law suits originated in the state
courts ofIowa. The state courts were ap-
pealed 10 from the local land courts up to the
supreme court, and from thence appeals were
taken to the supreme court Of the United
States, and a variety of cases have been de-
cided. This bill provides for new law suit
in which the govern ment shall be one Of the
plaintiffs, and q certain class Of persons in
terested in these lands shall join with the
government in the action, the object of It
being, as declared, to settle all questions of
controversy in respect to the ownership Of
these lands. Its object also embraces the
interest Of all the people Of the region i'm
mediately affected, and of individuals,
RESIDENTS OF OTHER STATES,
who claim a title to any part OF the lands
In Volved, adverse to settlers. 1t is claimed
that in Iowa there are living more than ], 200
families to whom the passage of this bill
means great deal These families include
many persons now In the winter of life. For
more than quarter of a century have many
OF them lived where they now are, having
commenced their terms of occupancy in the
full belief that in the end there would be perlt C.
titles to their peaceful homes. They had no
suspicion of danger to the titles to which
they looked for an assurance TO them Of the
results OF their willing sacrifices. Twenty
FIVE years ago the section IN which these
lands and homes are situated was the
frontier Of
THE IOWA SETTLEMENTS.
No one Of them had reason TO believe that
the conditions which now exist relative 10
the titles Of land there would ever change
and the settlers began their work in that new
region in full belief that under and In pur-
suance Of the laws of the United States, per
feet titles would eventually come to them
from the government. They did not know
what congress, the secretary Of the Interior
the commissioner OF the general land office,
and the state OF Iowa had done and might do,
or attempt TO do, in the future. They now
believe whatever was subsequently, done could
not lawfully affect their rights. A motion is
now pending to indefinitely postpone the bill
aud those supporting the motion do so on the
ground that the case has gone beyond the
Jurisdiction Of congress 1t is not probable
that any legislation on this subject will be
come completed this session.