National Republican., 1885-03-13
THE SENATE YESTERDAY.


Call Upon tho secretary OF state Tor informa-
ton Discussion Upon Operations Of Land
Grant Railroads.
In the senate yesterday Mr.. Manderson
offered n resolution calling for information
from the department OF state In regard to the
rumored attempt Of Gen. Barrlos president OF
Guatemala, to sei1c upon the territory or
destroy the integrity Of the republics Of Near
aqua, Honduras, san Salvador and Costa
Rlea, &c, which resolution was under the
rules laid upon the table temporarily.
Mr.. Van Wyck called UP his resolution,
offered on the preceding day, directing the
secretary of the interior and the attorney gen
eral to take Steps to prevent tile sale OF lands
granted TO the state uf Florida to aid In the
construction of railroads in TINT state.
Mr.. Van Wyck sent to tho clerks desk and
had read n letter written by II. j. SlmOnton to
Hon, Thomas H. Cobb chairman of the house
committee on public lands, setting forth the
hardships experienced by settlers upon tho
granted lands by reason Of the expressions OF
the grantees.
The grantees Mr.. Van wyck said. dare not
pretend that settlers and preemptors had not
the right tO occupy the land, but thoy Ind the
nudaotyan the unblushing Oiirontery to ask
that the land that had been occupied by legal
prC-cmptors and settlers should DO restored to
them In indemnity limits. The grant was
made In 1876, when the laud was not worth 10
cents an acre.
These iGen were to invest private property
years lhey had done nothing upon that por-
tlon of The proposed line In question. In the
meantime other capital had developed that
country Homesteaders and prc.cmptors had
gone upon the laud, and now, wnen It had in
creased 10 -, $40, nnd 5lb an acre, the grantees
came and asked the government to still fur.
iher, recognize their title 10 tho unearned
lands.
Mr.. Call snid this grant covered the richest
portion OF the state Of Florida, aud there was
great deal of feeling In the state In regard TO
the matter lie presented petitions from clti.
zens Of the state praying for the forfeiture
and ono which was IN opposition to forfeiture.
There was an impression that the senate was
too Tar removed from the people to listen to
complaints that 1t represented property and
Incorporated power without sympathy with
the people, and he was anxious to disabuse
the public mind In this regard.
The settlers upon these lands had been
recognized In their rights. Now an agent of
this company, Mr.. Wales, of Washington,
had undertaken TO expose these lands for sale
at public auction, TO sell the Improvements
the orange groves of the settlers And the
settlers had been deprived OF their rights as
far as an act of sale could deprive them. This
was done without authority of law, II was
proper that congress should prevent this. The
secretary of the interior had advised this COM
pany that II had no title TO the land; yet the
sale had gone on aud the settlers wero alarmed.
The road was built entirely from the proceeds
of land sales and without any outlay Of prl-
vhto means. IL was the duty of the govern
ment TO investigate the subject. He thought
1t hardly worth while to spend the time OF a
purely executive session IN considering the
question:. The power to net belonged 10 con.
gress, and not to the senate.
The discussion was continued by Aessrs.
Morgan. Call, and Plumb and without dispo-
sition OF the matter the senate lat l.3O p. M ~
adjourned until to-day.