Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-03-10
SENATE

u7o kossaraeo 70 the IsQisla
tofe % Delaware = resignation al 81
poan q ss Senator. also eonmonic,
tlons ffom tie Secretary of the Interio
400 tns Attorney General, nssifyino IA
Senste OF their acceptance of Cabins
posiuons and requesting the Presidant
OF TIE Senats 70 % notify the Ls0isIa
tores OF their respective States.
LIE credentials Of Blair "a a Ssnssa
20 MI seIn porary yassney, we're laid b.
fore tue Senate and read.
vest moved that thsT De referred u
we Oommittee on Privileges aud Elec
hoar offered formal resolution tia,
toe oath be administered TO the Ssnato,
from Ner Hampshire. and aske<t n1sni,
nous consent that Il Law over until tn
m0rrsv. Granted.
ine resolution offered on FRIDAY
MAKING inquiry Of the Secretary Of the
lnterlsf 10 regard TO the issuance OF
patents 20 the backbone road. was
laid before the senate.
van Nyck said u was a matter of
sincere regret that the last act of NJ :
late administration should have been
performed st the dictation and in TIE
interest OF corporate wealth. he de-
tailed the history Of the backbone
rad. and its mysterious record. "
which be said formed the most remark
able chapter 10 railway annals. Gould
and Huntington, be declared, were
scheminR in this matter, as thew were
WITH Scott IN the Texas Pacific. using
the same tactics and the same infin-
encss. They would not CONSENT thai
fanROFHac
less IL should at the same tune convey
u TO them. The proposition vas 50 in
famous that Congress, thoaRh manipu-
lated as Huntington delineates. would
not consent. 1t Was claimed that there
was q special meeting of the Cabinet on
lis last day, to legalizs this fraud. Did
the actual settlers on this land have any
advocate there and were their rights
protected The Law secured the
settler his right, bot did the Cabinet
protect this right, even as they
'urned him over TO the tender mercies
Df this corporation. IL was claimed by
way Of apology that Secretary Kirk
wood desired the opiRiUn of the Attor-
aey General as to the validity OF this
rant. With few notable exceptions.
he history of the land bureau of the
Interior Department was q record of
he demands of land grant corpora
ions and the DEGREES Of the depart
nent in obedience thereto bat when
he demand was too exacting, the opin-
on of the Attorney General vas sought,
behind which 10 escape until the storm
If pablo indignation passed by. In
his case the Attorney General vss
,qusl TO the occasion and sustained the
,eputstion Of his Office in that direc-
ion. Very learned arguments by
Judges Dillon. Green and Pierrepont.
N behalf of Gould aud Huntington,
we're made before the Attorney General,
but, alas, no one appeared on behalf Of
he people. From all the Offices of this
treat Nation no one appeared
o defend the public domain,
So wonder the Attorney Gsneral
,eadily accepted the arguments Of
iould's attorney. The ingenuity of an
Attorney General was valuable to saQ.
rest doubts where nsne existed, and TO
eaaIve these doubts in favor Of corpora
ions In the Forty eighth Congress
he Public Lands Committee of the
House reported in fevor of this for.
eiture; bat by some political lsQerde-
main the matter was afterwards re-
erred TO the Judiciary COMMITTEES to re-
,ort as TO the legality of the fsrfeiture.
l majority of the latter committee re-
he House by close vote. That the |
ymmetry OF legislation might be pre-.
erved. u was TO DO hoped that Hunting
on might hereafter give sketches of the |
,lan and manner Of this achievement. |
By what mysterious power could this
'ompany or Its assigns coerce this gov
'rnment into an extra session of IFS
Jabinst and secure action with which
hey would seek TO foreclose Congress
md the people from effectively
ending the spoiler OF his prey What
Ugh. had even a President and Cabinet
o waive broken conditions That
,Ower was vested in Congress alone, bat
Why this haste Why should clerks
york nights and Insult the religious SEN
iment Of this nation by working ON
Sundaysg What vas the necessity,
public or otherwise This Republic
sas not 10 perish on the 4th of March.
Its continuity was not 10 be disturbed
~ changing Its executive. There was
% be no suspension of powers and
iuties. Was all the other business in
he Interior Department concluded by
March ath Did the other executive
work their forces nights
snd Sundays, 80 that the present ad-
might start with only new
business Was it dangerous to trust the
Of the people in the next
Congress Was it dangerous 10 trlst
he incoming administration 10 do ius-
ice to the men claiming this grant ?
Was there danger that the rights Of set
Ilers on these lands would be recognized
md the public domain be protected by
he incoming administration ? III 90,
hen il evidently had not eeen installed
100 soon" he desired to give public
notice that the legality Of the patents
Eouid be contested, 50 that purchasers
u the bonds now TO be issued might not
slaim the protection accorded innocent
purchasers without nstice.
Teller. replying 10 Van Myck, said
Mr.. President My experience in
his body has not been Is lengthy a.
hat of SOME that sit before ms, but
after something over the eight years
hat have been in the public service
| confess 10 considerable establishment
on picking up resolution 90 discourte-
Gus. 90 unsenatofiai 80 this TO co-ordi-
nate branch Of the Government. fsup-
pose IL has accomplished the purpose
ior which il Vas introduced. II has en-
sbled the mover of this resolution TO
appear before the public, NOS for the
lirst time, not on the drst occasion, but
~ he has on various occasions, as an
especial champion OF the laborins
slasses. the down troddsn people of this
so1ntry. and - q special oppaneat of
presume that the SEN
Atof introducing the resolution expect
ID no more. He hardly expected that
any department Of the Goverhmeut
woaid allow itself TO be thus sssaiisd
without ansvefing the resolution. Be
fore this discussion ia closed, and on
some other occasion. shall call the at
lention Of this Senate TO the remarkable
character Of the varioas resolutions COM
lna from this siarce, that have bean
" she Executive Department
II this Govsrnment within the las;
three yeaFs. SAINT 10 give notice
here 10 everybody that, although
,he adminissHstion has passed
Inte the hands Of political
party With which I au aos afNlissed. YET
~ q Senator hayinR due respect fer the
| never intend, without st
least q protest, that The administration
shall ns trested hy tAis senator or any
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