The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-03-10

tions. / presume the senator in in
Producing tho resolution expected
nothing more. He hardly expected
that any department. of the government
would allow itself TO be thus assai ed |
without answering the resolution. Be- |
fore this discussion is closed, and ON |
some other occasion, l shall call the |
attention of the senate TO the remarka- |
BILE character of various resolutions, |
coming from this same source, that !
have been directed to the executive de-
partment of this government within the |
last three years. l want to give notice
here, and to everybody, that although |
the administration has passed into the
hands of a political party with which |
am not affiliated, yet as a senator hav-
ing due respect for the executive de-
partment of the government, never
Intend, without at least a protest, that
that administration shall be treated by
this senator, or any other, by resolu-
| tion AZ the late administration
has been treated. Why, MIR. President,
II you were TO believe all this honorable
senator has said to-day, you would sup
pose that in issuing this patent csrtii-
cation, this land earned by this com
pany, there has becn done something
that never had been done before. Ev-
cry secretary that has sat in the chair
of the department of the interior tor the
last eight years has done exactly what
has been done by the secretary who
has just retired. During good portion
OF this time the honorable senator has
been n member either of tho house or of
this body. He has been q member of
the committee on public lands and
never, either in that committee or in
this body, has ho been heard TO say
word on this subject. II Is in
the press whore this senator can get
the credit of being the champion of the
downtrodden and the oppressed, and
oppose corporations that he is heard.
When legislation can be had and the
interest OF the government can be pro
tected, II desirable to protect II, he hiss
been as silent as the grave. There are
on record In tho land office, of millions
of acres of land issued under exactly the
Same situation as that under which this
land WAS issued"
Mr.. Teller summarized as follows the
action of the legislature and the execu-
tive branches of the government, with
relation to this road: "The lands were
withdrawn in 1871 and 1878. The valid
itsyof the grant and OF the assignment
thereof was recognized by the commits
sioner of the general land office. Hon.
A. j. Williamson, by his letters of Feb
ruary IL, 81 and 26, 1881, .y Seere-
tary .Kirkwood, in proceedings TO appoint
commission TO examine the roads; by
the president, in appointing a commits
sion to examine the road and approval
: OF the report made by said commission
by the attorney-general, to whom the
question OF ownership and the right OF
the company TO receive the patents were
, submitted, January 5, 1889; by Secre
tary Kirkwood; by the judiciary com.
mittee of the Forty-seventh congress
r in its refusal to entertain a resolution tC
: forfeit said grant; by the judiciary com.
y mittee OF the house OF representatives
!. on May II, 1884, by vote of l3 to 2, hay
ing been instructed by the house to In
!, ouirs az 10 the validity of tho grant ant
!, the right of tho New Orleans Il Pacific
to said land; by the house of representa-
> tives on the 18th of June, 1884, when tn,
y bill for the forfeiture OF the land was de
= feated on direct vote by majority o
- AZ; by tho house on the follow
!. ing day, whom 1t refused by ~
y increased majority To reconsider tn
y vote by which the forfeiture bill
=. had been defeated; by the senate. com
h. mittee on railroads, IA its report OF Jun
Il 7, 1882, and by the action of the senat
~ thereon; by the refusal oil the senate o
"a July 3, lSS2,to Investigate the manner i
m which tho company had acquired Y
"a rights TO the lands claimed, and hnall
~ by the report OF the senate committe
n ON public lands"
"a Mr.. Teller rave his story of the roat
NJ recited the conditions of the grant an
,d its assignment, which he declared legs
@, and regular in every particular. IN
10 predecessor" said Mr., Teller. "had SUI
ie mitted to the attorney-general the quei
u tiOn, n,whother the company had the rigt
Id claimed TO this land. Courtesy an
MT common doconcy demanded that whe
of an executive officer asked for the alto
no ney general to be seen on point OF la
20 he should respect that opinion
90 II that was not so, the
" Zach one OF the department
TO OF the government for eight years hi
)n been proceeding on false basis. IL WI
" not for the senator from Nebraska
nd say that when an officer asked the a
in torney-general for his opinion, and aft
It's receiving 1t, the Oiiieer making the r
ON the attornoy.general: Your law
nj, bad, aud shall decline to be govern
OF by it, That had never been practice
,is In the government
nd But Mr.. Teller did not desire TO shie
At the interior department under any SUI
ar defense as that. lie relied on the law
In- the case. Did any man, having
as knowledge OF the facts, deny that q
ne land was assigusbleG When II becar
ITS apparent that congress would take
w. action upon this matter. then, aud n
IL till thon, did the interior departme
a issue patents.
or An attempt. Mr.. Teller continued. h
re- been made TO make IL appear that th
re- was a pecnliar case and there was gre
re. anxiety shown ahout the settlers. w
ed had not this anxietv been shown IN
in other grants? He held I'm his hand /
mt of tho grants issued for roada comnlei
be after Ire expiration of the slotted IN
me Among them was a Wisconsin comma
i've that had recelyed 500 900 acres of ian
OF for n line eompleted MANY years M
rus the exnlration Of the time allowed. n
as. that had moi been done under the ,
emit ministration of the late secretary OF
md Interior. Settiers had zone In ON
,ev lands Of the Northern Pacific railro
md aimee n had nerformed the conditic
Ing Of its grants. Had the ser