The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-03-17
NATIONAL NEWS NOTES.
The Backbone" Chin. Music Still
Going on in the Senate.
Mr.. TsLLERIs GETTING woRsTEp
fhe Temperance Ladies' Pay Call 10
the White House,
AND BLAINE SECURES AN ORGAN.
More of Our Navy Ordered to Central
Anerica-Minister Foster to Re-
main In spain-Messrs Miller
and FairehIld In Luck.
GENERAL WASHINGTON REPORTS


| Proceedings In the Senate.
WASHINGTON, March lG.-Mr. BLAIR
offered resolution authorizing the con.
tlnusnce of the investigation of the dit
ference between capital aud labor. He
said tho investigation was practically
concluded aud an extension was desired
for the purpose of making report.
Mr. COCKRELL objected and consid.
Grafton was postponed until TO morrow,
Mr.. Vanwyck's "Bsckbonen res olu-
tion was laid before tho senate and
Mr. EUSTUS made Il speech upon It..
Mr.. EuSplS said great wrong had
been done tho people of Louisiana and
he wished to enter his protest against
its consummation. The title to the
lands was illegal and fraudulent and set
up to dorraud the settlers of their rights.
This title had been denounced bv tho
New Orleans Pacific railroad company
In documents which had b,en presented
IN congress and in the in
less and illegal. Everybody was
| perfectly agreed that the '"Backbonon
company WAS n nuisance and disgrace.
IL never had lived for any corporate
purpose Whatever, but was q mere skel-
eton OF n derelict association, vet. i'm
1881, 10y one OF tho most extraordinary
| proceedings on record, this defuuct COM
pany made an assignment TO tho New
Orleans Pacific company, and IL was
upon such title that the latter based its
claims. The transfer was radically
vicious and absolutely void. The cen
sideration for IL was the enormous sum
of 81. One-third Of the stockholders
denounced the act before tho interior
department as u shame and fraud. He
was glad 10 know that tho secretary OF
tho Interior was going to investigate the
matter, and he hoped in future
which would be In tho interest of tho
people and protect them from the ra.
pacity OF rich railroad corporations.
Mr.. TELLER defended his.courge and
| said not a point had been made bv the
senator rrom Louisiana (Eustis) which
MA not peel. pAsseu upon by tho attor-
noy general and by the judiciary com.
aittoo of the house. It had been an un-
broken rule OF the department for Ii
years To issue these patents whenever
| parties had complied with the
conditions subsequent, without rof-
| erence TO time and that had been
done in nine eases out of ton without
any inquiry whatever when no was sec
retary OF the interior. He had issued
paper In the same Identical manner
which WAS now called IN question, aud
| that, too, without havi takon into
consideration tho opinions of commits
tees OF congress, or the opinions of the
house, when, by n majority OF A., had
| declared this grant should not ho void.
II the new administration is TO com
monce to unLermine what tho late nd
ministration had done, IL should be
one in accordance with the forms of
/ law, and In manner cOmporting with
tho dignity of great administration
| presiding over tho interests OF so 0OOOO
| people Could IL be done by a resolu-
| tion of the senate or by speoch adj.
dressed In publirY Nay. II should be
done by It's courts.
Mr.. NANWYCK, referring TO MIR.
| Toller'- speech last week, said the spug-
| tor from Colorado regretted that eysry
| porsOn who had spoken on this subject
was not a lawyer, (moauing, probably,
u lawyer Of railroad proclivity) so there
might be full record OF such lawyers,
as during tho most OF the last 10 wears
there had been at the head OF the
| departments OF justice, and OF the
interior, making precedentS which
the eN-secrotary boasted that he had fol-
lowed. II was usual for corporation at.
torneys TO siigmatize the settler,as an
intorloper and a speculstor. The ex-
secretary, he said, had listened so long
to this dialect In the department that Il
wa' natural he should repeat IL In A
speech and sneering at such men.
Almost In the language Of Tweed, he
askod' What arc you going TO do
about itY' Referring to Oklahoma, Mr.,
Van Wyck said federal bayonets we're
pointed against tho breasts of hardy
pioneers who were impatient 20 ontor
the Indian territory, but there
were no bayonets to drive
out the cattle syndicates
already In Oklahoma or destroy the
fences illegally enclosing millions OF
acres Of public lands. Coming TO the
subject OF the present discussion, Mr.,
VanWyck asked, why was the late sec.
rotary of the Interior I'm such hot haste o
to. issue tho patents2 Why was not the
question left TO the deliberatlon OF his
successor, who could have determined
what portion did not properly belong TO
the railroadY Even on the admissions OF
the last administration the department
mad given land 10 the Backbone COM
pany as II the entire line had been con-
structed after assignment In 1881. Tie
lac secretary OF the interior In the exu-
beranoe of his sympathy for Gould aud
Huntington, urged or consented 10 the
free gilt of land for 100 miles Of graded
read. Faithful public servant. IL 70.
quirod no corporation lawyer or any
other lawyer 10 understand this perfor.
nance. Thore was another remarkable
feature in the transaction. Tho ex-sec-
re'ary from many years practice as an
attorney for the Union Pacific Railway
company, and long experience In the
department, knew that railroads TO es-
cape state and local taxation, declined
TO make patents except as they marketed
their lands. Did not this action suggest
strong suspicion that tho motiyo must
be the fear OF tho next congress, or that
the incoming administration might not
bo completely subject to railroad cor
poratlons2
Mr.. TELLER denied that any utter
anco Of his justified the statement that
| he regarded settlers as ihtorlopers.
Gould and Huntington were groat bug
bears, hut II they had made anything
wronglully out OF tho public by consoli-
dation, whose duty was IL TO interfereY ?
The edorelictlon lay at tho honorable sena
lor's own door. The senator had been
mSmhor OF the committee on public
lands four years and had never raised
his hand 10 remedy the wrong OF which
he complained until tho Texas Pacific
PHI came over from the house. No
thanks to him.
Mr. VAN wYCK defended himself
against the charge OF inaction. When
the Texas Pacific bill was reported he
had sernred nlnrn for II nmnnu anari nj