Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1885-11-05
AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
Kansas Claims an Interest In the Public
Lands Within Her Borders and Does Not
Propose to be Sat Down Upon BY Rail-
road Corporation Without q Hearing

Kansas Claims an Interest In the Public
Lands Within Her Borders and Does Not
Propose to be Sat Down Upon BY Rail-
road Corporation Without a Hearing.
WASHINGTON, d. c., October 90
Hon. John p. Usher, as one of the attor-
neys Of the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany, has made the point with the In
terror Department that the State of
Kansas has no right to be heard in re-
gard to the certifcation of lands under
The grant to the company by the Govern
ment. His argument is that this is
matter in which the State has no inter-
est, and, therefore, can not come In as
party to the hearing.
Governor Crawford, who represents
Kansas in these land grant questions by
virtue of an act OF the State Legislature,
has presented reply to Mr.. Usher. He
invites attention to the act under which
Kansas was admitted in 1861. That con-
tains provision for the payment to the
State of five per cent of the net proceeds
from sales Of public lands by the Govern
ment.
"From this" says Governor Crawford,
"it will be observed that the State has
direct interest in every acre of public
lands within its borders. II any part
of these lands is wrongfullY taken and
certified to a. railroad company without
authority of law, the State loses lis pro
portionate share. That thousands and
hundreds of thousands OF acres of public
lands In Kansas which were neither
granted nor earned, and other hundreds
of thousands oil acres which were express
ly reserved from the operations OF
grants, have been certified and patented
to railroad companies can not be denied.
That thousands of acres, lawfully in the
possession of homestead aud presumption
settlers at the date of the definite locl-
ton OF such roads, have been wrongfully
taken and unlawfully certified under the
preteyt of prior railroad rights, is also
true. All such lands would otherwise
have been sold by the Government, aud
the S ate would have realized her five
per cent"
After referring to the loss of lands Sc
lected by the State under grant for an
agricultural college, the Kansas Pacific
having withdrawn d considerable portion
OF these lands, and to the duty Of the
State TO protect its citizens, many of
whom have been dispossessed of their
homestead and presumption claims by
the railroad company, Governor Craw-
ford says:
SIN view of all these facts it would be
strange indeed II the State should be
denied hearing in matters OF such
vital importance by the ex
ecutive officers OF the Government
The Immigrant companies OF Kansas have
long line OF alto neys, stretchn & away
from The Atlantic to the summit OF the
mountains beyond the Mississippi, with
diverging branches leading we know not
where; but that does not concern the
State. The State is merely cndeavoring
to protect its own interests and the in
terests OF the cltiz,ns, even at the risk
OF mourning the dlspleasure Of the dis
tnguished railroad counsel, under whose
administration, az Secretary of the Inte-
rior, many OF the wrongs complained Of
were made possible"