Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-16
CoSGREssl0sAl
senate.

CONGRESSIONAL
senate.
WAzHIssros, Fs6. l5.-The follos in
letter was today sent 10 the Presidep
pro tenn. Of the Senate:
DEPARTMENT OF THK IxTKRfoR.
WASHINGTON. Peb. l3, lss6.
| To ne Prss.SeAt pro tep.pore Of IN
SeHdfe-sIR: / have the honor TO &C
| knoviedee receipt Of Sen.te resoiusio,
o. the 9th instant, in words a. follows
"Resotsed, That the Secretary OF To
Interior be directed to communicate Z,
tue senate copies Of all papers vhisl
have been fiied In the Interior Depart
neni. and of all papers which hAv,
been presented TO any officer of that De
partnent touchin2 the sfficisl and per
sonai coadnct Of Hsery Ward, Indiai
Inspector, daring his continuance il
said OH ,e.''
transmit all official papers on file /.
the Department. which | understand u
be embraced in the resolution. Oficia
reports made 10 this Department b,
Henry Ward, Indian Inspector. ar,
volumino0s. and as the clerical force o.
this department is limited, and other
wise fully employed. have deemed il
best to transmi. the original reports
As they are frequently consulted IN th,
transaction OF the business of ths de
partmsnt, have the honor to request
that they be returned to its file as soor
as they are no longer required by ths
Senate. / am directed by the President
to say that If the object of the resolu
tion IL TO inquire into the reasons fol-
the suspensisa of Ward, these papers
are not 10 be considered as constituting
all the evidence Submitted to him In re-
latiou thereto. l am also directed By
the President to say that be does not
consider IL consistent with the pablo
Interests TO trans init copies of uuofH oial
papers from private citizens held in
my custody fer him. which relate exolu
sively 10 the su spehsion Of iRcumbsnts
have the honor 10 be. very respectfully,
l. Q. @. LANAI, Secretary.
The two hundr-d and eighty two en-
closures, the letter and accompanies
papers we're referred 10 the COMMITTEES
on Indian Affairs. D.
Mr.. HswIey presented 9 bill which
was referred to the Committse on Pob-
iic Lands, relating TO the taxatioa of
railroad lands. and for other Purposes.
Mr.. Hawiey said the bill related to q
very sore subject. An exoeedineiy large
quantity Of land, perhaps $1,000 square
miles, had been granted TO the Northern
Pasi6e Railway Company, bat il was
provided BY an amepdAtory act of Con-
gress that no patents should issue for
she land until after psymsnt By the
company Of all fees relating to surveys,
etc. The fee was only about three cents
al acre. The railroad had paid the fs. .
upon only about $1,000 acres Of its i'm
mense grant. It had nevertheless pro-
oeede d to give to settlers warranty deeds
for many millions Of acres Of land. The
company had inReni0usly got people
enough to try to locate villages and
cities upon its own sections. These
lands whtess the company conveyed by
warranty deed had been settled and
improved, and II many cases thriving
villages had grown upon them. IL
turned out now by recent decision OF
the Supreme Court Of the United States,
that none OF these mllli )ns Of acres were
taxable. The reasons gwen by shat
Court were irrefrsgable, bat Congress
should immediately provide by Law a
remedy for the difficulty involved. The
railroad had refused 70 pay three cents
an acre, bot communities interested
there nov found themselves without
.he power of taxation. Some of the
people, however, had paid taxes. Those
people we're witheut remedy. A few
foreign corporations. being large hold.
ers, had paid taxes uRder protest, and
their rights had thus been protected,
the protest being believed BY mauy to
have been made by suggestion of the
railroad company. Counties and com
munities, therefore, we're nov liable 30
large claims for taxes that had been
paid. besides which about nine tenths
of their tax list b I'd been destroyed and
they were almost bankrupt. The peo-
pie interested had exhausted them
selves in efforts made with the railroad
president and the General Land 0fioe
of the Government. One declined TO
take remedial act Tor one reason, the
other for another reason, and the only
help for this very serious matter lay
with Congress.
Mr.. Teller said the fault lay with
Congress The executive departments
Of the Government bad for years been
reporting to Congress the full measure
of the evil referred to aud requested
legislation 10 enable the executive to
protest settlers in three reports made
TO Uongress by himself AZ Secretary oil
the Interior. the subject had been
plainly set FORTH IL vas crying evil
and should De rsmedied oy Congress.
M. riumo vas glad 70 see 90 muSn
interest," aroused on tnis suolecs' ne
tfiamo) had nipseif. on svo separate
ocoasions. insroaaeed iate tne senate
nihs 70 provioe Tor .ns tsxshon OF
lanes OF tns 'rtharn fAcini hshroad
oompaey. ,
mf. ConRcf, IRON the Oo1mitsee on
rossai anaiss sna rost Roads; fepottsc
fsvorsoIy the Oil granting Mrs yoiis
y. Grant tue tfsnkins pn'he8e
rssaed.
on mos'on OF nf, Dtwes, ,ne Seuats
look up ana pissed Tue otii reporteo
from tne Oommittee sn indian Annfs,
For the RELIEF OF the hissaon laoisns
In OaiiofsA
Mitchell, OF oregon, ssvs nonoe ina,
on Tuesday, February 81, ne vooio
call sp his bill providing Tor the aoro
CATION ~ the treaty permitting 'he i@
migration OF sue chinese. de voaid oe
able 10 snow. he said. sass not only Vas
10 within the power Of toe United Sssse'
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