The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-05-29
Current Events.

On Wednesday the senate took up the
bill providing for the taxation of railroad
land grants but failed to come TO vote
upon It. Upon the bill for the improve
ment of the Mississippi river, Senator Van
Wyck made favorable report, and the
bill supplementary and amendatory of the
American immigration bill of 1881 WAS
discussed Thursday was given over 10
pronouncing eulogies upon Senator Miller,
late deceased, speeches being made by
Senators Stanford, Hearst, Edmunds, LO-
gan, Fair, Harrison and others The bill
restoring to the United States certain of
the lands granted to the Northern Pacific
railroad" was also discussed. The bill pro.
poses TO forfeit from Wallula to Portland,
Oregon, portion of the original grant over
which the Northern Pacific railroad does
not now contemplate building a line. Sen
tor Van Wyck, of Nebraska, proposed an
amendment which provides tor the for
fixture of all the Northern Pacific railroad
grant except lands for which the lines
were completed before July t. 1879, and
except the right of way. After some dis
cussion the Senator from Nebraska with
drew his amendment and offered substi.
tute, one providing for the forfeiture of
such portions of the land as were cOtermi.
nous with the part of the main line and
branches not completed at the time of the
passage Of the act being considered. AT
the time Of adjournment, on Thursday, no
vote had been taken.
The report submitted by Representative
Harris, from the Committee ON Ways and
Means, recommending the passage of bill
amending the laws In relation TO high
wines. contains the following explanation
of the bill: 1.-The principal feature Of this
bill providing for the fertilization of wines
for export Is analogous to existing proyi-
sions of law, authorising the transfer of
spirits free of tax, 10 manufacturing ware
houses, To be used In compromising medi-
cines, perfumery, cosmetics, COrdials ana
other liquors for export II Is true that the
spirits used In the manufacture of medi-
cines, etc, are so used in a bonded ware.
house, while the bill provides tor the for
LITIGATION of wines alongside Of the export.
ing vessel in a case of expectation by sea,
and also at the point of departure when
ever the expectation Is to be effected by
land carriage, In which latter case provi-
sion is made for the sealing Of the pack
ages and of the vehicles containing the
same" The bill has the approval of both
the Secretary Of the Treasury and Com.
missioner of Internal Revenue.
During the present week the House has
devoted the greater share of the time 90 "A
discussion of the bill to tax the manuract.
ure and sale of oleomargerine A great
number of speeches have been made both
in support of and against the measure.
The opponents of the bill believing it can
not be beaten outright have adopted fill
bus'ering tactics to prevent action being TAX.
en- upon it. They believe that by hard
fighting they can get at least reduction
of the proposed tax TO one or two cents per
pound. On Thursday afternoon in com.
mittee of the whole voted down by vote
of ll0 TO Al amendments offered reducing
the special tax imposed upon It's manufact.
ure from 5000 to 800.
Land Commissioner Sparks in decision
on Thursday rejected the claim of the Wis.
cOnsin Central Railroad Farm Mortgage
Land company to about $4,000 acres of
indemnity lands selected in 1882 and 1883
under the act Of June 3, 1886. The com,
missioner follows the decision of the Court
of Claims and the Supreme court in the
case Of the Chicago, Milwaukee u st Paul
railroad company against the United States,
and holds that the action OF the states in
dispOsing of the lands granted for the con
structlon Of the road between Portage and
TOmah for the benefit of the farm mort
gage company was diversion OF the same
from the purpose for which they were
granted, and while congress asSented TO
such diversion It's assent applied only to
the lands which have been certified 10 the
state prior 10 the passage of the act Of July
q, 1868. and not to lands which were then
unsolicited aud uncertied, and which were
not cOterminous with the road between por-
tage and Tomah He therefore holds the
company's selections for cancellation, sub
ject to appeal within sixty days.
Representative Breckenridge, of Ken.
lucky, on Thursday reported fayoraAy
from the Committee on Ways and Means
slll to provide that manufactured tobacco,
snsff, and cigars may be removed for ex.
port to foreign country without payment
II tax, under ssch regulations as the Com
missioner Of Internal Revenue shall pre-
scribe. The bill also repeats section 1851
of the Revised Statutes authorizing the APP
pointment of one or more inspectors of
cigars In each congressional district, to re-
ceive as compensation such fees from manu-.
facturers as the Commissioner Of Internal
Revenue may prescribe.
Tho Hnuse Committee ON Military AZ