The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-16
THE FORTY NINTH CONGRESS-
Question of Taxing Railway Lands Un-
der Consideration in the Senate.
Mr.. Hanback, Renews His Telephone Inquiry,
and Presents Resolution Authorizing
Wide-Reaching Investigation.
THE SENATE.
Taxation of Lands Belonging to Railroads
MIR. Morgan Opposes the Blair Bill.

Taxation of Lands Belonging to Railroads
MIR. Morgan Opposes the Blair Bill.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15-Mr Plumb presented
| concurrent resolution Of the Kansas Legisla-
ture, asking Congress to provide for the survey
| and sale of the Fort Dodge military reservation.
Referred.
Senator VanWyck submitted an amendment to
| the House bill to increase the pensions of widows
| and dependent relatives of deceased soldiers and
sailors providing that minor children shall re-
ceive S. per month when one parent is deceased
and $40 per month when both parents are de-
ceased; that the pension age be extended to
eighteen years. and that fathers and mothers
only be required to prove dependence at the time
of the application for pension.
| Mr.. VanWyck, from the committee on public
lands, reported favorably bill to establish two
additional land districts in the State of Nebras-
ka, and authorizing the President to appoint
registers and receivers therefor
Mr. Hawley presented bill, which was referred
to the committee on public lands relating to the
taxation of railroad lands, and for other pur-
poses. Dir. Hawley said the bill related to
very serious subject. An exceedingly large
quantity Of land, perhans 10000 SQUARE miles
had Oeen granted to the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company but it was provided by an amend
| atory act ofsCongress that no patents should
issue Tor the land until after payment by the
company OF all fees relating to surveys, etc.
Inc Zee was only about three cents an acre. The
railroad had paid the fees upon only about 80 600
| acres OF Its immense grant 1t had neverthe-
less proceeded to give to settlers warranty deeds
for many millions upon millions of acres of land.
J The company had got property enough to pay to
| nnO re own,
| lected sections. These lands that the company
conveyed by warranty deed had been settled and
| improved, and In many cases thriving villages
had grown up on them. 1t turned out now that,
| Dy recent decision OF the Supreme Court of the
United States, none of these millions of acres
| were taxable. The reasons given by that court
| were irrefragable, but Congress should immedi
atay provide by law a remedy for the difficulty
| involved. The railroad company had refused
| to pay the three cents an acre, and the communi-
| ties interested therefore counted themselves
| without the power of taxation. Some of the
| people, however had paid taxes. Those peo-
| pie were without remedy. A few foreign corpo-
rations being large holders, had paid taxes I'M
der protest, and their rights had thus been pro-
tected, the protest being believed by many to have
| been made at the suggestion of the railroad COM
| panles. The communities, therefore, were now
| liable to large claim for taxes that had been
| paid, besides which about nine tenths of their
tax-list had been destroyed, and they were bank
| rupt
| Mr.. Van Wyck added that but one-half of the
| enormiJy and outrage had been stated All the
| land grant railroads in the West were guilty of
the same offense. He was glad to see Dir. Haw-
| ley's DILL introduced.
| DIR. Teller said that the fault lay with Con-
gress. The executive departments of the GOV
eminent had for years been reporting to Con-
| gfess the full measure of the evil referred to,
and had requested legislation to enable the ex.
ecutiye to protect the settlers. In three reports
| made to Congress by himself, as Secretary of the
Into la1 No. 49, g.
twas crying evil, and should be remedied by
Congress.
Mr.. Henderson believed the decision of the
Supreme Court to be to the effect that, as the
Surveying fee was not paid, the government had
pr an interest in, the lands. If a bill were
passed requiring tho railroad company to pay
for the survey, he presumed that was all the leg
lslation that was necessary.
Mr.. Teller said millions of acres of the lands
had already been surveyed, some of It for the
past ten years
Mr.. Plumb was glad to see so much interest
aroused this subject He Mr. Plumb had
himself on two separate occasions, introduced
in the Senate bills to provide for the taxation of
the lands of the Northern Pacific railroad.
Mr.. Conger, from the committee on postofices
and post-roads, reported favorably the bill grant
ing to Mrs. Julia d. Grant the Thanking priv
lege. Passed.
resolution offered by Mr. Plumb was ADOPT
ed, calling on the Secretary of the Interior for
the names and number of all special agents en-
ployed by the department for the detection of
frauds in the acquisition of public lands, the
number of cases sent to such agents for inspec
ton, during what time cases have been sus-
pended, and how long time will be required to
investigate them.
A resolution offered by Mr. Henderson was
agreed to, calling on the Secretary of the
Interior to inform the Senate what number of
acres of public lands in Nebraska had been
granted to land grant railroads. and the number
of such acres on which the cost of surveys had
been paid
On motion of Mr. Dawes the Senate took ND
and passed the bill reported from the committee
on Indian affairs, for the relief Of the Mission
Indians in California"
A message from the President was laid before
the Senate transmitting letter of the Secre-
tary of the Interior, with the draft of bill pro-
viding for the sale OF the Sac and Fox Indian
reservations in Nebraska and Kansas.
Mr. Mitchell of Oregon, gave notice that on
Tuesday, Feb %, he would call up his bill pro-
viding for the abrogation of the treaty permit
ting the immigration of Chinese. He would be
able to show, he said that not only was it within
the power of the United States to abrogate the
treaty, but that that doctrine had been recog-
nized by all acts of Congress. commencing over
eighty years ago with the abrogation of a treaty
with France. He held it to be the bounden duty
of Congress to provide for the abrogation of the
Chinese immigration treaty.
Mr. Morgan then took the floor and resumed
his argument against the eonstitutionality of the
pending educational bill. Mr.. Morgan said he
had often heard it remarked that the people of
the South were hoodwinked lot of slaves who
had been forced into rebellion and secession by
their leaders This he emphatcally denied, and
asserted that. on the contrary the leaders had
been forced into secession by the people, and
that many cowardly heart among the leaders
would have failed and tainted but for the fact
that those leaders knew they did not dare do so
in the presence of the faith of an enlightened
and splendid people He characterized the bill
under debate as bribe to the South; but for his
part, he neither grew blind nor shut his eyes in
the presence of any bride, no matter how mag
nifcent. The bill would prove Pandora box
and would lead to what had not inappropriately
been termed condition of organized help be-
tween the States and the general government.
He prophesied that under its influence we would
see the people of the North and the South again
frenzied with excitement
AT the conclusion of Mr. Morgan's remarks.