The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-06-25
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

SENArE.-The senate passed the senate
bill providing for the forfeiture OF all the
lands lying adjacent to the Northern Pa
cic road, from Wallula Junction to Port
land, 224 miles, and all lands co-extensive
with that portion of the Cascade branches
vet unfinished, about fifteen miles. Forty
senator's voted in the affirmative and only
one-Mr Blair-in the negative. Van
Wvck's amendme adding the lands ada.
cent to the unfinished portions OF the Cas-
cade branch adopted.
The bill forfeits about three million acres.
1t also provides for repeal OF the section
OF the granting act whereby the right OF
way OF the road is to GO untaXed in the
territories. 1t declares forfeited so much
Of the lands granted to that company as
are coterminus with that part Of it's main
line which extends from Wallula Junction
to Portland, and that part of the Cascade
branch which shall not have been complet-
ed at the date of the passage OF this bill.
and makes the right OF way in the terri
tories subject TO taxation. Where persons
are now in possession OF the lands forfeit
ed by the bill, under deeds acquired from
the railroad company, they shall have the
right to purchase the lands from the United
States in quantities not exceeding 320 acres
for 50. so an acre. Nothing in the act is to
be construed to waive any right Of the
United States to forfeit any other lands
granted to them for failure, past or future.
to comply with the conditions of the grant.
Mr.. Harrison, from the committee on
territories, reported favorably the house
and senate bills prohibiting special legisla.
ton by the legislatures upon very large
number OF subjects. In all cases where
IA law can be made applicable, no
special laws shall be enacted in
any OF the territories. The provisions OF
the senate and house bills are incorporated
together and cover the above ground. Sem
atOr Harrison appends an extended report
on the evils of special legisla ton and fur
nishes letters from the governors ofseveral
territories showing local and county indebt-
edness OF an extensive character as one OF
the bad effects OF the liberal passage by ter.
ritOrial legislatures OF local laws.
HOUsE.-The legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill was proceeded
with. During the discussion the probability
OF large deficiency the coming year was
referred to. \ motion to strike out the
appropriation for employees of the land
department engaged in hunting up fraudu.
lent land entries was rejected.
Mr.. Springer defended Commissioner
Sparks in issuing the order suspending final
action on certain land entries, and main
tanned:
The commissioner was fully warranted in
making the order. The information upon
which il was based was derived from the
agents of the interior department appoint
ed by the previous secretary OF the
interior Republicans had made the re-
ports containing the information, and not
the hirelings Of the Democratic party The
fraudulent appropriation of the public do
main was so widespread that there was
but one way to meet it, and that was to
suspend final action until it could be found
that the land laws had been complied with.
In making his order the commissioner had
saved thousands OF acres from spoliation
and fraudulent entry For doing this he
should receive the thanks of the people who
desired the public lands to be held for the
homes OF honest settlers.
SENATE. The senate passed the pension
and military academy appropriation bills,
which disposed of all the bills OF this charac-
ter received from the house.
The house bill repeating the pre- emption
timber culture and desert land act was taken
up. The senate committee on public lands
have amended the house bill by substitu-
ting the provisions Of the senate bill. Mr..
Blair offered an amendment providing as
to the desert lands that on the expendi-
ture OF the So for improvements the gov
ernment should part with the title, and
that none OF the lands should be held in
larger bodies than $40 acres in single
ownership. Mr.. Ingalls, said:
BY postponing the time when our supply
OF arabic public lands should be exhausted,
we would postpone the time OF being
brought face tc face with the consideration
whether ws.shnnld restrict timmi0ratiou. or
that other and more dangerous consider
alton whether we should enter on new ca
reer OF conquest for the purpose OF acquir-
ing in the North or the South new territory
over which our surplus population might
spread.
HoUsE.-The passage of the legislative
bill by the house leaves the sundry civil,
naval, general deficiency and fertilization
bills yet to be completed by the body.
Those departments for which no provision
is made can obtain no money after June
20, as the statutes make it penal Of
fence to make the government liable
for any pecuniary obligations in
advance OF specific appropriations.
The house reached the section referring to
surveyor generals for the states and terri
tories. Gilfllan made point Of order
against the paragraph consolidating the
then districts Of Minnesota and Dakota
under one surveyor general, that it wasne
legislation. In this the echairsustained him
and the consolidation was dissolved. Mr..
Glillan said he did this because the State
of Minnesota contained yet eleven or twelve
million acres OF unsuryeyed land. and he
thought it oughtto retainits own surveyor
general. Randall was a5ittle ratified by
the haste with which Gilfllan's point OF
order was disposed Of but drew attention
to the fact that IL this dissolution was al
lowed no appropriation for the surveyor
general OF Minnesota had been made.
Gilfillan Immediately proposed an amend
ment appropriating $4,000 for the
salary Of the surveyor general.
SS, 600 for clerk hire and ST 900 for
incidental expenses. Randall became
angry and asked why, when the estimates
OF the secretary Of the interior only called
for $4, 800 for clerk hire, $4,000 should be
appropriated. Gilfillan said that he had
taken the appropriation for last year for
,h;e ,,,afo1 hut was WILLING N take the ca