Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-02-05

This department cannot amend the law.
1t is our duty simply to enforce it. A per-
son loaning money upon the land Office re-
ceipts and taking a mortgage is perfectly
secure if the entry was in good faith. ap.
prehend that no man lends money upon
public lands in this stage without knowing
something about the improvements, the
actual residence and the good faith OF the
pre-emptor. If he do es be is not ordi-
narily prudent. The bona fide settler who
is making his home upon the land, and has
substantial improvements, will not be mo.
Tested. The man who goes there with all he
has, enters land i'll good faith, maintains
habitable dwelling and does what he can
in the way OF cultivating his land, is a sale
person to loan money to. He is not going
to be disturbed. On the contrary, I mean
that he shall be protected. 1t is the chap
who is not making Improvements or an
actual residence, who has a worthless
shanty on his place, in which he occasion.
ally spends night, and who proves up
by means OF perjury and other kinds
OF sharp practices, that this depart
mcnt is after. This is not q safe per-
son to loan money to, for if the land in de-
serted as soon as the loan has been OBJ
tanned, or ii any agent discover and report
the manner in which the entry was made,
no patent will be issued I would not ad-
wise anybody to loan money upon land
taken by a nonresident who leaves the
country as soon as he has made final proof,
but loan would be perfectly secure in
case where there = actual settlement. The
courts have decided that the government
has not parted with the land
until the patent issues; but we
have taken the position that when
a claimant has secured his rt.eipt it is
equivalent to a patent for purposes of
mortgaging or alternating the land, provid-
ed he has complied with the law. In loan
ing money, it is wise to ascertain that the
borrower has made proper residence and
otherwise observed the law in good faith.
Then it is perfectly safe to deal with him
the same as if he held the patent. Re-
guarding the statement that patents are
being withheld to an unusual extent l
can assert that they are being issued
faster by five hundred or thousand per
month than ever before in the history OF
this country.
The visitors acknowledged the fairness
and business OF Gen. Sparks position. The
Omaha banker stated that he considered
the commissioner to be right on the subject
and he declared that he would not loan
money to any man who was acquiring land
fraudu!ently.
Washington Gossip.
G. 4. Plummer has been appointed post.
master at Ewald, Mimi. vice Ewald, re-
signed.
naval officer at Washington says there
is such dily-dallying over the new cruis
ers that the Chicago will not be ready for
sea until 1887.
The president recently nominatedWill-
lam H. Parker Of the District of Columbia
to be minister resident and counsul general
OF the United States to Corea.
Assistant Secretary Fairchild has in
structed the collector OF customs at New
York to admit free OF duty a portrait of
the late Gen. Grant, painted in Paris by
Mr.. Nealy, an American artist, and i'm
ported by Mrs. U. S. Grant
Col. William Shelley, we'll known from
early pioneerdays in Minnesota, is prob
ably on his death bed at his temporary
home in Washington city. He has been
threatened for a year past with an aggra-
waited form of dropsy, to which chronic
asthma adds acute suffering.
The house committee on military affairs
instructed Mr.. Wheeler to report favorably
the bill introduced by him to authorize the
president to restore officers to the army in
certain cases. The bill is intended to cover
the case OF Fitz John Porter Only two
members OF the committee disagreed TO the
report.
has recently returned from Europe, where
he went upon an important mission with
the cordial endorsement of the president
OF the United States. It was to secure the
consent OF the European powers to the
independence and neutrality OF all the Pa
cific islands.
The house committee on railroads has
decided to report favorably Mr.. Dunn's
bill extending the Thurman sinking fund
act to the Kansas Pacific, Sioux City g.
Pacific and Central Pacific roads. By this
measure the secretary of the treasury is
to invest the sinking funds OF these COM
panies in first mortgage bonds, or in securi-
ties OF the United State, and apply them
to the extinguishment OF the interest of the
subsidy bonds OF those roads.
In the case of the Wisconsin Railway
Company VS.. Michael Stinka the secretary
OF the interior has decided that patent can
not issue under the first section OF the act
OF April q, 1876, to one who comes within
ito provisions when patent had previously
issued TO the railroad company. This rs
verses the rule laid down by Secretary.
SSchurz, who held that it was mandatory,
and that patent must issue to the. settler,
notwithstanding previous issue Of patent
to the railroad company.
IA quiet poll among the House Dakota
committees develops the fact that they have
decided g report adversely on the HAr.