The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-02-17

tlOn located Dy CnlS man, OuC IL was not
called timber land when he located. Com
missioner Sparks says the land must be
entirely devoid of timber. This man
merely one instance in which the recent
rulings work injustice, Commissioner
Sparks ruling that a settler shall not be
allowed to commute q homestead, as has
been done heretofore, also affects great
many men,"
DO you attribute Sparks rulings to
any unworthy motive?" was asked.
by no means,' was the Senator's reply.
"There Is good deal OF logic in what Mr..
Sparks says, and find no fault with his
rulings SO far as they might be applied to
future settlement. But they should not be
applied tosettlers who have already located
under previous rulings. Mr.. Sparks's rul
ing, if applied to settlers who located their
claims before Mr.. Sparks took office, are OF
the nature of ex post &et0 laws
Senator Van Wyck has introduced a bill
providing that all lands located befor.
Commissioner Sparks's new rulings were
promulgated shall 60 to patent under the
rulings in force when the lands were located
and in case where fraud is charged, the
charges shall be investigated under the old
rulings.
II have thought OF this matter good
deal, said Senator Van Wyck, "and am
satisfied that no other way can be adopted.
It will leave MIR. Sparks in good shape. OF
course he never intended to take away from
man right which he had acquired under
former ruling"
"Tbe Hennepin Canal would undoubtedly
help to bring railroad freight rates down to
a fair basis,' said Congressman Hail. OF
b., hi
1.-The railroad companies wo I'D be COM
son when the canal was open, and having
once reduced their rates for a few months,
they could never get the charges up to the
old figures again."
mo creditor is defrauded by paying him
in silver" said Representative Comstock,
of Michigan, to-day. "The silver dollar
has twice the purchasing power to-day that
it had when the Government contracted it's
debts. and the laboring classes have just
as good right to demand the continued
use of silver as the wealthy classes have to
demand the exclusive use OF gold.'
1T Is the great submarine battles which
are to be waged in the future" said q naval
officer to-day. The powerful nations of
the world will give battle to each other un-
der water, and Jules Vernes 10000
League Under the Sea- will yet become
history" II cant say whether shall vote
for the Hennepin Canal project or not, ="
said congressman Fredericks, OF Iowa.
to correspondent this morning.
ut will depend upon the shape in
which the measure comes up. 1t is doubt
full whether the canal would greatly benefit
the people OF Iowa and adjacent States. 1t
would be closed six or seven months OF the
year. 1t would close every fall, just when
we want to ship grain and other produce
practically undistur5ed in their monopoly
carrying trade. What we need,' continued
Congressman Fredericks, lis National
legislation to curb the power of the rail
roads. For example, law should be
passed that whe.I railroad company es-
tablishes a rate of freight that rate should
not be changed for at least a year. No
cutting of rates should be permitted
"Whether q Congressman shall be re-
elected or not depends upon his ability to
Congressman Burrows to-day. "Icertainly
think it wo.ld be an excellent thing if Con-
gressmen could be relieved from the neces
sity Of advising the appointing power con-
cerning applicants for position and ii the
appointing power could be spared the i'm
portunitits of Congressman who want
places for their friends. But I do not think
it practicable. The President must inquire
Of somebody about applicants and it is
natural to go to the congressman. Under
preceding Administrations it was custom
ary to notify a Congressman when va
cancy occurred in his district and to ask
him to make any suggestions he Thought
proper
Dakota has a clear case for asking ad-
mission il ever a Territory had one, said
Senator Wilson to-day. 1.-The Senate wi
vote to admit her, but the House may de-
feat the bill. There is no reason for con-
sideripg it partisan measure
Representative Laird, OF Nebraska, has
introduced bill to quiet the title to the
lands taken since the passage OF the Home
stead Act pursuant to that act or to the
Presumption Act. "For instance says
Mr.. Laird, under recent decision of the
Of the General Land Otfiee it
is held that whoever took a preemption
could not thereafter take homestead, and
that consequently the title to the home
stead is bad. Or reciprocally, if he took
homestead and commuted it, he could not
afterwards take a pre.emption, and II be
did the title to that 10 bad. And this ruling
that officer holds to be retroactive, thus, So
far as he is concerned, unsettling about
one-half the titles to all the agricultural
lands west OF the Mississippi river" liam
str ngly in favor OF disarmirg the Sioux
and the Indian tribes who are menace to
the neighborinY whites" said General Man
derson recently, land / believe deter
mined effort will be made to pass bill ut
this session providing for disarming them.'
1.-THE newspa pers made very light Of the
attempted removal OF Gen. Crook"
said a prominent Western Representative.
The Representativ. is all ex-Union officer.
who saw hard fighting in the Shenandoah
Valley and knows whereof he speaks.
There was a good deal more than ap'
peared on the surface" continued the Rep.
resentative. "There is no question that
for the past two years there has been q
persistent attempt to break down Crook,
to helittle all that he does and to magnify
all that has happened in that wild country
that can be used to his detriment. The
reason is simply the Jealousy that exists
among the officers Of the regular army.
They know that Crook is q great favorite
with Gen Sheridan, and there is to be
Major General appointed soon to flll the
vacancy caused by the retirement Of Gen.
Pope On the 18th of March next. Every
brigadier is anxious to wear the win stars.
Some OF these aspiring gentlemen have con-
ceived the idea that Sheridan would urge
Crook for Pope's place, well knowing that
Sheridan thinks Crook one of the best
Officers in the army" "What is the es-
pecial reason oi Shen JAMS high regard for
0nookp" was AAkod. "Shax3dAn has