Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-26
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
OUR W1sH1SoroS LETTER.

This Congress will be obliged to meet
and decide the question whether the
limit fixed by the oct Of March 3, 1879,
for filing claims for arrears Of pensions
shall be repealed or extended. The
Pension Committee is divided in opin-
ion. Some Of them want to remove the
limit entirely and give arrears to all
who are now on the pension-rolls and
have not drawn arrearagss, and to all
who may hereafter be placed upon the
rolls. Other members of the COM
mittee want to extend the time
within which applications for ar
rears may be filed for one or two
years. The Browne amendment to the
widows pension bill repeats the limit,
which expired July l, 1880, and throws
the door wide open. Although this is
likely to be ruled out Of order, that OK
pedient will be only temporary dodg-
ing Of the issue, because under the re-
vised rules the Committee on Invalid
Pensions have the power to report
bill one day to open the way to the
payment Of arresrages and can force
it upon the attention Of the House for
consideration on the next day. That
they have the will to do it was shown
by the discussion and votes in commit
tee last week, and the only question
among them,is how far they can ven-
ture to 20 in that direction and yet re-
tain majority vote in the House.
THE DAKOTA MATTER.
This morning the closing arguments
in relation to the admission Of Dakota
were to have been heard by the House
Committee on Territories from persons
representing the various interests in
Dakota, but the time was occupied by
the Democratic side Of the question,
and the other side will be given
chance tomorrow.
A member Of the committee says he
has not found any disposition among
Democrats in the House to admit the
southern part Of the Territory as .
State. 1t is probable that majority
of the committee will favor the admis-
sion Of all that part east Of the Mis-
souri, river and the twenty-fourth me-
ridian and the organization of the re-
mainder as new Territory under the
name of Lincoln. Some members ex-
press decided objection to include the
great Sioux reservation within any
State lines. They believe that the
welfare Of the Indians no less than the
interests Of the United States require
that that reservation should be kept
under the direct control Of Congress. IL
the Missouri river and the twenty
fourth meridian be adopted as the
west line of the new State, the
Sioux reservation, which is as
large as the State of Ohio,
would be left outside Of the State, as
well as the Black Hills region, where
Mr.. Moody, one Of the Dakota senator's,
resides. The proposed division of the
Territory, as above mentioned, would
include a population of 425,O00, and
leave in the Territory of Lincoln about
10000 persons, besides the Indians on
the Sioux reservation. The new State
would be Republican in politics, but
would have to frame new Constitu-
ton and elect senator's and delegate
to Congress, and this would practically
delay its admission for year or more.
The main controversy in the House
and between the Senate and the House
will probably be as to the division of
the Territory upon an east-and-west
line or upon the Missouri-river line.
LAND MoNoPoLIsTs.
Western members Of Congress are
anxious to enact some law that will
prevent capitalists, and especially for
eigners and foreign syndicates, from &C
quiring title to vast tracts of land in
the Territories. An effort was made in
the last Congress to do something to
stop this abuse of the public-land laws;
but it ended in talk. 1t is difficult to
do anything against the interests of ag-
gregated capital or well-organized cor
porations. They can afford to keep
well-paid agents in Washington to
watch their interests, and they usually
select ex.congressmen, who have the
privilege ofthe floor, extensive acquaint-
aDce among public men, and experience
in the ways Of promoting and prevent
ing legislation. The people must de-
pend upon their representatives in Con-
gress, and these, as a rule, prefer to de-
vote themselves to matters relating to
their immediate districts and that may
have bearing upon their return to
Congress.
i, is regretted that al Of the States
hare not enacted laws to prevent cor
poratlots and foreigners from monopo-
lizing real estate. Now and then
striking instance Of this abuse is brought
to light. Mr.. Rowell, Of Illinois, men
tions the fact that an Irish lord named
Scully owns eighty thousand acres Of
the best lands in one county of that
State, large part Of it in one body.
He resides in London, while the estate
is managed by an agent upon the sys-
tenn that prevails in Ireland. He puts
up no improvements, but rents or leases |
the lands TO tenants, who are required |
TO pay the taxes and who seldom make |
Improvements, because that would in-
crease their local taxes. lie admits.
however, that the tenants are gil well
treated by the landlords agent. Lord
Scully visits his American estate about |
once in four years.
LABOR AND AGRICULTURE.
The politicians are again agitating the
question Of elevatiDg the Bureau Of
Agriculture to the dignity of an execu-
tive department, to be presided over by
a Cabinet officer under the title of Sc
cretaIy of Agriculture. The House Com
mittee on Agriculture favors the propo-
sition, and it is understood that they
will attempt to push it through
Congress. The Committee on Labor
wants to create an executive depart
ment to be called the Department Of
Labor and Agriculture.
Delegate John Buchanan, Of Wash
ington county, and State Senator Hea-
ton, were at the Capitol to-day.
Congressman Brady, Of Virginia, and
of Maine had q long cnnfar