The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-23

scented to the Senate. There Is nom
in th, whole range # public ,,uc>
tl"n~ of greater lmpnriancr I" TIN
grrnrl,. tu hr settled than the Ilr>
ilnm whether the Congress Of III,
ulted States l. I" appropriate ,h,
public money and the l'uhllc prep
crtv la enrich 4 few individuals, fol
that l. what 1t means. neither NOR,
nor less. | here in my place protest
against such A use Of the powers oi
government, of he publlc frnetIen.
a. Ia confer vast wealth upon 4 few
ludl, iluals while a million If men
with their families are out ot en-.
rlos without homes. anl With.
ont the means ut comfortable sub.
sl>tcnrt.
Instead of complying with the
just demand ot the as>ociated Ia
BORN" men AMI women of the couu
try to enact SOM. mrasur" by which
the burden ot their toll ana po>rrty
shall lac lIghlrn"l this bIll PROPOSES
/" Law still heavier burdens on them,
aud to place hryond their reach -,
ooo,o acres of The ruhlic domain
which Justly belongs l." them.
There i, M question or doubt that
the franchise If ,hia road, with the
lo,uoo. .oo0 acres ui lanI granted 10y
the House hill, Is more than Sntli
cirnt to hn,ld this road.
There i nn question ~ the con
>trnrtI"n ol the railroad presented
hy thl, hlll. There Is NJ ,Iurstlnn
that tiI- "rrat highway failed IL br
constructed within the time limited
hy the act, and that by lmml"ra
,on and the increase ot the porula
ton ol the country these lands hp.r
brromr immensely valuable. Al
the circumstances which require and
Justify the original policy, II there
wl> Justification for such i vast ,lo
mat,on ot an empire ot land for amy
purpose whatever To- ! few nlisld
ual>, have CHANGED and no longer
rNI>t.
The report "l the committee "i
the other House proceeds:
The consideration uf the ease involves
two general and lrailnc questions
First, the power of t'ongl.s~ To declare II
grant of public Lands forfeited for breach
ot condition subsequent second, whether
thI, power hlng established, there arr
IN, features IN this particular ease ~
c,r'lng the grant from the general rnl".
The power ot tun,tets to declare for
trtrI a grant ot public lnnls, mnale To
either "A corporation ~ state, hN an net
containing n clallsr providing that the
lands should revert upon failure to build
the iuad within II specified time" larStah
ll-hrd lsyonI all controversy by repeated
DECISIONS If the Supreme court
unlrrtak It, to say that tins Is a pro
position which cannot be- reasonably
a~sallrl. il is self evident, aud had
the Supreme court decided that con.
gress under the constitution had no
sovereign powers Of Legislation It
would not have affected or changed
the sovereign powers "i congress.
l'ut they have not ~ dr"llrd, and
th"r" l. ~ my opinion II" Jisil'l'a'
tun or reason IN the argument that
there /, IN any'warrant IN the drcIS-
ION oI the Supreme court that pres,
rnt interest vested under these
grant, denies or limits the power,
"i congress, or the Proposition that
there Is any limitation placed by
them upon the power "l congress /"
declare a forfeiture, the absolute
and discretionary power CT congress
Whenever there was a failure tu
complete the road within I'll" time
specified IN the act.