St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-16
THE NORTH ERIN PACIFIC.
The Senate Passes the Land Grant
Forfeiture Bill.

Forfeiture Bill.
WASHINGTON, June 15.-In the senate
the Northern Pacific forfeiture bill was
taken up.
Mr.. George was the first speaker. After re-
marks by Mr.. Mitchell the amendment of Nj.
Van Wyck was brought to a vote. That
amendment declares forfeited the lands CO.
! terminus with the portion of the Cascade
branch not completed at the passage of the
pending bill. The amendment was agreed to.
Yeas "a, nays Is. Of the affirmative vote
nine were Republicans, being Messrs. Aid
| rich, Chace, Culom, Harrison, Logan, Spooner,
Teller, Van Wyck and Wilson Qowa). OF the
negative votes three were Democrats, namely:
Messrs. Brown, Payne and Pugh. Otherwise
than as just noted the affirmative votes were
Democratic and the negative votes Repub-
lican. Quite number of pairs were an
nOunced. Mr. Eustis then formally submit
ted his amendment already suggested, being
a provision in the nature of q substitute
FORGETTING all lands cotermnus with such por-
tons of the road as were not completed on
July 4, 1879, excepting the right Of way, and
excepting also the lands included in village,
town or city sites. The amendment provides
for confirmation of the titles of actual suit
tiers. Mr.. Beck opposed the amendment and
Mr.. Eustis supported it. Mr.. Vance criticised
the land grant policy Of the government as
having been
WASTEFUL AND EXTRAvAGANT.
Mr.. Teller defended the course of the Repub-
lican party as to the purity and patriotism Of
its motive and conduct in relation to public
lands, and said that at the time the grants
were made the senator from North Carolina
and his friends were in arms against the gov
eminent. Mr.. Logan said it did not come with
good grace from gentlemen, for political capt.
tai, to come here and denounce the acts of
those who had charge Of the government at
the time the land grants were made. Mr..
Logan was not opposed to the rights of any of
the people, but was in favor of honesty
toward all people. He would treat
a corporation just as he would treat an indi-
vidual. If he made contract with an ipdi-
vidual and that individual complied with the
contract, Mr.. Logan would be bound by it,
and if the contract was extended for time
it was renewed. Some senators thought it
would be popular to violate an honest con-
tract. They were willing, however, that the
government should double the price of it's
own land on account of the railroad. Mr..
Logan was willing to vote for the forfeiture
of every grant of land where the right to for
felt eXiSted-where the company had not
built its road. Mr.. Edmunds opposed the
amendment. 1t was rejected. Yeas II, nays
81. Mr.. salisbury proposed an amendment
forbidding executive officers from issuing
patents for any lands liable to forfeiture till
congress should authorize such issue. Re-
jected. Mr.Van Wyck offered an amendment
repeating the clause of the granting act,
WHICH Hldue Tie rlgnG OIL way exempt from
taxation in the territories. He said that I'M
der all the circumstances he thought the road
should bear its share of taxation. The
amendment was agreed to. Yeas 26,
nays 20. Mr.. Blair offered an
amendment providing that land
grant roads that had not completed their
lines within the time allowed by the granting
act and which had since proceeded in good
faith and with reasonable diligence to CON-
plete should now be
ALLOWED FIVE YEARS
to so complete its road, but requiring that
the lands should be disposed Of to private in
dividual owners inside of ten years from the
passage of this act, in tracts not exceeding
$40 acres to any one individual and at q price
not more than So so per acre, all lands not SO
disposed of within that term to be forfeited.
Mr.. Blair spoke in support of his amendment,
On motion Of Mr.. Mitchell, of Oregon, this
amendment was laid On the table. The bill
being brought to a vote was passed. Yeas
42-Nays l. (Mr. Blair.) On motion of Mr..
Dolph the bill repeating the presumption tim
Der culture and desert land acts, was then
laid before the senate and is the unfinished
business for tomorrow. The senate then ad-
journed.
TERMS OF THE BILL.
The bill forfeiting the unearned lands of
the Northern Pacific railroad company as
passed by the senate, declares forfeited so
much OF the lands granted to that company
as are coterminuS with part of it's main
line which extends from Wallula
Junction to Portland, and that part of the
Cascade bank which shall not have been
completed at the date of the passage of the
bill, and makes the right of way in the
territories subject to taxation. 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 OF future to comply with the condi-
tinnS of the grant