The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-06-17

Thensys were Ser ators Chase, Plumb,
Teller and Wilson Iowa..
The bill was passed as reported from
the Appropr a'ion Committee.
Senator Allison sta ed that the Sem
ate Appropr alton Committee had
row no bills before il for considera-
ton We were now within two weeks
of the expiration OF the f zeal year. 1t
was impossible that some OF the i'm.
p rant Appropriation bills could pa J
the Senate by the LIST Of july, rS the
Senate could not con'ider them II
/ they came from the House. What
ever responsibility or embarrassment,
he added, might attach TO a failure to
pass these Appropriation b lis before
the expiration Of the fiscal ye ? cou'U
not rest on the Senate.
Senator Wilson la. then addressed
the Senate on the pos al bill. He said
the present law relating to postage on
merchandise was a mot effective in
strumeutality for centralizipg. Figures
showed that a package carried over
2C0 miles by mail, at the PIE ent rates,
brought a less 10 the gov rument; at
the same iims ii tended 10 destroy u
bus ness OF the local dealers all over
the country, Senator Wilson read a
number OF letters from country mer-
chants from different psrtJ OF TIE
Union recounting the evils OF the pres
ent system by which a few merchant
princes OF New York and other large
cities were coming to monopolize the
lccal business Of every section OF the
United States. Senator Wilson there
fore advocated the passage OF the bill
increasing the rate Of postage on mer-
chandise. If Congress, he added, was
not ready to pass 1t, the time would
come when the Disturbance to the
bu iness Of the country by the present
system would compel the increase Of
the rate.
The Senate then proceeded to the
consideration OF The House bill repeal
ing the pre-empIiOn timber Gu ture
aud desert land acts. The Senate
Committee on Public Lands have
amended the House bill by subs l.
tut'ng the provisions Of the Senate
bill.
Senator Blair offered an amendment
providing in effect, as to the desert
10 IDS, that on the expenditure Of The
S3 for Improvements the government
should part with the title, and that
none OF the lands should be held in
larger bodies than $40 acres in q single
ownership
Senator Irgals said that by post
poning the time when our supply OF
a'able public lands should be ex.
hausted we would post one the time
OF being brought face to face with the
consideration whether we should re-
shiCt immigration, or that o-hsr and
more dangerous consderat on whether
we should enter on new career OF
conquest for the purpose OF acquiring,
In the North or in the South, new ter |
ritory over which our surplus popula-
ton might spread.
Senator Plumb did not aeres that
there had been such gross frauds as
had been genera ly supp ssd with re-
& ard to the d sert landR, or any other
form OF public lands. He asserted
that there had been much miss ate.
ment and interested exaggeIation in
regard to that subject. No doubt
there had been frauds but not TO any.
thing like the extent publicly charg d
Much of this fo.Calltd fraud" con-
sisted in mere failure to make a tech
MICA compliance With the rt gulaiions of
the and department, Such q "faud"
rs that was not one that involved moral
turpitude. He Senator Plumb) had
100 aCrt s OF land in Ksns. s
thirty years ago, and had made his
home on / but he had no doubt that,
acc riding 10 the sensational and exag
gerated descriptions of the present
line, he had committed fraud" on
The public lands II some Of the keen
eyed and leather-lunged agents OF the
Interior Department should find thst
4 man had left his land, and that
man had bought il, il would
be set dc wn as a fraud" of the fist
magnitude. Senator Plumb pictured
he struggles of the early settlers OF the
West, and deprecated al attempts to
Delittle the struggles of those people.
Or to interfere with their well.earned
title to their !ands. The intelposition
II mere technicaliti,s to the security
II such titles was no way for a great
government TO treat it's settlers. There
vas no justification for such a course.
security OF title was AZ indispensable
necessity for civilization.
After further debate the Senate adj.
burned without action on the bill or
he pending amendment.