St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-27
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.

Eittle Prospect That the House Will
do Anything With the BILL to For.
felt the Land Grant.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, July 26.-The impression
prevails to greater extent than ever to-
night that the house will do nothing with
the bill to forfeit the Northern Pacific land
grant. The failure to reach vote to-day
is looked upon as settling the bill for this
session, and although an effort will be made
to call it up again i'll the morning, it is not
likely to prevail Mr.. Gilfillan's speech to-
day was surprise to his friends. He GER
tainly made out an excellent case for the
company, without making a special plea
for them, and he won over several members
by his dispassionate and clear presentation
Of legal points in the case.
THE DEBATE.
WASHINGTON, July 26.-In the house
Mr.. Henly, California; from the commit
tee on public lands reported back the senate
bill FORGETTING certain of the lands granted
TO the Northern Pacific railroad company.
The committee recommends that in lieu of
the senate bill there be substituted the pro-
visions of the house bill on the same subject.
Mr.. Henly stated that the difference between
The TWO bills was that while the senate bill
forfeited the grant from Wallula Junction to
Portland, the house bill included also the for
fixture of the grant from Bismark to the
Pacific ocean. The house bill forfeited
$1,000, 600 acres more than the senate bill.
Mr. Van Eaten, (Mssissippi) member of the
committee on public lands supported the
senate bill. He took the position that where
The road had been constructed in accordance
With the terms of the granting act, in time or
put of time, the road examined, accepted, and
;EaJ flo1an hia+n INV a
seeu taken by the government to declare it
forfeited, the lands coterminus with the road
70 completed.
. WERE EARNED LAND.
Mr. Price (Wis.) could find nothing in the
platform of any political party which could
Justify congress in violating an express or
implied contract as was done in the house
bill. He was not willing to bow so abjectly
before the communistic cry, Damn the rail-
,oads,'' as to break contracts and to break the
pledges of parties in national convention. 1t
vas demagoguery in the lowest and meanest
Iense. Mr.. Voorhees, CIV. ~ favored the
rouse bill, declaring there were high reasons
IF public policy why the land grant of the
Northern Pacific company should be taken
rom its control as far as this could legally be
lone. He pictured what he characterized as
he oppression Of the railroad company as
Iracticed IN Washington territory, asserting
hat it dictated the laws relating to railroad
axation and set at defiance every legislative
lction of the people. The history of the COM
,any was a chapter of broken promises, mis-
representations and double dealing. Mr.. Gill
ilan (Niinn.,) submitted a legal argument in
opposition to the house BILL which he said was
based upon mischievous and misleading
miSconStruction of the granting act. Mr..
Dates (Ala.,) argued against the equitable
Ind legal power of congress to pass the senate
bill. Mr.. Payson Qll.,) entered upon an ex-
laustive review of the case, but pending the
conclusion of his remarks the house adj
Onrrad