St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-23
STILL AFTER SPARKS.
Minnesota Congressman Receiving Many
Complaints From the Northwest
Against His Land Policy.
Morrison Confidently Counting Upon West
ern Aid in His New Tariff Re-
form Bill.
The Delayed Case OF Marshal Camp
Dell Not Yet Reached by the Ju-
dietary Committee.
Matters of News and Interest Caught
Dy the Globes Correspondent for
Northwestern Readers.
The National Capital Budget.

The National Capital Budget
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, March 22.-The report Of
the house public lands committee on the
Northern Pacific grant was presented to
the house to-day. The majority report
favors the forfeiture of all lands laying
west of the Missouri river, the minority,
composed of Strait, Van Eaton, jackson,
and perhaps Stephenson, will report in
favor OF giving the roads all lands earned
up to the date of the passage of the bill,
holding that since congress stood by and
permitted them to go on and complete a
portion of the road after the time had ex-
pired they ought to be given the lands so
earned.
Hon. o. b. Thomas of Wisconsin ad-
dressed the river and harbOr committee to
day in favor Of the improvement of the
Wisconsin river.
White to-day introduced a bill increasing
the appropriation for public building at
Winona to S120.0 900, making that sum limit
the cost of both building and grounds.
Maj. Gen. j. NJ. Schotield has accepted
command of the division of the Atlantic TO
succeed Hancock and will be succeeded at
Chicago in command Of the division OF the
Missouri by Maj. Gen. A. A. Terry. Ma.
Gen. Howard will take Gen. Pope's COM
mand at San Francisco. Orders will be
issued soon as Gen. Howard Is confirmed
and commissioned.
Morrison looks with confidence to the
Northwest for support to his tariff bill. He
says that at the present rate he will be able
to report it by April 1. He will then favor
ample general discussion. He scouts the
idea that there will be a prOportionately
heavy Democratic vote against this than
there was against his last bill. He claims
that he has reason to think otherwise. He
counts also upon few Republicans, re-
crultS from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michi-
gan, Kansas and Nebraska, and possibly
other states.
Indian Commissioner Atkins to-day
awarded to Walter B. Jordon of st. Paul
the contract for furnishing the Crow Indians
OF Montana with 800, 600 pounds of beef at
1884 per 100 pounds. Commissioner At
kins says that if beef continues at its
present high rates, he will probably con-
tract at the next general spring letting for
more pork and canned beef for the Indians.
The senate Judiciary committee did not
act to-day in the case of Marshal Camp
bell. There were two reasons for it; one
that its session was long and exciting to-
day over the subject of open executive
session and other questions arising out of
the Edmunds resolution. The other reason
was that the subcommittee having the case
i'll charge had not yet fully decided upon it,
as its members have been busy with the
general discussion in the senate.
Members of congress continue to receive
a great number of letters from the North
west regarding Commissioner Sparks ruling
in regard to entries on public lands. The
| senate committee on public lands early re-
ported two bills to meet this difficulty, and
N dnfp0fc in owls Gro
to morrow the house committee also will
report some bills on the subject. Secretary
Lamar has not Overruled Sparks on this
matter but the decision was delayed so long
that much suffering was caused in the with
drawal OF loans on such property and in
other ways. Many settlers suppose that
Sparks ruling are retroactive and as they
changed the previous rulings, great con-
fusion followed. To meet this difficulty
Senator Van Wyck introduced his bill
which provides THAT any entry of
public lands subject to entry hereto
fore made under the land law of the
United States in conformity with the rules,
regulations, and decisions of the general
land office and the interior department at
the time such entry was made, shall be ad-
judged in the same manner as if said rules,
regulations and decisions had not been re-
viSed or modified" This bill, Van Wyck
says, is sure to pass both houses. Even
Sparks favOrs the bill. 1t will protect set
tiers in all their rights. The house COM
mittee will tomorrow report the bill to re-
peal the pre-emption and timber culture
laws. Rights which have become vested
under each of these laws are protected by
provisions for perfection of lawfully in
itiated before the passage of the act. Sena-
tor Dolph thinks that there will be no diff
ficulty in securing the repeal of these acts.
His committee has also agreed
to amend the desert lands act
as follows: Restricting the right to
purchase lands under the act to citizens of
the United States and to one-half section of
land. Requiring actual residence and cul-
tivatiOn for period of five years from the
date of entry. Providing against alienation
of the land similar in all respects to the case
of a homestead entry. Requiring that at
least one-half of the claim shall be actually
reclaimed by bringing water upon it within
five years from the date of entry" These
provisions, Mr.. DOlph says. will prevent
speculationS and abuses which have been
possible under the existing law and the act
when so amended will kill, on account of
the amount of land which may be entered
under its provisions induce to some extent
the settlement and reclamation of desert
lands.