The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-16
RESUMED.
Tho N.P. Land Forfeiture
Bill
ovcE MORE UP NTHE SENATE
n.b.te on 1t and the Amend
ment. ProPOsed-Doins' In
the House Tuesday @
SENATE.

,r,sg,xe7ox. June 15.-The Senate
I'd the consideration OF the North
en- Pabiac forfeiture bill, George max
30 -, = legal argument citing Supreme
Court decisions, sustaining the view
hat the lands should be forfeited.
Gf,er routine business. Beck remarked
-, - ENC IN the submission yesterday
- the Edmunds resolution. which
sro,Id admit of debate on the motion
" -, reconsider. he Beck would await
-. - 1907 M the committee on rules. as
- otbef resolution before calling up the
Hswley motion 10 RECONSIDER tne vote
Nv which the Senate passed the Dill 10
nIohibit members of Congress from be-
coming attorneys Of railroad companies.
On motion Of Dolph, the Northern
pacific forfeiture bill was taken up
and George resumed his remarks
o1 he bil. BE entered ion an elab-
cate LEGAL argument to show
that the company was Lot entitled
n any lands not ea.ned strictly within
tbe terms OF the grant. He argued that
he lands. admitted at first, belonged to
~ whole reople Of tie United States;
that thew we're granted TO the railroad
eompany on certain conditions, pre-
scribed In the granting act; that as to a
verv large Quantity of land, the con-
ditions had not been L nplied with in
the time prescribed; that the action of
the officers OF the government in &C
eepnng sections Of the road after the
time prescribed by the act was not in
accordance with the law; that their &C
ton was, therefore, void; that the
failure Of the government officers 70
discharge their duties according TO law
could be no estoppel, either legal or
equitable, upon government, and that
Congress could not now refuse to for
felt al the unesrned land, mas
much as Congress was not dealing
with its own property. but
with the property OF the people
OF the United States. AS to the argu-
menf in favor OF the equitable estoppel,
George maintained it to be equivalent
TO saying that whenever the Railroad
Company could corrapt the govern
ment officers in order to induce them TO
isil 10 the performance Of their duty.
then such q corrupt failure was to be
binding on the people of the United
States. This would be a monstrous
doctrine. De analysed at length the
decisions Of the United States Supreme
Court. 10 support the various points in
his argument. George finally conceded
that under the granting act the power
OF Congress vas ample and its duty
plain TO take possession Of the North
ern Pacific Railroad, and either sell il
or DO whit as Congress might Other
WI, Use see ~, IN order TO complete the
Line Of road for the building of which
me and was originally granted.
Milcneu, OF Oregon. characterized
george speech as the most eItraordin-
airy ne had ever heard in the Senate. II
never o lore had been claimed that
those lands had been granted on condi-
nons precedent. An LAWYERS had
heretofore recognized the Conditions
a conditions subsequent
me amendment OF Van Wick was
lhen brought 10 q vote. That amend
ment declares forfeited the lands the
company, has at the terminus with the
ByIuon Of the Cascade Branch NOT com
P.slea al Inc date Of the passage of the
q, nays Is. e-eeN yeas
" me ainrmatiTe nine we're Rennl;-
Ing AIdHch, Chase, Cullom. Harrison
1I,ysan' spooner, Teller. Van Wvct anS
HtASoh oiloEa. OF the negative vofas
1llee we're Democrats w Pro-
5Ayne and Pugh. Otherwise tben -
6e,,,o -.o.el, me Affirmative votes were
rn 1btITo..a''e and the negative votes Re-
EAAA4Eau. llrrHsn
we're announced. PAais
sm 1,Ss;,s nen formally submitted his
n-or;S ,;--.e - already suggested, being a
ioTi $50 u me nature of a substitute
MINI -S.s--s an the lands OF the co-ter-
we-s - -. IN "a such portions of road as
excsr'- - eOlilipiete1 on. July 18th. 1879
eTcsl.:-s me right of way and
H. 1lH-s also the lands included IN
sns,'S--se, loWn or CITY sites. The
tioT ~ -.enl provides for the confirma.
r. - ne stiles Of actual settlers
FTs.;s1 opposed the amendment and
NT T supported ii. w Ni'i' anu
Of - ellnclzed the land grant poIicv
vss,-s., government as haviny haa1
TsTI u- and extravagant.
pubiiS.,.u defended the cause OF the Re-
With ibSs an. said it did not come
.or ps ~. grace from the gentleman
5s1d po.-ncal capital to come hsrs an5;
ehs-.ae ne acts Of those who ba5
he an III, M government at the time
Wiling ~ r aus were made Logan was
srsut q az, 'ote lor the forfeiture Of every
'siiurs sT - where the right Of fo--
lot baiIt ~ .e - a company had
RastiIoaa'sis opposed the amendment
ysas 2 nsvs amendment was rejected"