Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-07
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
First Session,
sen ATE.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 5, 1886.
In the Senate, today, Mr.. Ingalls, resolu-
ton, offered yesterday, was laid before the
Senate calling on the secretary of the interior
for information as to the authority for the
issuance of the recent order of the commits.
sioner of the gen66al land Office suspendine
the receipt of applications for public lands
under the preemption, timber culture and
desert land acts.
The resolution having been read, Mr.. Wal.
thall said that, very soon after the issue of
the order complained of, the secretary of the
interior came to doubt seriously as to the
legal authority for that order without re.-.-
ence to the matter Of precedents. and that he
had determined to revoke it. Yesterday, Mr..
Walthall continued, some hour or more be-
fore the Senate met, and two or three hours
before the offering of Mr.. Ingalls, resolution,
he (WalthalD saw and read the original draft
of the order revoking it, and had a converse
ton with the secretary of the interior on the
subject. He (WalthalD had learned from
the secretary that he had very grave doubts
as to the legality of the order, and had deter.
mined on the very day of its issue to revoke
it, whatever the precedents might be.
Mr.. Walthall sent to the desk and had the
clerk read copy of the order of revocation
already published.
Mr.. Ingalls, was glad the first order had
been revoked, but requested the statement of
the grounds on which the revocation had
been made. He Ingalls) affirmed that no
prece dent in harmony with the order of June
2 could be found in the interior department.
The revocation was right, but the reasons
given for the revocation were not right. The
constitution of the United States, Mr.. Ingalls,
continued, required by the President to take
rQ hat ha M fa;t frll ,oJ
The President was resp onsible for the acts OF
his executive officers. The advent of the
present commissioner of the general land of.
fee to his position had been signalized bv an
immediate suspension of 10000 entries OF
public lands. The commissioner of the gen.
eral land Office assumed that every one OF
those claimants was engaged in a fraudulent
attempt to rob and plunder the United States.
Mr.. Ingalls, said his mail was burdened with
complaints of the action of the commissioner
He cited cases within his know ledge to show
the hardships and iniquities caused by the
course of the land Office. He added that he
was not complaining of the President or OF
the secretary of the interior, who, doubtless
had been imposed upon. His (Mr. Ingalls,
complaint was of the agency that was admin.
isteriDg the system in opposition to the inter.
ests of the thousands of his (Mr. Ingalls')
constituents and thousands of other poor
honest and industrious people, who were en-
deavoring to build up communities and state.
in the West. In their name, Mr.. ingalls, fel,
| called on to say that no greater invasion o.
public right, constitutional law and preroga
tive of free men was ever committed in any
age or at any time, than the order of the com
missioner of the general land office, dated I'd
June, 1886, suspending the operation of valid
subsisting laws of the United States. 1t was
an offence that, if committed by the secretary
of the interior and sanctioned by the Presi
dent, would justify their impeachment and
removal from Office. Mr.. ingalls, was very
glad indeed that the secretary of the interior
had seen fit thus early and promptly to disa
vow the order.
After some debate between Messrs. Ingalls,
Cockrell and Teller, Mr. ingalls, resolution
was agreed to.