Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-20
10 Sue TEXAS.
The Senate judiciary Committee Sits
Down on the Greer County
Arbitration Commission.
I, FaVors Ips:ifuiing of q Suit AgAtns;
the State 10 Determine the Right
ful TIlIs to the Land.
This suprS ms COURT by Msi 1riiy OF Ons
sustains the Bell Telephone PatsntA--
Vote Four to Three.
A BLOW TO TEXAS.

ALLOW TO TEXAS.
Special to this Gazette.
WARRINGTON, March l9-The Senate
committee on the judiciary created con-
sterDasion among the Texas delegates
'o.dsy on the Greer county boundary
question upon which Mr.. Lsnhsm had
secured 6 favorable report from the House
iudicisIy committee providing for ar
arbitration commission consisting Of
three me- mbers. the Sensts committee,
however, did not take the same
view OF the matter and to-day reported
the following in lieu of the
L.nham bill: "That the Attorney Gen
ersl II the United States be authorized
and directed to commence in the namF
and behalf Of the United States and prose
cute to final determination 3 proper
suit in equity in the Supreme court of the
Uuited s .ates against the state of Texas,
setting forth the tile and claim
OF THE UNITED STATES
TO the tract Of land lying be-ween the
north and south forks of the Red riveI
claimed by the state Of Texas as lyiDg
Ul'AtL oo z paw "a 4AE AohS
in order that The right OF title 10 sale
land may be fioally determined "
Mr.. Coke %ill submit minority rep1ri
On the measure, and will mske strong
fight in the Senate In favor Of the House
DilI. Mr.. Lsnham, who hiss WORKED
i1cesssntly on this measure Ishjs session
is greatly disappointed at this turn Of 81
fairs In the Senate, but he hopes to be
sb!e 10 defeat the proposition Of the n
ate committee, II not 10 the Senate tbel
in the House, should II psss the former
cody.
BELLS PATENTS sus TANNED.
WASHINGTON, March ls.--The Supreme
court at noon began delivering the opiR-
ion In the celebrated telephone case!
against The B, Il telephone patents. Tue
court sustains the Bell patents both fol
process and for operating. In consld' r
ing the question of alleged anticipation 81
Ithe Bell invention by the telephone q
Refs in Germany, the court holds
that Refs discovered means
Of Transmitting musical tones and moth
ing more. Beips patents being for the
process and srt Of transmitting speech
would have been just as valid even il
they had used the apparatus Of R9is II
developing It,. The court holds thst the
apparatus OF Refs was not successful il
transm ting speech, and that his inven.
ton was not In any respect an anticipa-
ton Of the discovery which WAS made by
Bell. All points in the telephone cases
have been decided in favor Of Bell. in
GLIDING the points set up in the claims OIL
Reis, VanderwAyde and McDonough
Justice Blatchford In reviewing the
Orswbsugn case, holds that the
force OF tie testimony showing
that DraWbsugh had telephones in
use before the invention OF Bell IL
completely broken by mis- own conduct
and indifference which he manifested in
regard to his alleged invention until
years after the Bell telephones were
known to the whole world. Dr6wbsugh's
claim is declared to be unsustsined.
Justice Bradley read an able opinion
dissenting from the decision CT the
court.
Justices Field and Harlan also dissent,
nd justices Gray and Lamar did not Fit
in the case. The Bell patent. are there
fore sustained by a majority Of one, the
court standing four to three. Justice
Blatchiord In reviewing the charge OF
fraud and collision in the patent Office,
by means Of which Bell, 1t is alleged, 90
tsired surreptitious information with
regard to the . invention Of his
rival, and then amended his
own specifications, holds that there was
not the slightest evidence to support this
upon the integrity Of Bell or his attor-
Deys. The dissent OF Justices Bra tley,
Field and Harlan Is based upon Draw,
baugh's claim. These three Justices arc
Of opinion that the evidence overwnelm-
ingly shows that DraWbaugh was the first
inventor of the speaking telephone, al-
though he was unconscious Of it, and
was not aware Of its importance.
THE RIGHT TO BUILD BRIDGES.
WASHINGTON, March l9.-Senator Vest
from the committee on commerce to- day
reported back the resolution to inquire
into the right and expediency Of Congress
assuming control of the erection OF
bridges over navigSble vers within state
limits. The report says there can be no
question as to the right Of the national
legislature to absolutely control the con.
struction Of bridges across navigable
streams, nor Is this power limited or az
:fected by the fact that such streams are
entirely within the limits OF
the state. The report further
says there are q great many
nsvlgable streams within the limits Of
the respective states which should be Left
to the control of the state government
At the same time Congress should never
surrender its power to control the erection
of bridges over such streams whenever
that power should be exercised. The
committee is therefore Ct opinion that no
legislation is necessary on the subject,
but that the question should be left wnere
Is now is.
PROGRESS OF THE TARIFF BILL,
Better progress was made to-day OF
the ways aud means committee in con-
siderstion Of the tariff bill than has been
made during The past few days. The free
list WAS passed on IS well as the chemical
section, and at adjournment the commit
tee had just tsken up the paragraphs re
lating TO crockery and china. The most
important seton taken was striking out
cement from the free list and the impos-
ing Of 10-per-eent. ad valore1n duty
on it instead of the 20 percent.
rate. Jute manufacturing machinery
was plsced on the free list in con-
OF the fact that ju;e