The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-10-05
KANSAS BILLS VETOED.

The President vetOes the Bill Permitting
the Union Pacific Road 90 Purchase Part
Of the Fort Wallace Military Reserva-
tiOn, and Also the Bill Authorizing the
Secretary of the Interior to Certify Lands
to the State.
WASHINGTON, Sept 25.-The President
yesterday vetoed House bill 1910 provid-
ing for the disposal of the Fort Wallace
(Kan.) military reservation. 1t permits
the Union Pacific Railroad Company to
purchase within limited time q certain
part Of the military reservation, which is
particularly described, at the rate OF $50
per acre. The President says that he is
informed that this privilege might, by
reason of faulty description Of the lands,
enable the railroad company to purchase
at the price named property in which pri-
vate parties have inter ests acquired under
the laws. 1t is evident, he says, that the
description of the land which the railroad
company is allowed the option Of purchas.
ing should be exact and certain for the in
terests of all concerned. See ton OF the
bill grants a certain portion 1.-THE military
reservation heretofore set apart by the
military authorities as q cemetery to the
city of Wallace, for cemetery purposes.
The President held that in his opinion
there should be provision that no bodies
heretofore inferred in this ground should
be disturbed and that when it should no
longer be used as a cemetery it should re.
vert to the Government.
The President also sent in the following
veto message to the House of Representa-
tives:
I am unable to give my assent to joint resolu
ton No. IA, and ensitled . joint resolution to
authorize the Secretary Of the Interior to Ger.
tify lands to the State of Kansas for the beneht
Of agriculture and the mechanical arts. and
therefore return the same with statement Of
my objections thereto.
By an act Of Congress passed June 2, 1862,
certain public lands were granted to such OF the
several States as should provide colleges for
the benefit of agriculture and the mechanical
arts Under the terms of this act the State of
Kansas was entitled to 300 acres OF land,
subject however to the provisions Of said stat
ute. which declared that when lands which had
been raised to double the minimum price, in
consequence Of railroad grants, should be Sc
lected by State such lands should be COM
puted at the maximum price and the number OF
acres proportlonately diminished.
OF the lands selected by the State of Kansas
and which have been certified 7,fS2 92 100 acres
were in certain limits OF railroad grant and
had therefore been raised to the double mini
ito ed and thus situated really stood for double
that number of acres in filling the grant to
which the State OF Kansas was entitled.
1t is now claimed that after the selection of
these lands the route of said railroad was aban-
doned and another one selected, and in cOnse-
quence thereof such lands included within its
first location were reduced to the minimum
price and restored to public market ut that
rate. 1t is supposed on these allegations that
justice and equity require that an additional
grant should now be made to the State of Kan
sas from the public lands equal to the number
OF acres selected within the limits Of the first
railroad location. But an examination disclOses
that the joint resolution was predicated upon
an entire misunderstanding Of the facts.
The lands heretofore described. selected by
the State Of Kansas and charged at double that
amount because their price had been raised to
the double minimum in consequence Of their
being within railroad location, have all. ex-
cept 30 acres remained either in the new or
Old railroad location up to the present time,
and, il now vacant, would be held by the Gov
eminent ut the double minimum price.
1t seems clear to me that the State Of Kan
sas has been granted all the public land to
which it can lay any legal or equitable claim
under the law Of lS62. GROVER CLEVELAND.