, 1890-07-08

WASHINGTON, July In the house
today Bland, rising to a question OF privi-
lege. had read the dispatch stating that
he was absent from the silver &onference
meeting on Saturday. He also had read
a note from Chairman Copger, stating
there would be no meeting Saturday. He
had no desire to be advertised as not at
tending to his duty, when he was notified
that his presence was not required.
After the transaction OF come other
business the house went into a committee
of the whole for the consideration of the
senate bill to forfeit certain lands hereto
fore granted for the purpose of aiding IN
constructing railroads, with the hou ;e sub
stitute therefor.
Payson explained the bill in general.
Its provisions proposed to forfeit and re-
store to the public domain all public
lands, wherever situated. which have
been granted in aid of construction where
the railroads have not been completed at
this time. There have been railroads aided
by acts of congress which have not been
acted upon. Nine have been fully com
pleted and that left sixteen roads uncom
pleted, and the house substitute recon-
mended the forfeiture of all lands lying
opposite such portions of roads as are not
now constructed. 1t was his opinion that
no bill of broader character than this
could ever pass the senate and become a
law. A careful estimate was to the effect
that the bill would restore 7. 100000 acres
to the public domain.
Stone of Missouri took the position
that forfeiture should be made of all
land which had not been earned by the
railroads at the time fixed in the granting
acts for the completion of roads. The
Northern Pacific road, he said, was most
vitality interested in this measure. He
quoted from speeches by Payson in the
Twenty-eighth and Twenty ninth con.
crosses. unfolding the right of congress
to forfeit the lands unearned at the time
fixed by the granting arts. and attacked
that gentleman for what he declared was
a change OF front on the pending legisla-
ton. The speaker (Reed) in the Forty
seventh congress, when chairman of
the Judiciary committee. reported that
congress had no DO yer to forfeit an acre
Of the Northern Pacific grant. Since
then Reed had been a jealous companion
of hat arrogant and corrupt. corporation
on the HOor OF tue mouse. lnls corpora
ton knew its founder and staid by him
most loyalty. 1t was an open secret that
no influence had been more potential in
the reorganization of the house than hat
exerted by the Northern Pacific railway.
The passage of the bill under considera-
ton was a matter of first importance to
this corporation. The bill would pass.
The bosses would insist upon it. They
could not do otherwise, and the rest OF
the poor fellows on the other side OF the
aisle, with their hands tied and their lips
silent except when the parliamentary joss
united the one that they might clap
their applause to his ulterance and at
tuned the other that they might chant a
servile chorus to the commanding tones
of his majestic solos, must follow blindly
wherever they were led. But beyond
their parliamentary autocrat was a great
constituency-the people of the United
States-and to that forum would be car
ried this cause which the maj ,rity stood
ready 10 betray.
Lace Of Iowa favored the pending bill.
Pending further debate the committee
rose and the house adjourned.