Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-15
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
ABOUT PUBLIC LANDS.
Lively Tilt Between Senators
Plumb and Call.
the ANTI TRUST BILL.
Brazil Still in a State of
Foment.
AN IMPORTANT STRIKE.
President Harris0n's First Even
ing Reception.
THE FlFTY.FIRsT CONGRESS-.

THE FlFTY-FIRST CONGRESS-.
Unlmporsans Bills RePoFted-Ciaims
OF Florida Under the swamp Lands
Grans-Mr. Plumb's Denunelation OF
the claim.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IA.
SENATr-A number of unimportant bills
were reported from the committees and
placed on the calendar.
The resolution heretofore offered by Mr..
Call in relation to the claims of Florida
under the swamp land grant and In relation
to the alleged unlawful selection of lands In
Florida were taken up and Mr.. Gall addressed
the Senate upon them.
The burden Of his remarks was that lands
which were ft for cultivation, had been
selected under the Swamp land act. to the
injury of the peoples rights. He asserted
that 200, 0o0, 900 Of acres had been selected
and approved in all the States az swamp and
overlooked lands, while everybody knew
that no such extent Of territory LAS large as
Enrope) consisted of swamp and overdowed
lands. This was fraud upon the people Of
lands should be held as q sacred heritage.
OF the 16, 600, 600 acres which have passed
in Florida under the swamp and overlooked
lands act he asserted that II ,0O0, 900 were
high and dry.
Mr.. Plumb replied to Mr.. Call. He said
that the United States had granted to the
State of Florida more than half of the lands
within it's limits. The State contained about
40, O0O, 600 acres, and more than half of that
land had been given to the State for various
purposes. Every single aero of land go
granted had been placed under the control
Of the legislature of Florida. Some sixteen
or eighteen million acres had been granted
~ swamp and overaowed lands. The sena-
tor (Mr. CalD had just told the Senate that
So much greater was the dereliction of the
senator's State fit had betrayed its trust.
He wished the senator would say on the
stump in his own State what he had said
here to-day. He (Mr. PIumb) did not
care how much of the dirty linen Of Florida
question to be settled between the senator
and his constituents who had not said
word to-day that was not in denunciation of
the conduct of the authorities of his own
state. But for himself he would resign his
seat in the Senate If he were to bring for
ward such a complaint against his own
state after being too cowardly to proclaim 1t
on the stump within its border. Let the
senator, he said, 60 back to the people who
D0SAA
legislature which had despoiled the public
domain.
The United States lost jurisdictiction of
the question when it conveyed these lands to
Florida. Mr.. Plamb went on to say that
Mr.. Dali had, some sessions ago, appealed to
him a chairman of the committee on public
lands to report bill to ratify and confirm
the title to certain railroad lands in Florida.
So the alleged grants, said Mr.. Plumb, were
to be condoned under certain circumstances
but were never to be oondonsd in speech.
The senator had always been in the habit
of impuRning senators covertly. He had
sometimes been inclined not to reply to him,
but to convict him Of falsehood. But, said
Mr.. Plumb, there are some accusations
which are lost in tho accuser. He was aware
that q most conspicuous rape of the public
domain had been perpetrated in Florida, and
he hoped that when the senator was next
tempted to speak on the subject he would
speak where speaking meant risk to his own
people.
Mr.. Gall replying to Mr.. Plumb said: The
Senator from Kansas cannot have poorer
opinion of me than have of him. II the
Senator thinks by his idle bravado, by his
defence of this vast spoliation of the public
domain in the interest of those who have
profited by 1t. that he can intimidate me
from defending the rights of the people Of
my State, treat him with the acorn and
/ contempt tnAb No uocoIVo0. Luz 0eu8tOI
| from Kansas has spoken without the truth.
Ny record in the State of Florida is known.
There 10 no boodler there whom he defends
| who does not attack me in similar lam
guage and denunciation az he has used to-
day. confute and dissipate with scorn
the allegation of the Senator that had
secretly done anything contrary to my
public utterancss. What object has the
| Senator in defending the title of these
boodlers against the peace and repose of the
entire countrya What object has he for
attacking me In common withe boodlsrs who
have profted by these frauds. No public
interest but idle bravado. The officials of
| the State of Florida are as honorable and as
able ~ the senator from Kansas. By their
side he would sink into in significance. The
statements of the senator in relation to their
| violation of trust are entirely untrue and, AZ
1 chairman of the committee on public lands
(which has jurisdiction over the matter) he
should be ashamed not to be better informed
In regard to the special circumstances. It
10 disreputable to the Senate that 1t should
have a. chairman of that committee senator
who not only defends the interests of the
boodlsrs. but shows his ignorance of the SUBJ
ject specially committed to him.
| Mr.. Dolph, o. q member on the committee
on public lands, made an explanation and
justification Of tho action of the committee
in the last Congress In respect to resolution
of Mr.. Calls on the same subject and Mr..
Call disclaimed having made or attempted to
make the slightest imputation on that COM
mittee.
| Without action on the resolution the
Senate proceeded to the consideration of
executive business and at four o'clock adj
journed.