The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-03-14
COLFAX. GRANT PARISH. La, SATURDAY, MARCH IL 1884,

the members of Congress from
Louisiana and the Senators had
given the President of the New Or
leans Pacifice railroad company as
surances in writing to protect the
land grant and secure it to said
and that on the faith of
those assurances the money had
been secured with which the road
was built. These assurances were
given before / was ever elected to
Congress, and were in the shape of
letters to the President of the rail-
road company, signed by Senator
Jonas, in the Senate, and by Gen.
Gibson, in the House, by my pre-
decessor, Judge Elan, by Gen.
King, Mr.. Ellis, and others of the
Louisiana delegation. These gen.
tlemen were all members of the
first Congress to which / was cleo
ted. Their action as above stated
was taken during the Congress
preceding the one to which / was
FIRST elected. Under the circum-
stances, / found it impossible to
to secure the forfeiture of the grant.
About that time the matter was
submitted by President Arthur to
the Attorney General of the United
States for his opinion as to the
legality of the claim of the N. o. p.
railroad company, to the grant.
The Attorney General decided in
favor of the railroad claim to the
grant. Aecting on this opinion,
the President and Secretary of the
Interior before whose department
such matters come recognized the
railroad claim to the land. Con-
sequently the matter came up be-
fore Congress in the shape of q
resolution directing the committee
on the Judiciary Of the House to
inquire into the matter and report
to the House whether or not the
railroads claim to the grant was
valid, and whether or not the grant
would be forfeited by Congress.
The judiciary committee decided
that the claim of the railroad to
this grant was valid and that Con-
gress could not forfeit This re-
port was concurred in by 10 of the
Is members of the committee. This
was during a Democratic Congress
and the Committee which made the
decision was composed 8 Demo
cats and 6 Republicans. Even
after this opinion by the Judiciary
committee, the matter came up in
the lower House of Congress on a
proposition to forfeit the grant,
and the House by AZ majority de-
cided against its forfeiture. But
terms for the protection of the
rights of settlers were secured
through the efforts of Gen. Gibson,
Col. Robertson of the Baton Rouge
district, and myself, assisted by
the other members from Louisiana.
Those settlers who were on the land
included within the limits of the
grant at the date of definite loca-
ton of the railroad were to be
allowed to take their lands under the
homestead law, and many of them
have availed themselves of this
right Those who came upon the
fand after the date of the definite
location of the line Of the railroad
and up to a certain time, were to
take their lands at not exceeding
two dollars per acre, one-third cash,
balance in one on. two years. After
the refusal Of Congress to forfeit
the grant patents were issued to
the railroad company.
In my. opinion it is utterly i'm
possible to succeed in securing the
forfeiture of the grant, and who
ever has advised the parish union
to the contrary surely did not know
the facts Of the case as / have stated
them above. It is always better to
speak plainly, even if the truth
does hurt, than to raise false hopes
never to be realized.
The people / represent are emit
tied to frank and candid state
ment from me. on the public ques-
lions and shall have it at all times.
/ do not believe in any sort of mis-
representation, and do not court
the popularity which comes from
double-dealing or from plying the
arts of the demagogue. l had moth
ing to do with passing the law
making the grant That was passed
in 1871. 1 was not elected to Con-
gress until nine years later. Nor
can any just man hold me response
bic for its non-forfeiture. 1t had