The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-04-02

Col. G. H. Graves, of Duluth,
Would Make an Excel
lent Congressman
Crossfeld Out of
Pocket.
Union Special Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Mar. %, 1891.
Now that the general land office
has decided that the settlers have
some rights on the Mile Laos
lands it will be interesting to know
what the interior department Of
fcals will do when the matter is
appealed to them, as it is almost
sure that the appeal will be made.
1t is not expected that the railroad
companies will be willing to give
up the fight upon the decision of the
commissioner of the general land
office. In fact such appeals are
most always made in cases involv-
ing important matters or large
amounts. Even if the decision of
the interior department. should be
in favor of the settlers and against
the railroads it is not improbable
that the companies may not be
satisfied until they have carried the
case to the supreme court for final
action. The companies would
be 10th to surrender all claims to
these valuable lands until they had
made every effort to hold them.
This, of course, is natural and to
be expected. But the case was
given an exhaustive consideration
in the land office, every law and
decision bearing on the case was
carefully studied and the decision
when completed covered thirty
closely typewriter pages. The
officers of the land office were first
Of the opinion that the companies
would be entitled to the odd num-
bered sections in the Mile Laos
lands. That was before the laws
had been examined. It should be
stated that this decision was not
made or passed upon by any one
man, but that it was first drawn by
a lawyer who is familiar with land
grant Legislation and in fact with
all laws and decisions affecting land
cases. Then it was read and passed
upon by the chief of the railroad
division of the general land office.
From there it went through the
hands of three law clerks in the
office whose duty it is, and has been
for years, to examine such matters,
and by them it received very care
full scrutiny. 1t was approved by
all these and then went to the
acting commissioner for final ex-
animation and action. It received
the acting commissioners approval,
and the land officers at Taylors
Falls we're notified of the decision
as we'll as the attorneys for parties
interested. It would seem from
all the facts in the case that there
can be no other termination to
these cases. The lawyers who
passed on the decision are careful
in such matters as they don't like
to have their opinions reversed by
any higher tribunal that may be
called to pass upon them. It
would seem that all that now re-
mains to be done is for the settlers
to prove their rights to the lands
under the land laws and they can
secure their patents.
The enemies of James G.: Blaine
are now trying to show that he is
out of the presidential race and are
trying to injure him still more by
asserting that he is working for the
nomination Of the present occupant
Of the presidential Office. This is
not worthy of belief. Blaine may
not be working for his own nom
ination-he doesn't need to. If he
will take the nomination it will
come to him fast enough. The
question that agitates his friends is
tho fnar that hn nnnnnt I,n indllnnd