The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-03-17
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.
Secretary Noble Renders an Important
Decision IN a Case Against the
Northern Pacific Railroad.

The Court Of Claims has rendered a de-
cislon in the OF case D G. Swain. Judge
Advocate General in the army, versus
the United Statea, for the recovery ol
halt his pay for twelve years. The de-
cislon ls adverse 10 General Swain.
The case has been pending in the Court
OF Claims Tor the last two or three years.
The Secretary OF the Treasury has
awarded the contract for building new
wharf and repairing the old one at
Tongue Bend near Astoria to F0stRbend
4 sanderson oil Astoria at ~, ,92b. He
has also awarded the contract for build.
ing galvanized iron slorehouss at the
same place to Paquet L Smith OF Port
land for $l,7p6.
Postmaster General Wanamaker has
mailed to each postmaster in the country
a circular recognizing the important
aervice they have rendered as postmaa-
ters under the administration Of Presi-
dent Hrrison and begging that in the
future they will continue their interest
in the postal service and study TO pro-
mote in every possible way its extension
and improvement.
Secretary Foster has amended his re.
cent circular issued regarding the killing
OF tur-bearlng animals in Alaska 80 as
to permit vessels other than revenue
cutters, as heretofore, to transport ma.
tives to localities where sea otter ia
found. II also permits vessels having
on board sea-otter skins to file mani
fest Of such skins at the first port OF en-
try in the United States.
When Senator Call introduced into the
Senate q joint resolution to suspend ap-
pr0yal OF the lists OF swamp and over
flowed public lands in Florida until
further action Of Congress and asked for
its passage, Senator Mitchell OF Oregon
moved to insert the proviso that nothing
in the resolution should be construed
to extend 10 any grants OF land in any
State or Territory except Florida. The
amendment was agreed to, but the reso-
luton went over.
Treasurer Nebecker, speaking OF the
drain OF gold that has been going on ior
the past year or more, said it was largely
the work OF speculators on the New York
Stock Exchange. The export Of gold
had the effect Of bearing stocks. BY
selling the stocks and then exporting
gold the profit made on stocks not only
compensated ior the freight charges.
insurance, etc.. on the gold shipped, but
left profit. Then, too, as France and
Aus ria are in the market after gold,
spacie found ready sale ON the other
side.
Secretary Noble has rendered an i'm
portant decision in the case OF A. I'll.
Dalton OF the Bnzeman Mont. land dis
trict against the Northern Pacific Rail.
way Company, which overruled the cel-
ebrated tiuillord Miller decision in one
important particular The Miller deci
sion held that lands within the Yakima
Indian reservation were not excepted
from tine grant to the Northern Pacific,
and that when the Indian title to the
same lands became extinguished the
right thereto wonld inure IN the railway
company under its grant. Tnis decision,
involving portion Of the Grow reserva.
tion, holds in effect that the lands in
cluded within the technical reservation
at the date on which the grant becomes
effective are absolutely excepted from
the grant, and in the event OF extinction
Of Indian title they revert to the public
domain. The Commissioner decision,
holding Dalton's homestead entry for
cancellation for thereason that the lands
covered by it passed to the Northern Pa.
cific road under Its grant, is accordingly
reversed. This decision directly and in
directly affects large tracts of land in
Montana, the Dakotas, Idaho and Wash
ington.