The morning call., 1894-03-21
DEMANDS JUSTICE.
Bowers Plea for Settlers
Rights.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC SUITS.
Poor Farmers of California Who
Need Protection.
CONGRESS AGAIN APPEALED TO.
An Application Asked to Defend
Those Whom the Monopoly
Is Trying to Gust.

WASHINGTON, March 20.-ln the House
to- day Bowers proposed an amendment to
the suDdry civil bill arpnpriating $40. 900 to
aid the farmers in California who were
summoned into the United States cnurt AT
Los Angeles to show why their United
States patents to their lands should not be
set aside and annulled, the sum to be ex-
pended under direction of the Attorney
General in ayment of such counsel as de-
fer danls may employ in the suits now
pending in the courts.
Bowers said: ''At the proper time /
shall move to rec mmit the bill to COM
mittee with instructions TO report il with
an amendment appropriatng $40 900 to aid
u, 600 farmers in California in defending
their farms, not from floods, but from The
assault of great corporation.
They have the saying in my country
that the longer man lives the more he
finds out. and / am learning some of the
facts here. / observe that it seems al
ways in order to appropriate millions fur
the defense of the Mississippi Valley farm
ers, but never in order to appropriate a
penny for the California fsrmer-that
Congress will fight the very elements, all
the forces of nature. and give millions in
the treasury for protection of farmers of
the Mississippi Valley. but when cOrpora-
tion attacks the farmers OF California for
their land, then Congress throws up its
hands and is helpless"
Mr.. Lane of Illinois said the Govern
ment many years ago patented land to the
railruai company afterward it patented
the same land to these private parties.
Now, what does the pa eut in the latter
case amount TOP 1t is an absolute nullity,
and when the Government makes a patent
to party it does not give warranty that
it will defend the title of the grantee in
the patent.
Mr.. Bowers replied: ''The gentleman is
entirely at fault. These la DIS were never
pa,ented but once. that was to these set
| tiers, never in any manner conveyed to the
railroad, nor were these lands within the
| original grant to the railroad Company
and the only shadow of claim the railroad
had or had is that by an act of Coneress 4
was given the privilege to select within the
limits of a tep.mile strip adjoining thu
grant sections in lieu of such sections a.
proved to be mineral lands on the original
grant, but they had no more rights to selec
in this strip than any other persons en-
| ii'lcu W cutot puOtIC IhUuS, III ldcb tut
company did not make the selections anC
patents. that is not their way. They would
have to pay taxes on the land if they
owned the land. After the settlers have
received patents and made valuable i'm
provements then the company claims the
right of selection. 1t is most preposter
Gus and outrageous claim. AS to thes,
suits 1 have explained that the case ha,
not been decided by the Los Angeles
curt. but the Junge did overrule a demur
rer entered by the defendants on the frs
trial, but allowed an amended demurrer Il
be entered in this case, and the hearinl
has been had. and the Judge reserves hi
decision thus far. but whichever Nay tn,
case goes it will be appealed. 1t seems tt
me that this is a case where the farmers o.
California are entitled to as fair a measure
of relief as the farmers of the Mississippi
| Valley"