St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-27
SEEK TO RECOVER.
Committee Of the House viii
Try to Reclaim Valuable
State Lands.
q FORMER COMMISSIONER
FpauduIentIy Relinquished
State Lands and q Minlng
Company Got Them.
A GREAT GRlST OF BILLS.
Robillard Would Abolish Wa
ter Board and Board Of
Control.

Tt would seem TO be the intention
of the house to investigate the mis-
doings OF all past public state Off
cials. with no limit Of date. Two
resolutions were introduced yester-
day TO go into an examination of
public records and the acts Of state
officials The first was sent up by
Mr.. Douglass. representative from
Clay county. and is understood to
touch a very tender spot since it in
wolves the integrity Of a high state
official who held office previous to
1890. The resolution is as follows:
Information having been furnished
by reliable parties tending TO show
that the state has been deprived Of
upwards of 1900 acres OF extremely
valuable land. the property Of the
state and divers state institutions,
without in one instance having first re-
ceived the full consideration contracted
to be given. and as to part of said
lands. without any consideration
whatever, and
Whereas. it is believed that the state
has thereby lost said land through the
fraudulent acts OF officers OF the state
or their employees. and that the same
may be reclaimed: therefore be it
Resolved. That the special COM
mittee heretofore appointed by the
speaker. of which AIr. Feig is chair
man. be authorized TO make investiga-
ton thereof: to send for persons and
DaDers: administer oaths to witnesses
in the course OF the investigation and
report the result of the Investigations
TO the house and in their discretion TO
the attorney general with recommen-
dations.
The resolution is understood to
have been drawn at the suggestion
of the Feig committee, in order that
the committee might have a little
more definite and extended powers
with reference to this particular
case. The title to some Of the most
valuable iron lands in the state will
be called into question. and the COM
rnittee expects to be able to restore
to the state one tract worth more
than a quarter of a million dollars.
The grounds on which the title
viii be attacked will be that the
land in question was
IMPROPERLY RELINQUISHED
by the commissioner in order that
the company which subsequently
took it might be given an opDortun-
ity TO acquire title.
Another case which the committee
viii Investigate is one wherein it is
stated that the auditor of a county
in the northern part of the state
had made a false return on sales OF
certain agricultural lands. reporting
that they had been sold for So per
acre. when. as a matter of fact. they
were sold for 50 an acre.
The committee has made out a list
of witnesses to be summoned. among
them some Of the most prominent
people in the state, and the commit
tee expresses a determination to
probe the matter TO the bottom. The
Douglass resolution has in view the
same general end contemplated by
the resolution offered by Senator
Young, but. it is claimed. it takes a
shorter cut to reach the end. The
committee expects to make a report
OF progress within a week.
The second committee of investiga-
ton was called for in d resolution by
MIR. Johns, in the following resolu-
ton:
Whereas 1t has been brought to the
notice of certain members of the COM
mittee on public accounts and ex-
penditures that certain transactions
in the office of the state printer need
investigation, therefore be it
Resolved, That a special committee
consisting of Henry Johns, chairman,
AIessrs. Tallman. Wright, Dare and
HcKenney be appointed to Investigate
and report to this houst as TO the con-
dition of the accounts OF said Office.
1t will be observed that Nj Johns,
chairman OF the committee on public
accounts, is named as the chairman
OF the committee. He explains that
he had done this after consultation
with the speaker, the committee being