The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-03-05
Our Washington Letter.

=
man Ellis is a trif1e hoggish in his
legislative propensities. He has
succeeded i'll getting unanimous
consent twice during the present
session and is mad all over because
he can't get it a third time. On
this occasion he has run up against
the democratic secretary Of the
interior and the democratic land
commissioner. The bill is the one
to refund to the settlers who paid
double price for government lands
under the supposition that they
were to have a railroad. the excess
as charged. The lands in question
we're in no way superior to other
lands held at $l25, but the gov.
ernment, having granted the alter
nate sections to the RAILROAD com
panies, put up the price SO that it
should not be the loser thereby.
In cases where railroads have not
been constructed and the grant for
feited, such forfeited lands have
been put Oh the market at $1.25
per acre, while the original pur-
chasers are out the additional $1.25
and without the railroad.
The chief objection of the dem
ocratic administration is that it
would involve the expenditure Of
81, 100000. Under cover Of the
fact that it is an executed con-
tract, in defiance of right and jus
tice, they withhold from the set
tiers the money out of which they
have been buncoed by the govern.
ment. Verify, all the comfort the
farmer, the settler and the hardy
pioneer can expect from this seed
denying, bond supplying admins
tration, is to be found in the elo-
quent sentences of Mr.. Grover
-Cleyeland's purity and reform mes
sages.
In the senate the democratic op-
p 5sition to the bill is led by Berry
of Arkansas. Senator Mitchell
thinks he can beat the opposition
and he has peculiar faculty for
getting tLorugh the senate in some
form or shape, anything that re
lates to Oregon's interests. With
out unanimous consent Mr.. Ellis
will have a hard row to hoe in the
house, but he is not at all diseoar-
aged. On the contrary he is nov
working to get il fayora bly, report
ed by the committee and thinka
will succeed.
Senator Mitchell has made his
report on the case of Mr.. DUPONT,
claiming to be senator: elect from
Delaware. There will be great
legal battle on the question in
which Senator Mitchell will lead
for the republicans, and Senator
Turpie, of Indiana, for the demo
Gratis. The main point is whether
state senator, who has succeeded
to the Office of Governor, can ex-
ereise the duties of both offices.
Senator Mitchell and the republi-
can majority contend that he can
not.
Congressman Hermann has sue
eeeded i'll getting through the
house, his bill opening the Fort
Klamath military hay reservation
TO homesteaders. Owing to the
richness and value of the land,
each homesteader is limited to so
acres; the department consented
to make it 40 acres, but Mr.. Her
mann pointed out the unlikelihood
that man would exhaust his
homestead right for so small tract
and they raised it to so. Messrs.
Mcmillan, Dingley and Lacey
showed disposition to object, but
the persuasive accent of Mr.. Her
mann's melodious voice oyercame
their scruples and they allowed the
bill to pass. Senators Mitchell
and Mcbride will push it in the
senate.
Mr.. Hermann has introduced
bill and made a favorable report
upon it from his committee to ap-
pFopriate $4,000 for topographic
surveys and to mark elevations on
the public lands. The work will
be of greatest possible value to all
enterprises and to min
ing operations.
Senator Mitchell has favorably
TO the senate, Senator Nc
Brides bill to allow the heirs of
Chauncey M. Lockwood, to com
mence suit i'll the court of claims
for extra, mail services rendered
between The Dalles and Salt Lake
City. Tlle amount the heirs OF