The Irish standard., 1896-10-31

menL, 81. faul, rep. 15, lo5o.-f1OL. JOAu
Lind, M. c., Washington, d. c., Dear Sir:
1 thank you very much for your favor Of
the 10th relative to the Hastings & Dakota
and grant matter. entirely agree with
you in respect to your views on that sub
ject All I can do in the premises at pres
ent is simply to revoke the order of my
predecessor in appointing Mr.. Skinner
done.
I have mailed an order Of the enclosed
revoking order to the register and receiver
at Marshall, and also to the secretary OF
the interior I send you copy OF my or
der in the premises, as we'll as copy OF
the order of my predecessor, which have
revoked.
hope that as soon as congress adjourns
and you return, you will come up here
to St. Paul and help the boys secure the
legislation that is needed for this matter.
1t is clear that the indemnity lands, at
least, can at all events be saved.
Yours very truly,
This was all that he could do and he is
entitled to credit for his good will in the
premises, but unfortunately the evil had
been done. The unauthorized selection had
been made and the lands were tied up.
The selection was sent to Washington to
the general land office, and was pending
there. In pursuance Of Governor Nelson $
suggestion, ufeW JILL ~ loA1eiI a..
claims of the company, and Of Russell
Sage to amy further lands under the old
land grant. Senator Young introduced
this bill into the legislature in 1898,
and fought valiantly for it, but the
lobby in the senate defeated its pas
sage. At the next session of the
legislature he introduced the bill again,
was between the passage of that bill and
its signature by the governor that Gov.
ernor Clough made the conveyance to Rus
sell Sage of the lands recently referred
to in the newspapers. Russell Sage sue
ceeded in having the late Secretary Hoke
Smith reverse the action OF secretary NO
BILE. The latter held that the selection
made by the state for Russell Sage was
valid, and that the lands should be certi-
fled to the state for Mr.. Sage's benefit,
and that the Minnesota legislature had
nothing to do about it, In this opinion
it would appear that the attorney general
Mr. Childs, now concurs. trust that he
will not regard it out of place to ask him
what has transpired to change his mind
on this question Pending this controversy
Kelley, the agent for Russell Sage, has
been pursuing the poor settlers with a
vengeance by various kinds of threats
and representations. He has taken notes,
chattel mortgages and other securities
from hundreds Of them for pretended re-
linquishments, and by various devices has
succeeded In wringing from them thous-
ands upon thousands of dollars.
The selection of lands for the defunct
corporation by the state authorities, il
legal and unauthorized as it is conceded
to have been armed him with a weapon for
levying blood money on the settlers, which
he has diligently improved.
+ Compared to this iniquity Gov. Clough's
action in signing the deed to forestau the
action of the legislature was insignificant:
it only effected a comparatively small
Quantity of land, while the action of ex-
general may deprive the settlers of the
stale Of lands worth 100000.
tt summarize, we have this condition
Of affairs. A grant Of lands was made to
the safe for the benefit of the Hastings
& Dakota railroad. The grant was con-
frned by the state to the company on
condition that it build the road within a
given tine and operate it. The road was
not built within the time fixed and the
company, instead of operating 1t when
built sold t to a foreign corporation, re-
serving the and grant.
For this tie supreme court declared a.
forfeiture ofthe company's charter, and
company had complied with the law and
had been in existence, it would have had
the right to salect lands in the twenty
mile limits In pitce Of lands lost by settle
ment in the ten-nile limits.
While, under thedecisions, Russell Sage
may have had some claims to the lands
in the granted limits, every lawyer will
agree that where TIE title to lands de-
pended not upon the grant, but upon Sc
lection, such selection could not be made
either for or by an ensty that had ceased
to exlst-a corpse.
But GOV. merriam dn ar 1t. He issued a
commission TO select eo,VO acres or land
ceaseu ~ e1, soso,+ e ottor ls upom .1'e az,
savs over his signature ''tfia the appoint-
condemned by the hon. Moses Clapp and
oeha ~ Ss "a hs+ thev could !, 'od H.
tha ,1rono. Rnt 1t was too late. The saiac.
ton of the lands had eahesp ateaalaRsA behalf
OF o. Ine esompangshy an atEsnt oi1eo
under me-, the grea. SEA
+;ar ~ We n,a i,,,sd 4bsft 81 VIZ fs.lld
not saw that It was not yaIia ,affaT
solemnly directed It. Assuming ti1es fass
-. . SSn.ssII