Evening star., 1897-02-20
THE PERRiNE GRANT
The Senate r.5lo Land. oenaitts. to In
>vestigate Il
The Aesio. 1.f secretary rr.ncss Il.
Pate.tink ri,rid. Land. to Dr.
Perfihe and Others.

The Senate committee on public lands will
Monday morning hold public hearing on
| the resolution Introduced in the Senate on
the 11th instant by Mr.. Pettigrew relating
| to tho Perfinb Land grant in the state Of
Florida. That resolution instructed the
committee on public lands to investigate
the issue Of patents for the lands embraced
| In what Is known as the Perrine grant in
the state Of Florida, and gave the commit
tee power to send for persons and papers
| and to administer oaths.
The officials Of the Interior Department
| who were connected with the granting Of
| patent to the Perrine heirs and a num-
| Der Of other persons will be summoned be-
| fore the committee.
senator Pettigrew's resolution was
| brougnt out by the action of Secretary
| FRANCIS OF the Interior Department near
iy three weeks ago In the issuing of a
| Perrfne, relative of President Cleve-
lands fatner-in-law. is one. The patent Is
| for grant Of 23,OO0 acres of land in south
ern Florida, a portion of which Is now
occupied by what are claimed to be bona
nde settlers, who have long fought the ef-
fort that has been made on the part Of
the re rrtne heirs to secure patent for
that land
Secretary Francis recently took up the
case, and directed the commissioner Of the
land office to issue the patent, provided
| that In hts opinion the proof In the case
was sun1cient to warrant 1t. Assistant At
| torney General Lionberger made favor
able report on it, and at this stage Of the
progress of the claim Senator Pettigrew
introduced his resolution in the Senate
under which the investigation will be held
on Monday
| Senator Pasco of Florida is a member of
the committee on public lands, but has de-
| cHheu TO have any connection with the
Perrine case for the reason that a cousin
| or his wife is one of the heirs. He proposes
| 10 De perfectly neutral in the matter on
this account.
that the action taken by Secretary Francis
| IS nnal and conclusive, no matter what the
nature or suits of the investigation in
congress may be. The merits of the claim
| Hiaue Dy the Perrine heirs are distinctly
| insisted on by the Secretary, by his assist
ant attorney general. Judge Lionberger and
| by Judge Lamoreaux, the commissioner of
lne general land office. Secretary Francis
| says that had the name been Brown or
Jones instead of Perrine no question would
| ever nave been made as to the propriety of
| the decision in the case.
| he also says that Mr.. Cleveland has
| never said a word to him about the case
| nor mas he mentioned 1t to Mr.. Cleveland
| ACTON was taken at the time and in the
way 1t was. he says, because Senator Car
| ter OF Montana, who was chairman of the
| subcommittee of the committee on public
| lands having the revenue grant in charge
came to the department and asked that i'm
mediaee action be had. Mr.. Carter became
familiar with the history of the grant while
ne was commissioner under the Harrison
administration
The patent would have been issued long
before this. IT Is said. if the claimants had
completed their proof of compliance with
the conditions of the original grant. As
Dr. Perrine was killed by the Seminoles
and the rest of his people narrowly escaped
being massacred. there was difficulty in
making proof Land Office officials say that
II there Is anything wrong in the case it
Is the doctrine laid down in Schulenberg VS.
Harrison. as'decision that has given the
government not little embarrassment in
the adjustment of land grants.