The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-18
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND WINS AN
IMPORTANT VICTORY IN HIS
LAND CASE.
HIS C0LONISTS ARE OWNERS.
DECISION OF ST. CLOUD LAND OFF,
CIALS-CASE MAY BE APP
PEALED.
DOING
CHINOOK
BUSINESS.
Blockade on Dakota Roads BEING
Raised-GeneraT News of the
Northwest.

Special to the Globe.
ST. CLOUD, Mimi, March IAN
important decision was rendered today
by the officers of the st. Cloud land
office, probably the most important
decision that has ever been issued
from this office. 1t was the granting
Of the application Of John Ireland to
purchase certain lands situated in
Traverse county, as provided by sec
ton of the act Of March 8, 1887. The
application involved about $4,000 acres
lying in Traverse county, within what
is known as the indemnity belt of the
main line of the st Paul, Minneapolis
& Manitoba Railroad company
The tracts are among the richest of
M1nnesOta's fertile farming lands. and
were selected by the company as in
demnity for lands lost in the st. Vim
cent extension. The department held
that this could not be, that they were;
TWO separate grants, and the selections
were Cancelled Oct. %, 1896. Pending
the period when these lands were held
as 1demnity, the company contracted
10 sell more or less Of the same, and
Rev. John Ireland, now archbishop of
ST. Paul, made arrangements with the
company as far back as 1878 or 1879,
by which he located a considerable
number of settlers upon these lands.
IN 1884, ne made an agreement with
the company by which he was given
the sale and exclusive right until Dec.
81, 1881, to place settlers on these lands.
and many were placed there. They
were to receive title from the COM
pany when it received patents from the
government. On March 80, 1888. an
other agreement was entered into by
the bishop and the company, by which
ne was given the right to purchase for
himself or such parties as he might
designate any or all of the lands in
GUIDED In the contract not to exceed
5O,OOO acres. Of these lands he con-
tracted to sell a large area.
Where lands sold by the railroad
companies, as in this case, revert to
the government, the act of congress of
March 3, 1887, permits the purchaser
from the company to buy the same
from the government at the ordinary
price of government lands The prin-
c1pal point at issue in this case was as
TO who was entitled to the privilege
OF this act. Those who purchased from
ireland claimed that he was only the
agent or the company, and that they
were the real purchasers.
The decision is voluminous, and COW
ers all points. IN brief, it is that the
parties who DO ght from the railroad
company through John Ireland, prior
to, March 80, 1883, can purchase under
the act of March 3, 1887. The. register
and receiver also hold. that John ire
LANDS contracts of March 80, 1888, was
a valid purchase and that he can buy
from the government under the act OF
March 3, 1887. The decision, among
other things, says that sin view of the
liberal construction placed upon con-
tracts of this character by the interior
department" which are pointed out
and in view of the parties to the
agreement have constructed the same,
the register and receiver hold that on
the Both day of March, 1888, the ST.
Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway
company agreed to sell to John Ireland
the tracts of land herein applied for"
The decision closely Rllows the rulings
of the department.
1t is probable that the case will be
carried to the general land office and
the secretary of the interior