Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-13

deemed it advisable to secure congress
sional action in the form of a resolution
empowering the Attorney General to
claim forfeiture of these lands: and that
felt some apprehension lest such action
should be opposed by the large inter
ests which it would affect.
Senate Resolution Prepared.
Senator Tillman then offered to intro
duce a resolution on the subject, If I
would prepare one and / did prepare
such d resolution. which was introduced
by him and subsequently, adopted. Dur
ing this interview 1 explained to him
that it would be impracticable to compel
the corporations claiming these lands to
sell any particular portion of them to
any particular person; although, OF
course. If the government could establish
a forfeiture of rights under the grant, the
lands might become afterward open to
entry on the same terms as any other
portion of the public domain. OF course.
if it was, at the time, his purpose to Sc
cure some part of tho lands in question.
through arrangements with Messrs. Reed
err & Watkins or otherwise, this forfeiture
might tend to promote his individual in-
terests; but had no reason to credit him
with any such purpose, and l dealt with
him throughout as asking the informa
ton and advice | could give. only that
he might fulfill his duty a public
officer.
"Conhict of Memory" Says Tillman.
Senator Tillman. after seeing the state
ment given out by Attorney General
Bonaparte. made reply thereto.
Senator Tillman's statement follows:
Il have hastily read the statement is
sued by the Attorney General, and 50
far as I gather its import there is no
conflict of veracity between us. but, rath-
en- one Of memory. The Attorney Cen
eral says: According to my recollec-
ton, the senator stated that the lands
had become Of great value and many
persons wished to purchase them. and
added that he would have been glad to
do SO himself if he could; but he never
told me word of any connection on
his part with an arrangement to acquire
some part OF these lands. nor that he in
tended. expected, Or even desired, at
that time, to make any such purchase.
Further the Attorney General says:
4 was totally ignorant until ] saw the
document transmitted to Senator Hale
that Senator Tilman at that time OF the
conversation with me had any private
interest, whether actual or i'll expecta-
ton, in connection with the subject of
our conversation.
Mr.. Bonaparte uses the word arrange
ment.' and nothing that has ever come
out i'll this controversy justities that word,
not even the letter Of February IL. But
liable character of the land, and that my
interest in the matter had been first
aroused because | wanted 10 purchase ii,
and told him SO. As to the Attorney Gen
erals statement about my private inter-
estS, whether actual or i'm expectation he
Is technically correct, while actually incor-
rect. my private interests at that time be-
ing confined solely to the desire that l
might get some of the land If the govern
ment should cancel the patents, but that
was distant and problematical that it
amounted to nothing. II my public
duty to secure the cancellation OF the
patents if possible, after which it was my
private right to buy some of il IL |
chose AS there Were >. 1n3.Cu1 acres in
the two grants in question, and | only
wanted LILO. the relative interests are
easy to see.
Interested in Military Road Land.
1.-The Attorney General in the opening
part of his statement gives the list of
parties and corporations against whom
suit has been brought, but l fail to see
anything about any suit being instituted
to recover the lands granted to the state
of Oregon to aid i'm the construction of a
military wagon road from the nayigable
waters of Coos bay to Roseburg. These
lands were the ones in which I was inter-
ested. and about which | spoke to the At
torney General. and they We're Incorporate
ed both in the resolution which he drew
and in the joint resolution which became
the law. Has or has not, the Attorney
General obeyed the act of Congress, in
quired in my. speech Monday; and, if not
why not?
The Attorney General mentioned the
suits against various companies and indi-
yiduaiS recover the railroad lands