OCR Text |
Show SCHIHZ' LABD DECISION. On the 25tb of July, Secretary Schurz delivered a most important decision. It was in the case of Nel-BOn Nel-BOn Dudymott (.gainst the Kansas' Pacific railroad comyany, and held tbat tbe lands of tbe company acquired ac-quired by gift from qovernmrnt not sold or disposed of within three years from tbe date of the completion of the road, aro subject to prtuuiptiuii at the minimum government rte cf $1.2-4 per acr. The dtcis-iun 'jpplit-d to all road to i.-iiuii government ha granted bod, as the Uur.iugton and Missouri River, Ontr.il Pacific, , Denver Pacific, Kms Pacific, Sioux City and Pacific, Union Pacific and Western Pacific. It restores, or would do eo if carried into effect, to the pub. lie domain a vast area of country, some of which is valuable. It has theadvantago of being in strict harmony har-mony with the law and tbo termB of the congressional grants to tho rail- made, but this fact seems to have no weight with the companies. Tho latter have formed a combination for tbo purpose of resisting the opera tion of tho decision, and havo notified by circular parties who attempt to preempt the In. id that they will be rejected. The decision is to be ignored by them and the companies will continue to sell lands as heretofore at prices fixed by themselves. The railroads will htrdly claim that they are right, but right h gomethiog that seldom enters iuto consideration with them. They are aware that they can for a lime, at least, practically nullify tbe secretary's secre-tary's rnling, because the people who might desire to prompt some of the land iu dispute have neither the disposition dis-position nor the money to engage in a legal contest with the rich corporations, corpora-tions, hence bo far as tbe real good to come from the just interpretation interpre-tation of the law is concerned, it practically amounts to nothing. It is time that government came to an understanding with tbe Pacific roads, and the question of whether the latter or former are supreme in the west, was settled for' all time. Tbe railroads have ao far! had it all their own way, government! be i nil compelled to lalco u hack aoat and accept what the corporations were disposed to bestow. If this order! is to continue all parties should be' apprized of the fact, when the conflict' of authority might cease. |