Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1884 — HUNTINGTON [?] EFFRONTERY. [ARTICLE]

HUNTINGTON [?] EFFRONTERY.

A Washington Special says: I “The effrontery of C.P. Hunt- 1 mgton in coming before our | Committee to protest against j the forfeiture of the Texas Pacific grant amazed me,” said, Mr. Cobb, Chairman of the j House Committee on Public Lands “There is no doubt about his right, but when you know his connection with this grant you will see what I mean. The hill making the grant was passed in 1871, through Torn Scott’s efforts, giving 15,000,000 acres of land to the Texas Pacific Railroad Company, the road to commefi#e at San Diego and be completed in ten years. Scott began the construction of the line, but became embarrassed, and Huntington helped to make liis situation more difficult. In 1878 I met Huntington, who was here to oppose the subsidy of the Texas Pacific by a guarantee by the Government of $29,000,000 of its bonds. His ground of opposition was that lie was building a road on a parallel line by private capital, asking no aid from the government. I believed in IMa bonafides and helped him to prevent the passage of tUb Scott bill. Huntington, in the meantime, had passed through California, New Mexico, and had reached Colorado. His plan was to go straight ahead without ever asking the Government or any one else for the right of way. In Colorado lie was making rapid progress through a military reservation, when he was stopped by an order from General Sherman as he was constructing a bridge over a river at Ft. Yuma. A detatcliment of soldiers was sent to enforce the order, and the' railroad men promised to desist. The soldiers and civilians* left the spot together, the former to remain in their quarters for the night. But Huntington’s men executed a nank move ment, and by morning had cars running over that bridge. This is a sample of how the Huntington road was rushed along. Scott died, and Jay Gould and Huntington made an agreemenfiwliereby, according to that part of it which was made public, the Texas Pacific grant was conveyed to the Southern Pacific. Finding that a patent was about to be issued, I came to Washington last summer and filed a protest against it. One Newell, who had done lobbying’ for Huntington, and had never been paid, was about at the same time and had filed a very damaging diary. He wanted access to certain records which the Interior Department rules closed to him as a private person. Mr. Payson aiid I were about to file our protest when Newell asked permission to act as an attorney, representing that it would give him the necessary access to the records. We made the appointment, stipulating the extent of his powers under it. In the meantime we left and Newell experienced a change of heart, from what cause I know not, and demanded back his diary, at the same time attempting to withdraw our protest against the patent. I came on again just in time to prevent this.” A FORTHCOMING REPORT THAT WILL BE INTERESTING READING.

‘ What is tlie reason for delay in reporting- a bill for the forfeiture of this grant*” “The Committee directed Mr. Payson and myself to prepare a report on the roan. _vt iirstj we decided to make this brief, but m writiug it we found so! much that was important for the House to be acquainted i with before voting that we! agreed that it would be best j to make it more exhaustive. — As Horace Greeley was wont to remark, it will be ‘mightv i interest! n readinV We shall i give a number of Huuting-! ton’s letters in this report. It will be ready to present to I

the Committee Tuesday, and it will be printed and placed before every member so that the following day, when we ean ask for a suspension, of the rules, we shall ask for the passage of the bill. In the next three months "20,000,000 acres of railrobd lands will certainly be declared forfeited to the Government and open to Dublic entry.”