New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-29

Columbia, and latitude 400 formerly part Of Ore
gon, was Gus on from the latter. and organized as
. separate territory; and IN 1854 . survey was
made for Pacific Railroad, the Western terminus
of which should be on Puget Sound. Everything
vent well till %; in the beginning Of that year, it
seemed very probable that in five years the territory
would have . sufficient population TO demand
State Government But about that time the lum-
Der business, the source whence the chief revenue
Of the territory was derived, received severe
chech The market Of California was surfeited
with lumber; her chief city had overdone her.elf
she Ceased TO grow: and lumber fell from S;s5 10
els per thousand feet Soon after followed the
great calamity of the Indian war IN Oregon and
Washington.
The whites were few and widely scattered; the
Indians were numerous. All immigration ceased;
some of the white residents were msssacred, others
left the Territory, and those who remained were
compelled 10 take the field. thus subjecting them
selves 10 severe pecuniary lessee. The war RACED
for two years, aud from the time of the making of
peace until the present time migration overland
has been prevented BY the Indian and Mormon
troubles in Utah and eastern Oregon. Thus 1t Is
that for four years Washington Territory has been
cut of from the North Western States, 10 which
the Pacific coast must look hereafter, as il has
looked hitherto for most Of It's pioneers psrticu-
hrly that class of pioneers who are 10 bring their
families, till the soil, and make permanent homes.
The present population is about 5000 exclusive
Of those who have been drawn to Belinghsm Bay by
the excitement in regard to the Fraser mines. There
are in round numbers $50 voters in Olympia, l25
IN Vancouver 80 in Steacoom, 40 IN Seattle and 30
in Port Townsend. just before the breaking out OF
the India war, there had been rush OF settlers "a
the vicinity of Seattle. which has much rich land
uear it, and which had been recommended by Gov.
Stevens, as the terminus of the Northern Pacific
Railroad When hostili,es began all the settlers
IL. "a. 81 L.,
10 return. During the last Summer the greater
portion Of the few incoming settlers sought homes
on the Chekalis, excepting of course those who
went 10 BellDgham Bay, OF whom very few now
temain.
The condition VI the land titles will soon be pre-
judicial 10 the interests of the territory if not at
tended to- indeed it is so already. Congress passed
an act in 1850 called the " Donation Law" which
provided that every resident in Oregon Territory
(then including Washington) previous tn Dec. lst
of that year should be entitled to donation of go
acres for himself and go acres for his wife, if mar
ried provided that he should reside on tho land
continuously and cultivate it for four years and il
be should become resident between Dec. |, 1850
and Dec. J. lo53, he should be entitled TO l60
acres for himself and 100 for his wife. The latter
period of Dec. |, 1853, was subsequently changed
to Dec. I, l-55 This donation more than
fair reward fol- the dangers and tolls of the first
settlers.
About l. 400 claims have been taken in Washing
ton Territory under this Donation Law, and some
900 of them have been perfected that Is 800
claimants have remained upon their land and cult
sated il, continuously, complying with all the re-
luirements of the law; and the other 600 have
abandoned their claims, or have not yet been on
them for the full term of four years, necessary to
render the title perfect. Now, although the four
years of many of the settlers expired three and four
years ago. yet no patents have been issued, and un
Ill the patents are issued, there will be doubt
about the validity of the titles and the bounds OF the
claims. The law provided that in certain early
cases the settlers might establish the boundaries OF
their claims at their discretion; but the latter set
tiers were required 10 have their claims bounded
by the lines of the United States surveys. Now,
many questions may arise about the observance Of
the requirements of the law by the settlers, and so
long as those doubts continue, improvement NJ re-
tarded, and the sale of land is interfered with.
Therefore, it is important that the applications for
patents hundreds of which now on file in the
General Land Office should be examined and de-
cded as early as possible. And there is no good
reason for delay. Patents are issued To claimants
in California as the suits decided by the Courts
and there is 10 reason why a similar degree Of
attention should not be paid TO Washington aud
Oregon Territories.
There il another question of title very important
10 the welfare of the Territory. The Convention
OF 1918, between Great Britain and the United
States. left the title TO what are now Oregon and
Washington Territories in dispute, the citizens of
each country having free access to all portions
This was as much as to say that neither should
have the right to sell the land until the dispute
should be settled. The dispute was settled by the
Treaty of $40. Before that year however the Hud-
sons Bay Company was in po. iession OF about ~
square miles at Vancouver, on the Columbia River;
sud tho Puget Sound Agricultural Company 0c-
cupied farm Of l6l 900 acres on the Nlsqually
PLANS and another of 1000 acres at the Cowltz.
No accurate surveys mad been made, but the gem
eral boundaries were claimed previous to loi6, the
same as now; aud the occupation was by means OF
cattle, and buildings erected about on the claims.
The Treaty contained the following clause:
The possessory rights of the Iiuds0ns Bay Com
psny and Of all British subjects who may be already
in the occupation of land other property, lawfully
acquired within the said territory shall be respected
The farms, lands, and other property OF every
description belonging 70 the Puget Sound Aricutnral
Company, on the north side of Columbia River shall
be confined TO the said Company
Now, number of squatters have have settled on
the lands claimed by those companies, aud have
built on them the second and third towns OF the
Territory in size-Eancouver and Steilacom. Of
course it is important that the United States Gov
ernment should declare its intention in regard to
these caims-whether they are to DC confirmed III
fee simple to the companies or not. J. 5. II.