The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-03-15
LETTER FROM HON. Wu. n.
clA6ET.


4 REVIEW OF the RAIlaoAD QUESTION.
1saA ~ J.Aos 0sewssa oassss ~ ~
0sah0sss.
WASHINGTON, Feb II, 1873.
To THE EDITOR NEW Nosrn-Wssr-.
see that my general railroad bill which |
passed the House meets with deuunciaii0n |
10 certain localities IN Montana. there
fore take this opportunity. briefly - poss-
IDLE. to explain some points. When this
railroad matter came up last winter, merely
received Telegram from certsin parties in
Helena about the middle of the session
asking me to obtain special charter from
Helena 70 some uadesi9naled point
p. Railroads. No Information as to what
was contemplated or desired beyond the bare
obtaining OF the charter was then or ever
since has been given me. Where tho capital
was 10 be raised how the road was to he
built; whether broad gauge or narrow gauge;
- IN independent line or In connection with
some other corporation; by European, cast
ern or local capital; with subsidies or with
out sul,sidies-0n all these questions. vital
In the matter of obtaining charter, and
still more vital in the actual construction Of
railroad nearly 500 miles long. was then
and still am left entirely in the dark. 1t
does not seem 10 have ever entered the
minds Of those desiring charter that Con
grcss does not create railroad corporations.
giving them even right of way, without re.
quiring some showing on these points. This
showing was compelled 10 make by guess
work. and did the best I could under the
circumstances. The special bill failed 70
n Ia ~, o., oev
Of all how bitterly was assaiiel In cOnnec.
ton with this matter last summer
hy the very men who had not spent
. dollar to secure railroad connection,
and who 10 oil appearances did not care
enough about the enterprise to write me even
letter Of advice aud information upon the
points above suggested.
Last fall, when in Helena, determined
that this blind responsibility should no
longer be kept upon me, after considerable
effort succeeded in getting the main pro-
jectors of the enterprise together ana re.
quested 10 know, formally, what it was that
was desired. the result Of the matter was
that was requested to push the special bill
and also the Stewart bill, containing ,O,a!
prohibition Of subsidles; l tried to get the
special bill reported this Session by the com.
mite on Territories, in whose charge it was
UC AUSssDSssCC uSoSIcu ~ ~ UuL Ic8ISu
that its discussion would cut of their chance
to report the Colorado State bill, in which
they took more interest than in any bill be-
fore them. They therefore declined to re-
port it, but pending the consideration Of the
Colorado bill, made personal appeal to the
House " allow my bill 10 be considered
The bill WAS on this appeal allowed to bc
read. consuming about forty minutes in the
reading, but Ms it required unanimous con.
sent To consider it, Mr. Kerr, of Indiana.
objected. and it went over. had been SIT.
isiec ut the last session that No special bill
of any length could pass both Houses, and
by the middle of the presen. session all Of
the Delegates without exception had come
10 the same conclusion.
Special legislation being impossible, a
general bill must he resOrted TO, and here
10th House were divided into two well dc.
fined classes: 1st--Those who favored
giving rights Of way to any corporation Or
ganized under the general incorporation law
of the proper Territory, thus assimilating
railroad affairs in the Territories to the leg.
islation in the several States, and relieving
Congress Of the labor and time required u
legislate on this subject in detail, and
2d-Th0sc who favored o general incor.
poralion law by Congress placing al of the
railroads In the Territories under the direct
supervision Of the national government, and
totally prohibiting al subsidies.
That the first class constituted o majority
in the House 10 evidenced by the fact that
my bill passed under suspension of the
rules, requiring twO.thirds vote. A care
full CANVASS vi he Senate, however. showed
that the second class vas in the majority
there, hence the apparent deadlock on the
whole SUBJECT. After formal meeting and
careful consideration Of the whole question
the Nine Delegates unanimously agreed 10
support my bill ~ being the only bill, gen.
efsl Or special. that stood any chance Of be-
coming n law, urged ito passage in the House
and in body waited upon the Committee
on Public Lands in the Scuale aud urged
| upon them it, passage without amendment.
This committe, however, decided 20 rcpor.
the Stewart bill, II any. a. an amendment in
the nature Of . substitute u the HOUSE, bill,
aud - two members of the Cdmmitte dis.
agreed radically as 10 some points in the bill
| II was referred to them q q cub committee
to reconcile their differences, Cd that II could
be reported 10 the senate when these differ.
ences were arranged. Whether it will pass
the Senate 1t oil. and If 80 in what form,
cannot now tell.
And now for the objections to my bill:
! 1st-That It only grants right of way.
II 10 true that right VI way only u grant.
ed, but n nothing more has ever been asked
for, I naturally supposed that this was oil
that was desired In the shape of grant.
2d-.That the road could be built without
right Ut way and therefore the grant 10
worthless. .
If worthless. surely the projectors have vii
along made great edo about nothing. But
il Is not worthless. In the absence of any
l :nR~ h~,.
projectors intended u build the road) have
70 be built With money, and certainly know
of NO financial center or c0mmerciS! cart in
the world where Montana Jaw bone" posses
at par. II with money then, where 10 !: tG
come from? Our people have not got it.
Even unlimited subsidies in the shape ot
bonds will not do 1t, for without outside old
u guarantee them, they would not IF issued
In sufficient quantities to cover Ut par the
cost of cOnstructiOn) bc worth five cents on
dollar. Knowing that with the exception
Of the Mormon rOads in Utah no railrs'ad.
have been built in the Territories excep,
with European capital, in the absence Of
Information on the subject, supposed thai
Il was expected 10 raise the money there, Il
money was TO be raised at al on the indie
pendent charter. It was with this European
capital that the railroads ut Colorado have
been built. They were not built with sub
sides cas has been supposed. The parties
Protesting railroads there. It 10 true, got il,,
counties 10 vote them large subsidies enc
then, In several instances 1t least. went t
Europe and got the money thst octuallJ
built the roads, and pocketsd the county
and city bonds - their share of shc divl
} dends. have this information from citi
, xens OF Colorado, thoroughly posted in tn
} matter. ] am also informed that these cap
iialists refuse 10 advance any more none,
for railroads either in Colorado or utsl
| without Right Of Way, deeming the In
. veeimeut too hazardous. Thus t will b
seen that right of way winch uniocks tn
only source of capital ss our command
not worthless but absolutely Necessary 4
!, build the road. But the bill also gives tn
/ companies power to condemn private land
. power not now possessed by the Terri
toms. the weight Of legal authority bein,
laeainst H. Without this p.wer any pessDl
could blackmsil st discyetlon coy compas.
BY locating rssch On The line 0f the roa'
and refostng 70 tell except At his own price
H. 9d-That The bill limi1s the vote 70 th
property tax payssA III
Ihavs seen On article in one Of the Helen