, 1873-01-23


all as the early history of our common
country. Ha N-1
MISTAKES OF OUR BRITISH NEvoHBoR.
We confess to being very ignorant in
matters pertaining to the local politics OF
our British neighbors, and have failed
to receive any information on the sub.
ject by the perusal of their representa-
tive journals, beyond the apparent fact
that all party contests there simply turn
upon the personal rivalries of the con-
ductors of the two newspapers, one oi
whom uniformly wins, grectly to the
disgust of the other. Being thus igno-
rant, we have never assumed to enlight-
en- our reauers upon the subject by COM
ments which would only expose us to
the ridicnle and contempt of the better
informed. If the editor of the Colonisl
had exercised like discretion in regard
to matters on this side of the line, he
would have avoided like consequences,
at the expense to his readers of several
sensation items calculated to irri' ate ma.
tional animositles.
Not long since, the Colonist published
the following as reliable news item:
By the terms of their charter the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company are
entitled to ''take up" unsurveyed gov.
ernment lands as subsidy fer building
the railroad to Puget Sound. Advices
from the Sound by yesterdays mail
state that San Juan and adjacent islands
recently in dispute, never having been
surveyed, are now claimed by the Com.
pany under their charter. and that an
attempt will be made to dispossess the
present settlers who have pre-empted
under the arrangements that existed
| from 1853 till the recent decision. The
company will find it difficult task to
wrench the islands from the grasp ol
the hardy pioneers who hold them--and
would hold them if necessary by armed
force"
BY the terms of the subsidy to the
Railroad, the Company can claim nc
lands not embraced within the odd mum.
bered sections, or secure any title to the
same until the lands are surveyed and
the section lines defined. Then settlers
found upon the even numbered sections
will have the right to purchase of the
Government at 50 20 per acre, snd those
found upon the odd numbered sections
are guaranteed by the Company tht
right tc purchase at the appraised value
of the lends. exclusive of Improvements
mace thereon by the settlers. The
samo rules apply to all settlers upon the
unsurveyed public lands within the linn
its of the railroad grant. and we have
not before heard suggestion of "arm
ed force" to protect the rights Of the
settlers.
The Colonist has subsequently discov-
cred another "mare's nest," which il
describes as follows:
It is reported on excellent authority
that Governor Ferry of Washington
Territory has decided that the British
settlers on the late disputed islands have
no rights that an American citizen need
respect, and that foreigners resident on
those islands who did not take the oath
of allegiance to the United States on ol
before the 9th of January are liable to
have their lands and Improvements
Jumped" This ruling is monstrous,
and more worthy the chief of barbaric
horde than the Governor of civilized
community. rao ..r
II this editor had known anything Of
our institutions which in the main are
modelled upon those of his own govern
ment-he would have known that Gov.
ernor Ferry is q mere executive officer,
invested with less authority to deter
nine the rights of person or property
than Justice Of the peace. While nc
government ION earth will permit the
right of eminent domain over any of its
telr.tury to vest in aliens, No personal
rights of property have ever been im-
paired by the various annexations OF
territory to the United States. When
the boundary line between British Co.
lumblx and Oregon was amicably ad-
justrd, those British subjects who chose
% transfer their allegiance we're secured
in all their possessions. and those who
had possessions in Oregon and chose to
remain British subjects, were paid by
our Government more than five times
the market value of their property,
to which their only title was a posses
sorry right. The Governornment and
not the Territorial Governor viii deter
mine the rights of the San Juan settlers.
and there will be no robbery or cause
for EARNED resistance"
L1BRARY.--The amount of 81, 500, in
cluding the generous conatlon OF Dex-
ter Horton, Esq. having been raised by
the Seattle Library Association. the
committee for selecting and purchasing
the books has been appointed. This
committee ask of the members of the
Association, and others who are friendly
to or interested in the object. to assist
by furnishing said committee with such
lists of books as in their opinion are
suitable or desirable. remembering that
the books to be purchased are to be
choice and only by standard authors
Snch lists may be handed to Hon. o.
Jacobs, Mrs. Weed, or Rev. George F.
whitworth, and should be hsnded IN as
soon as possible, to enable the commit
tee to proceed at once in the discharge
Of their duty. go iss