, 1874-06-18

ment subsidy; appropriating to private
use the grant made for a public work.
To stake the same Company again with
the funds and credit ofthe Government,
would be an act of reckless folly, like
setting upa bankrupt who had squan-
dered the money OF his creditors in
stock-gambling. ,q5s Y
CHINESE C1r1zrNsH1P.. The following
document has been placed in our hands
by a friend of the Chinaman whose
name appears therein: ioi susnt
rrnh'1Sns %1so 0c coT.s9. w1saIsar0s' S.
I Chen Cheon. do declare on oath,
that it is bona fide my intention to be-
come citizen of the United States of
America, and to renounce forever all a.
legiance and fidelity to all and any for
eign Prince, Potentate, State and Sove
reignty whatever, and particularly to
the Emperor of China, whose subject I
was. CHEN CHEONG.
Sworn to before me, this Goth day of
April, 1867. LIB. ANDREWS,
Clerk of the q. S. District Court,
in and for the County Of King, W. T.
Territory Of Washington. IS.
King County. '''
I. L. B. Andre rs, Clerk of the U. S.
District Coutt for King county, W. T..
said court being court Of record, hav-
ing common law jurisdiction, and a
clerk and seal. DO certify that the above
is true copy of the original declaration
of Chen Cheopg to become citizen of
the United States Of America, remaining
of record in my Office.
In testimony whereof, I have here
s,.... unto subscribed my name and
fL. s. and affixed the seal of the said
~ses Court. this 10th day of April,
1867, L. B. ANpREws, Clerk.
Mr.. CLeong, armed with this instru-
ment, and having complied with the
naturalization laws in every particular,
applied for his final certificate of natu-
raEzation. and was refrsed, solely on
the ground that native Of China could
not become citizen of The United States
on any terms under the present. laws.
We certainly do not desire to see China
men made citizens and voters, but we
should deem even that a lesser evil than
the precedent of an open disregard of
the laws, the bulwark of all our rights,
by our Courts of higher authority.
Where is the hitch? By what law
full authority is Chinaman denied the
benefit of our naturalization laws? 1t is
true the act prescribes test of color;
but the paramount law of the Constitu-
ton, subsequently adopted, not only
abolishes. but positively prohibits all
such tests, and the Court which discrim-
mates between Chinaman and Euro
pean in dispensing the civil laws, is
amenable to high penalties under the
Civil Rights Act. 1t is not our fault
that laws exist which are repngnant to
popular sentiment; but it is our duty to
protest against a. violation OF disregard
of law, nnder all circumstances. g
RAILROAD RoUrEs.--Mr. J. B. Mont
gomery, the railroad contractor, who
has lately returned from the East. we
learn from parties who have conversed
with him, says the Directors of the N.
P. Railroad Company have determined
to construct the road by the Columbia
River route, on the north side of the
river, avoiding Portland entirely, and
abandoning the direct route across the
Cascade range of mountains. both Of
which were In their original grant. This
determination is predicated upon the
assumption that the Company will re-
ceive the Government aid asked for by
the bill recently introduced in Congress,
for without that it is not at all likely
that the present Company will ever
construct another mile of the road, and
the portions they have completed will
never pay running expenses. But if
their expectations are realized, and they
carry out their present plans, we cannot
comprehend how the the railroad. or the
public will be benefited thereby. The
main advantage which this road offered
over all other transcontinental routes
was its shorter distance. That advan-
tage is entirely surrendered by taking
the Columbia River route, and the only
advantage of that ioute-to secure the
trade of Portland and the Willamette
valley--is abandoned by confning the
road to the north bank of tho William
cite. The distance from the junction
cf the Northern Pacific and the Seattle
and Walla Walla railroads, on the Upper
Columbia, to Seattle. is 800 miles by
the former and 200 miles by the latter
route. From that junction, by the pro-
lected railroad to Kelton, on the Union
Pacific, and thence to Chicago. the
route is shorter and more direct than by
the Northern Pacific. Themanagement
of the Northern Pacific Railroad has
fbeen an obstruction and curse to this
country from its inception, and if it
should be completed under the plan
suggested. it would benefit nobody this
side Of the Rocky Mountains but specu-
lators and carpet-hag adventurers.
AssEssAn.E.--The City Assessor re-
ports the taxable property of the City of
Seattle at $3.50, 1906.
w The new schooner Una sailed
from Port Blakely on Friday, having on
board 3O7, ,614 feet of lumber for Rem
ton, Smith & Co., Of San Francisco.