, 1877-10-20

this question. That oar alynncrmrnt
in nopuIatlon and wealth depends to II
great degree upon con'innoas railroad
communication with the En,t. has hccn
demonstrated So often that refrain FROM
even II rpcnptuntiou Of the benefits
which we will derive therclrOm, 1t i.
therefore, mnuiirstly for the Interest nj
this Territory and also of those Terrific
ries living between MS and the Missouri,
10 assist the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company bv all Legitimate means, AMI
to the extent of our ability IN obtain
nu an cXtr sion OF time. On this point
think there will he substantial agree
mrnt in opinion, but there nrc several
subsidiary question. growing ont c' tho
min proposition, in which also we have
a deep interest, and in regard to winch
different views may be entertained.
Aud first, should uh extension Ut ten
years, or ANY other period OF time, be
granted without imposing any condi-
tlons upon the Company After II very
careful consideration OF lhe subject,
have arrived at the conclusion tiMt Ger
luln conditions are indlsptnsiDy neces-
,ary. and mat no extension should be
granted wllhoLt imposing them. The
l,quest tor an extension ot ten years
must necessarily bc based upon an I'M
plied promICe Or obligation On the part OF
the Company 10 complete the road in
.nul period vi time, and no valid reason
can bc assigned against making this
lmphcd obligation un express one and
compelling the Company, not Only to
complete the road within the extended
period, but to construct annually
certain number OF miles OF road, both
in Eastern and Western divisions.
Without this, ut glance it will be
seen that at the expiration OF ten years
or other period OF time which muy be
granted, the road may be no nearer
completion than IT is today. II the
Northern Pacific railroad Company has
no reasonable expectation Of completing
the road within ten years then it is
its duty to declare this Iact and surren
der bOck ~ the Government, or trans
Ter to some other Company its entire
land grant except that portion to which
it is entitled by reason OF u construction
of part ot the road, The grant wis
not made to- enrich few individuals,
but to benefit the whole nation,
Another condition which should be
imposed is that the Company should not
be permitted to charge for its lands
more than the maximum of two dollars
and fifty cents per acre, except for coal
lands. Many reasons might be urged in
favor of this limitation, but | shall refer
mainly to those which show that the
best interests of the Company will be
advanced thereby.
Should the price Of railroad lands no
fixed at the maximum charged by the
Government, the sales OF land will bo
largely augmented, The policy hereto
fore pursued, has retarded settlement,
not only on railroad, but on government
land contiguous thereto. Within the
land grant of this Company between
Puget Sound and Lake Superior, there
is nm immense area Of unsurpassed agri-
cultural and grazing lind, large por-
tion of which is in this Territory. Many
years must elapsc before these lands will
be surveyed by the government. At
present the settler is in great measure
precludcd from occupying any ofthesc
unsurveyed lands He is unwilling to
make improvements which may when the
lines OF survey are extended be found to
be on the lands Of the Company, and in.
stead at securing, as he desires and in
tends to do, a homestead or pre.emrtion
claim, he may be compelled TO pay the
Company double or even fourfold the
price OF government lands, or lose his
claim and his improvements. 1t would
be obviously a wise policy for the Com
pany 10 promote immigration to the
lands adjacent to the line of the road.
The government is desirous that MI un-
occupied lands should be settled upon