The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-02-16
The Mission Bill.

The following is the bill lately pas
sed by the House branch of Congress,
tor the relief of the Mission of St.
James.
Whereas Congress, in the act entitled "An
act to establish the territorial government of
Oregon" passed on the 14th of August, 1S4S
provided 'that the title to the land, not exceed
ing six hundred and forty acres, now occupied
as missionary stations among the Indian tribes
in said Territory, together with the improve
ments thereon, be confirmed and established in
the several religious societies to which said
missionary societies respectively belong" and
by the act entitled "An act to establish the ter
ritorial government of Washington" passed
on the I'd of March, 1853 provided "that the IT,
tie of the land, not exceeding six hundred and
forty acres, now occupied as missionary sta
tons among the Indian tribes in said Territory,
or that may have been so occupied as mission
airy stations prior to the passage of the act esS
tablishing the territorial government of Ore.
gon, together with the Improvements thereon'
be- and is hereby, confirmed and established to
the several religious societies to which said
missionary societies respectively belOng;"
And whereas the honorable Secretary of the
Interior, by his official and final decision, un-
der date of January 20, 1872, after taking cogni.
zance of the testimony and law in the case, ac-
knowledges that Catholic mission, called the
mission of Saint James, existed at Vancouver,
Territory of Washington, on the 14th of August
| 1S4S, within the meaning and provision of the
aforesaid acts, and that the said mission is en-
| titled to whatever quantity of land these acts
| are intended to grant;
| And whereas the intentions of the aforesaid
| acts is TO grant to each missionary station
among the Indian tribes of Orego and Washing.
| ton Territories on the 14th of August, 1S4S and
| ID of March, 1853, respectively the quantity OF
six hundred and forty acres of the public lands
of the United States, where this quantity can
| be found in compact forms as to include the
| mission Improvements, or so much of said
| land as can be found, not to exceed six hun
| dred and forty acres;
| And whereas by order of the Commissioner
of the General Land Office, dated September
20, 1859, a survey of said claim was made, and
| a plat thereof, dated December, 1861, approved
by the surveyor general of Washington Terri
| tory, was forwarded, and is now on file in me
| General Land Office Of the Department of the
| Interior, such survey placing the mission i'm.
provements as near the centre Of the claim as
possible, and interfering with no prior legal
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States Of Amcri-
ca in Congress assembled, That it is hereby
made the duty ofthe Secretary Of the Interior,
| within two months after the passage Of this
claim OF the Saint James mission Of Washing
| ton Territory, in accordance with the Aforesaid
plat of survey, dated in December, 1851.
The amendments were to strike out
the third paragraph of the preamble,
and to add to the bill the following:
Provided That nothing in this act shall oper-
| ate in any way to affect impair, or defeat any
adverse claimto the land described in said pat
ent, or to any part thereof; And provided fur.
| ther That the United States shall have the
right to remove therefrom any property, build
ings, or fixtures it may have thereon.