, 1877-01-27
MISSION GRANTS.

M1SS1ON CHANTS.
The Vancouver Convent bill has been
up in the House of Representatives, and
very lively debate been had upon its
merits. Delegate Jacobs made a stiff
fight against it. but does not appear to
have had second to his action not
even Page, Of California, who is now
the only Republican in the lower House
from either of the Pacific States. We
give the telegram concerning the matter.
taken from the Oregonian' Congression
81 reports of Monday:
"The passage of the bill directing the
issue of patent to Misslon st. James
Vancouver. was preceded by Yer,
81 irifed debate between Delegate jacobs
and Bnckner of Missouri, chairman OF
the committee reporting the bill. Jacobs
after showing that the Land Depar.-
ment and Attorney General have rel eat.
edly decided against the claim, inform
ed the He Sc that it covered the who,e
town of Vancouver ana the militsry
ltSfI tSttuIu'tu " Ut Wcteu
600 900. He therefore argued that all
parties should be left to fight ont theii
contest in the courts Buckner rejoined
that the government had gwen missions
of other religious Denominations patents
for GAO acres each, and argued that the
issuance of a patent in this case woulc
facilitate judicial settlement of the
controversy without Injury 20 eithe,
party as the bill reserved all adver, g
rights and expressly provides that i'll
event of the courts confirming the title
States may remove all government
properly. Jacobs then showed tha
the Effect of the bill void be immediate
1y to compel the citizens of Vancouver
to pay rent to the mission; bnt ,;espite
his shenuous opposition the House
passed the bill by vote of two to one
All the Pacific coast members voted i'll
the affirmative"
The mere fact that the citizens of Van
couver would be biiged to pay rent to
the Trustees of the ST. James Convent.
signifies nothing. The civilization of
that portion of the Territory lying be-
tween the Columbia River and Puget
Sound. is ascribable more directly to
the influence of the Catholic priests
than any other. They not only aided
the white settlers between Cowhtz
Prairie and Bolsfort, in every imngin-
able way, but also obtained an infu-
ence over the savage 1udians around
there and restrained them from deeds OF
violence against the poor and defence
less whites. 1he property was hardly
worth dollar per acre when granted to
them; and its increased value is the re-
suit of the civilization of which they
were the founders.
This is one of those cases where the
prejudices of religious education must
succumb to the principles of right and
justice. We are Protestant by educa.
ton and have not a Catholic in our
family for more than two hundred years;
but we believe in living up to bargains.
The priests founded that mission upon
the promise of G ant, and now that
their lsbors have resulted in good to
society and the advancement of civilizas
ton. it would be base treacherv to with
draw that land from their successors.
There is too little religion and too
much sectarianism in this world. We
should be better people if there were
more real devotion and fewer churches.
The Catholic priests of Oregon's terri
torial Gay were heroes as well as men
of piety. Let US keep faith with those
who shoulder the burden of their in
complete mission.
What felicitious idea it was for Capt.
Ainsworth to name his new steamer
the "Ocklaboma, after the Indian
name of Gravelly Lake, near Stellacoom.
I hat will be great watering place.
like Mahopac or Biloxi. some of these
days. And twenty years hence, when
the fashionable Portland belle shall
say ''Dear papa, won't you take US TO
Nh 81, H., a