The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1878-03-16
More About the Northern Pacific.

ton both the Sat Lake road and the
Northern Pacific, a correspondent OF the
Oreqonj<1so who was present and heard
the arguments, writes as follows: lst,
n alluslon TO the remarks Of Col. Gray,
attorney for the Northing Pacific he
says:
The company were anxious to take
care Of and protect settlers, and il they
were not protected by the provisions Of
the bill, be hoped the committee would,
IN their wisdom, put clauses in it that
would be more stringent to protect the
actual and bona fds settlers. Chapman
then got up and said the Salt Lake COM
pany would build the road from Port
land 20 Unatilla in three years if the
congress would give them their charter;
but the committee did not think it fair
or just that great and partially COM
pleted enterprise like the Northern Pa
oi6c should be made subsidiary to the
Salt Laks company The discussion
then became very general, when Col.
Gray rose and asked as simple act Of
justice to have an opportunity to ex-
plain some matters that had beer allud-
ed to disparaglng to the n. P Co.
There were many matters brought in Tor
a notive to have certain prejudical
effect on the minds of the committee,
and to embarrass the Northern Pacific.
To day, SAID he, the line Of the North
ern Pacific is located on the north side
Of tbs river, and until this bill is passed
the company have no right to go on the
south side, and they do not propose to
do so. The people Of Oregon earnestly
wished the company to change their To-
cation to the south side, but that is no
reason they, the company, are to be en-
numbered aud loaded down by this other
company; besides, by this change they
surrendered half their grant of land tor
the distance between Portland and the
eastern boundary Of Oregon; he said
that Senator Grover told the senate COM
mittee tnat the north bank Of the river
was the best side for the construction Of
a railroad, and Col. Gray thought it
true He characterized the Salt Lake
project as mere myth. There was no
company, no charter, no surveys; there
were articles Of association only, which
any lawyer would draw up for $50
fee, and this association had given no
evidence whatever to the committee that
they were in condition to build road
at all. Ii they wanted to build road
why did they not do it before? They
had been seven years in the business al
ready, as he was informed; besides two
roads could be constructed on the south
aide at the Cascades. The Salt Lake
association said, in substance, to them
aud TO the committee, you must build
IN connection with US nolens rolens, or
you shan't build your road at all. 1t
was not just or right to burthen the
original bill with any other proposition,
especially proposition that would make
rival line. The completion of the
Northern Pacific would make com pet.
ing road with the Union aud Central
Pacific, and it was manifestly to the in.
terests OF the government and commerce
that this road should be free and un-
trammeled by any other project
The committee then listened to arcu-
ments Of Representative Williams of
Oregon, who spoke as follows:
''He felt little embarrassed because
he did not wish to force his views on
the committee, but as all the people Of
Oregon were deeply Interested in this
matter, as well as the people OF Wash
'ngton and Idaho, he would give some
OF his ideas. The state agricultural so,
c'ety and the state grange had both
potltionad conrrnes far tho p,ss,uo 90