, 1878-02-08

they ask for. lt has been Indicted IN
two ways aside from the repeated l-tlari-
tions of their president ami other officers
now here: first. by bin introduced into
the House of Representatives, November
18th last, by Hon. J. A. Stewart, OF -.
Paul, Minnesota, and which is supposed
IN represent in the main the views OF the
Northern Pacific Company. This bill Is
in these words:
That ten years additional time is
hepby granted to the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company, aS now organized. to
construct and complete its main line and
branch under its charter and the acts snd
resolutions OF Congress relating thereto.
| This Is the bill.' and the whole ot il.
! This is what the Northern Pacific Rail
road Company ask. This is the kind of
u bill that meets the Judgment OF the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company. save
and except as they have modified it in two
particulars: first. by extending the time
! for the completion of the road to eleven and
a half years: and second. by saving that
they are willing to come on the south side
Of the Columbia river. by resolutions
adopted by the board of directors execu-
| tive committee OF said company at New
York City OH the 7th day of December
last. This bill j., to use the language of
the resolution of your Board OF Trade.
which resolution. by the wav, Is but 4 re-
citll OF what the Board of Trade
was asked to do hy the rcSo!u-
tions OF the boarl OF directors executive
committee at the meeting in New York
aforesaid "withOut such embarrassing
restrictions as in their Judgment will tend
to prevent negotiating their securities. y
And this is, IN worl the kind of 4 bill
the Portland Board of Trade recommends
Congress to pass.
Under this bill it will be observed that
not only are the interests of Eastern Ore
gon and Idaho wholly ignored, bnt also
those OF the entire northwest coast inclul-
ing those of the City OF Portland, which
your Board claims most directly 10 rep
resent. Under this bill the company
would not be bound to lit a mattock or
drive nail toward the construction of the
road either in Oregon or Washington
Territory for the next eight or nine years.
The resolutions OF the executive conf
mities of the board OF directors of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Cnpany, to
which have just referred, ask eleven and
a half years, or until the first day of July,
1889, within which to complete the road,
and say not Il single word about when the
construction OF any part of it on the Pa
CitiC Coast shall he commenced; while the
bill above referred n, and which by the
way is the only bill that has yet been in
troduced on the subject By any one except
myself gives them ten years to complete
the whole road without any provision
whatever requiring them either to come
on the south side of the Columbia river or
to do any work toward the construction OF
the road in Oregon or Washington Ter
ritory until the other portions of the road
are completed, nine or ten years hence.
and without any protection whatever TO
settlers Within the limits Of the grant.
But suppose this bill should be amended
In the solitary particular suggested by the
Board of Trade, tO-wit:-comp1lling them
to come on the south side of the CU,unbil
river, of what moment would 1t be to the
property holders and business men of Port
land, or to the people of tho whole State,
when the very same bill while it mOrtgl-
geI the whole country from the Missouri
river to the Pacific ocean. thns ObstrlIc;-
ing its settlement and stabbing the very
vitals of our dawning prosperity rs a
State, does not compel the company to
strike lick on either the north or south
side VI the Columbia for the next nine
years? While in the meantime, and by
this very act Of legislation now recon-
mended by the Portland Board of Trade.
n new lease of ten years Is granted by
Congress to the monopoly of the Columbia
river.
II all the conditions OF the grant To the
Northern Pacific Company had bcen viola.
ted. and every right Il ever possessed bv
virtue Of the grant to the lands not earned
be forfeited as they had not bren. aud
were not two years ago when the Senate
pass,d bill extending the tins with res
trictiOns for the protection OF settlers.
then. upon the score Uf vested rights aud
gooi Etith. therh might b. gool excuse
IOr the passage Of such a bill as that com-
pany now ask. But as every condition
has been violated and all right, forfeited It
Oo,urs to me the plea 0i vested rights aul
gpOl iaith l. nut available; thr Interest, OF
tlpr pppIe bcyUm's paramount, AMI tbr
mrrr wishes or asAiugs of the defauItiug
corporation shuuld not control legislation,
but ,hOu.d H. .ullonliuairyl 90 the higher
Interest uf lhc state and Niii1u that are a.
h. .ub.cryci by legislation on the subiycl.
WHEN Congress first met tn Norhern
Pacific Railroad Company. thnsugb 10.
lealiug otiicers tllrn herr, WIRE as cuphl-
tic n their opposition la coming o. thr
.suh shle of tie Columbia river. a. they
eVcr have bern, or now. 10 Any other otle
provision of the hill ! havr intpsluu7l.
Now thry have apparently conce'iei that
point by tlirif rsoiulious, bat it Is not yrt
cnnu-Icd by auy hlll. or any smcutmcut
"a any bill iutryiu,gl at their instance iu
either branch II Congress. A. yet they
arr hghting bitterly n0t only about The
salt lake branch. hat also the proposition
Ia compel the cummrucenent of Sprk
Within r'asouabie time either at Port
lan.l ~ Ou the Columbia river, A. also
every proposition looking 10 tlig proi"r-
ton of settlers. Vet ms wOrl lur u, un-
i,.ss ti,a r,..nlufi,ug Df VUur hIArl gAFrg