The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-11-13
Brief History OfSt. James Mission
Claim,
VANCOUVER, w. Y, Oct. Is, 1879.

EDITOR CATHOLIC Dear
Sir: Having obtained from the Holy
See my resignation to the See of Mes
qually, and Il worthy successor in per-
son of Right Rev. Tgidus Junger,
who takes charge of all things, tenn
poral and spiritual, there devolves on
me the duty to put him in possession
of all the .temporalities and goods that
belong to the diocese Of Ncsqually.
Among these temporaliiics, st. James
Mission claim, at Vancouver, is one
of the most important. Though the
rights of said mission 10 that claim
We're set forth so fully, so clear and so
complete that Mr.. Henry, surveyor
general, gave his report and decision
in 1862, in favor of that mission,
nevertheless, ii has never been recog-
nized since that time (seventecn years }
by the government. As the history
of st. James Mission claim-which
pass to my succcssor-may be of some
interest to the public who probably
have already heard Il great deal about
the case, | beg the favor that it MAY
appear in thccolumns yourinterest-
ing and most valuable weekly. In
granting this favor you will oblige,
\. NJ. \. BLANCHET,
First Bishop of Nesqually.
|. On August II, lS4S, Congress con-
ferrcd AND established the title to land
not exceeding $40 acres, occupied as
missioncry stations among the Indian
tribes, by Il proviso in the act estab-
/. ~. &. 4 a
Oregon.
>. In virtue of said proviso the Cath
Ollie Mission of st. James, at Nancou-
Yer, w. T., Established in 1888 filed
in the land office at Oregon City, in
the year 1852, notification that it
claimed six hundred aud forty acres of
lanu
3, In September, 1850 the commits
s'oner of the general land Office ac-
knowledged the title &: tie mission
and directed the surveyor general of
the Territory of Washington to survey
the tract of land in which pOssessOry
right of the Hudson Bay Company
was extinct laying oiithe mission and
appropriately representing ii on the
plat of the township in which the
same was situated.
I. In December of the the same year
Il protest was filed against Il conhrma-
tion of 1t. James Mission claim by
Governor stevens, asking that the
claims of the L. :. military reserva-
ton, the town of Vancouver, Mrs.
Short, and the hcirs-at-law of amos
VI. short might be passed upon.
>. The commissioner of the general
land Office, pursuant 20 instructions Of
Sept. % 1853, and of December 10, 1859,
directed the surveyor general of the
Territory to make an investigation,
bearing upon the several claims, the
extent, priority, etc., and 10 make his
report, showing the decision upon the
merits OF said claims, with an illus
trated map.
6. After due notice to the respective
parties the surveyor general began
the investigation at Vancouver ON
April ., 1860, and continued il during
several days.
:. DIR. Henry, the then surveyor
general, made his report in 1862, aud
decided that the claims of the parties
opposing the mission claim had no
solid foundation, aud he gave his de-
cision in favor of the mission claim
in the following terms Ga pamphlet Of
ll9 pages, containing the inquiry in
full, viz: statements of facts, dcclama-
tory statement, evidence, dcpOSitions,
arguments of W. II. Farrar,
attorney for the mission, the report of
the survey general and his decision,
ON pages Is and ll9):
"rhe mission of st. James Is one, if
there was one, In Oregon, and tract
of six hundred and forty acres was
granted To them and such tract was
neither open To settlement nor to en-
croachment by the military authors
ties, except in the usual method known
TO the law. of appropriating private
TO public USES, nor by pre-
nor by occupation
The right Of the United States fully
ceased and determined on the 18th OF
ISIS, and is the oldest claim;
its recognition i coeval with the or
ganization of tn. Territory of Oregon,
and was a positive grant more than
two years before any American
citizen could acquire an interest in or
title 10 th. mission of 1t. James, full,
ample and complete, now entitled
to enjoy the same in all it, parts with
the right TO ask for and receive from
the United states deed oi contirma-
tion or patent as soon as the land could
be surveyed. The law making grantsto
missions Is so clear and positive, the
evidence so direct and long continu-
ing. bringing this station or mission
within the purVicw of the law, that
there j. but one duty 20 perform -con-
firm to the mission the six hundred
and forty acres of land in accordance
with said grant, and a. shown by the
ulat and field notes of