Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-17

does not contemplate forfeiture at all. The
only right which Congress reserved
in case of the failure to complete the road
within the specified time and the continu-
ance of such failure for more than one year,
! is q proviso that "The United States may
then do any and all acts and things necessa-
ry To INSURE SPEEDY COMPLETION OF SAID
ROAD" This language is unequivocal. 1t
shows that the Congress granting the lands
appreciated the great importance of this
transcontinental highway, and was deter
mined that it should not fail of completion,
even if its projectors should not be able to car
ry the enterprise to successful termination.
This view of the case is held by the secretary
of the Interior and the attorney general, who
have both informed the committee that in
their opinion the grant to the Northern
Pacific is not liable to forfeiture.
1t is evident from these facts that the COM
mittee has gone little too far in recon-
mendihg the forfeiture of the grant, No
power resides in Congress to do so unless it
shall carry out the spirit of the original act
and take such steps as shall ensure the
speedy completion of the road independent
of the land grant. The report is especially
unjust from the fact that the Northern Paci-
fic is the only road of the four that have been
benefciaries of the government bounty that
is now, and has been ever since the revival
of trade, making every effort to extend and
complete its line. For two years past work
has progressed with great rapidity from both
ends of the line, and for the present year the
work contracted for covers two hundred and
fifty miles. Track will be laid and trains
running on the eastern division from Bis
marck to the Yellowstone river, and on the
western division from the Columbia river to
Lake Pond d. Oreille before the snow flies.
Grading has already been completed for
nearly half the distance in both directions,
and the iron will be laid as fast as it can be
forwarded. 1t would not surprise us if the
limits of the work as at present laid out will
be considerably exceeded before the close of
the year, but if not, the contracts already
awarded and in process of execution afford
an earnest of the intention of the company
to waste no time in completing the line from
the head of Lake Superior to Puget Sound.
We are sure the committee cannot be
aware of the vast resources that will be de-
veloped by the Northern Pacific road or they
would have hesitated in agreeing upon their
report. Already vast wilderness IN north
ern Minnesota and eastern Dakota
has been developed and is one vast
expanse of waving grain. Millions
of bushels of wheat were last year
garnered along the line of the road where
three years ago not bushel was raised.
The work of the present year will develop
several million acres of the most arabic
lands in the country, affording homes to
thousands of families and adding millions of
dollars to the productive wealth of the coun-
try. The grazing plains of Montana will be
tapped, and great impetus given to that
industry, while by the opening of next win
ter the productive mineral lands of Montana
will be within easy reach. The Yellowstone
park, the wonder land of the world, will be
placed within easy reach of civilization, and
every agricultural and mining industry
throughout vast empire will be stimulated
in large degree. To interfere with and put
a stop to such gigantic undertaking, preg-
nant with so much benefit to the people of
the whole country, would be an act of such
supreme folly that we cannot believe Con-
gress will be guilty of giving it its endorse
ment. The committee, we feel convinced,
has been influenced by rival interests in ar
irving at their conclusions. Since the pres
emit management of the road has demon
strated its willingness and ability to carry
forward the work to successful consumma-
ton, other covetous eyes have been cast upon
the territory and the road, and this will
probably account for the singular inclina-
ton of the committee to disregard the law
and declare forfeit that which is not forfeit
able in either law or equity.