The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-02-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Right OF Way Bill Passes the
House-The Crow Indian Bill
Reported.

Right OF Way Bill Passes the
House-The Crow Indian Bill
Reported.
Special Correspondence New NORTH WEST:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. ., 1Ssl.-A bill
was passed In the House Yesterday which
has very great interest TO the people of Deer
| Lodge County, as IL permits the Utah North
ern to cross the track aud the land grant of
the Northern Pacific, and TO build on to
Deer Lodge or Butte. The bill was intro
duce last session by Mr.. Maginnis. and an at
tempt was made to pass it then, but objec-
| ton was made. Senator Teller,o Colorado,
has introduced similar bill in the Senate,
for which the bill that has passed the House
will be substituted. 1t is as follows:
THE AMENDED RIGHT OF WAY BILL.
| MIR. Maginnis, on leave, introduced the fol-
lowing bill in relation to the Utah and
Northern Railway Company.
| BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House of
| Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That sec
ton one of the act entitled IAN act granting
the right of way through the public lands to
the Utah Northern Railroad Company" APP
proved March 3, 1873, be, and aud the same
is hereby, amended by striking out of the
said section, after the words :" and through
Montana Territory" the following words,
:. to connection with the Northern Pacific
Railroad"
SEC 2. That the act entitled /" An act Gre
ating the Utah and Northern Railway Com
pany corporation in the Territories of Utah,
Idaho and Montana, and granting the right
of way to said company through the public
| lands, ".approved June 90, 1878, be, and the
same is hereby, amended by adding thereto
the following section:
"SEC. 4. And the said company Is hereby
authorized and empowered to construct such
| branch or branches of It's said road in said
| Territories of Utah, Idaho and Montana, or
| either Of them,as 1t may deem advisable,with
| the same grants, powers, rights, and priVi-
| leges, and upon the same terms and cond-
| tions as are provided for its main line; and
| Congress may at any time add to, alter, or
repeal this act"
Following is the favorable
| REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
| "The Committee on the Pacific Railroad,
to whom was referred the bill Oh. K. 4S74)
| in relation to the Utah and Northern Rail
way Company, report that in the original act
of corporation, March 3, 1873, the company
was granted right of way to and through
| Montana to a connection with the Northern
| Pacific Railway Company. AT that time the
| line of that proposed railway was laid down
| In the extreme uOfLn DI MoilLdild. oilltt 1iC
change to the Yellowstone route the line has
| been changed to the south and lies between
| the Utah and Northern and it proposed des-
| tination. Under the general right of way
| bill the company could keep on, but III that
case would be- obliged TO incorporate new
company for that portion of the road north
| of the crossing of the two roads, which would
be inconvenient both to the public and the
company. The right to continue
| the road to it's destination under one orgaui
cation instead of two is the only practical
| question involved in the first section.
1.-THE second section merely entities the
road to run branches up the mountain val
leys into the mining towns on either side OF
| it's line, under the same organization and
privileges as the several acts of Congress con-
| fer on the main line. The bill grants no ad-
| ditlonal privileges or right of way, and all
| these proposed things might be done under
| the general act, but in that case the company
| would have to organize under separate forms
| for each little branch that might be run up
| to a mine. The committee recommend the
passage of the BILL"
| THE CROW INDIAN TREATY.
| In the House committee on Indian Affairs
| the Crow Treaty was taken up on Tuesday
last. Mr.. Maginns made ali argument in
| favor of its ratification. Mr.. Poehler and
Mr.. Scales thought that the bill should be
amended. 1t gave the Indians vast sum o:
money. 1t ought to provide that the coded
lands should be opened to homestead or pre-
| emption until the government was reimburs-
ed The coded lands, mineral and other
wise, ought TO be sold at Public auction and
the Indians paid out of the proceeds.
Mr.. Maoinns argued that this would in
volve change in our public land system.
No different rule should be applied to these
coded lands than to others. Public policy
demands that they shall only be disposed of
| under the mineral, and other land laws of
the United States. Any other plan would
be impractcable. The amendment was dis
agreed to.
Mr.. Errett, of Pennsylvania, opposed the
whole scheme. 1t was an entering wedge to
| rob the Indians of their lands Their coun-
try had been taken from them. This was
another scheme TO steal the lands of the In
dams. All hearts that love justice must de-
fend the Indians against those encroaching
whites who would rob them of their coun-
try.
Messrs. Hooker and Gunter both endorsed
the views of Mr.. Errett aud were utterly OPP
posed to clauses of the treaty which provided
that the Indians should be given lands in
severalty.
Mr.. Maginnis said he thought it good poll
cy, but did not desire to go into that. The
Indians agreed TO give mp certain lands Tor a
certain sum of money. 1t was mutually
beneficial.
Fir. Haskell suggested an amendment rati-
flying that portion of the treaty which coded
the lands and secured the Indians an annui-
ty-and leaving out the rest.
Mr.. Maginns said the treaty had to be rat
flied as a whole. otherwise it would require
a new treaty and that would involve years
delay.
Mr.. Haskell withdrew his amendment after
further discussion. Mr.. Ainslie was ordered
to report the bill to the House with recon-
mendation that it do pass, and to move a sns-
pension of the rules TO take it up out of Or
der. The vote stood five to three. Messrs.
Hooker and Errett and Gunter gave notice
that they would file minority report against
the bill. As the calendar is crowded and the
bill must pass,if at all, either by unanimous
consent or by two-thirds vote this opposi-
ton will jeopardize the passage of the bill.
Mr.. Ainslie was authorized to change the
boundaries in conformity with the last argu-
ment. j. Nj. 3.