Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-21
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
Commissioner HeFarIand's Report Re.
gardiBg Its Land Grant.

WASHINGTON, January 20.-Secretary
Kirkwood, in his letter accompanying th'
papers received by the Senate YESTERDAY
in regard to the Northern Pacific lanc
grant, says: 81 have the honor to trans
NIT herewith the report of the commissioner
general of the land Office on the subject
From this report it will be seen that patents
for lands in the Olympia district of Wash
ington Territory were issued on the Sth o.
April, 1880, for three thousand sixteer
and eight-tenths acres, opposite portion oil
the road constructed by said company. Pre-
vious to 1875 no patents for lands had beer
issued for four hundred and seventy five
miles of said road, constructed, examined
and accepted in 1880 and 1881.
COMMISSIONER M'FARLAND's REPORT.
Commissioner Netherlands report TO Sec.
re airy Kirkwood is as follows:
GENERAL LAND OFFICE. !
WASHINGTON, d. c., January 10, 1852. !
To Hon. ]. S. Kirkwood. Secretary:
SRI am in receipt of request from
your department, dated 18th instant, for a
report on Senate resolution of the 18th in
slant. Commissioner Mcfarland quotes the
resolution In full, and continues: In ac-
cordance with instructions, / have to report
as follows: | know of no decision in
any actual case presented by the
commissioner of the general land-office
declaring the grant to the Northern Pacific
Railway Company lapsed, which has been
reversed by the secretary of the interior.
inclose copy of letter to the register and
receiver at Bozeman, Montana Territory, of
October IL, 1877, by the then commissioner
stating that the time for the completion of the
roa under the grant expired j ly 4, 1877, but
that under the cited decisions there was no
power in the office to enforce the forfeiture
There may have been other letters of similar
import. May 10, 1879, George Gray, Esq,
attorney for the company, transmitted
to your predecessor map of the
amended branch line of the proposed road
in Washington Territory, and asked it to be
accepted by the department and the with
drawal of lands adjusted accordingly. Said
letter and map was referred to this office for
report The report called for was made May
81, 1879, and Gray's letter returned there
with TO the department, where it is now on
file. A copy of my predecessors said report
is herewith submitted. 1t will be observed
that is presented to the secretary the ques-
ton, whether or not the grant in question
had lapsed. On June II, 1879,
your predecessor returned approved the
amended route map, with his decision
upon questions involved. In said decision
the secretary said the grant in full force
and effect, fully stating the reason. The
above recited decision by your predecessor
is the only one of which am aware touching
he lapsing of the grant in question. l kno =
If no opinion of the attorney general in the
premises. A full report with maps showing
he several lines OF road proposed by the
AMI history OF Withdrawals for
he grant was made by the acting commits
TONER CT this office, March 8, 1880, and by
-our predecessor communicated to the Senate
March u, 1880. The only patent issued to the
company since July 4, 1867, was dated April
}, 1880, covering sol IS 100 acres in the
granted" limits OF the Olympia land district.
Washington Territory, opposite portion of
he road constructed previous to 1875. On
october 20, 1880, the attorney-genersl rem
Tered an opinion on similar questions relat-
ng to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
company. / am, sir, very respectfully,
y. c. MCFARLAND, Commissioner