Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-20
CONGREssHAN George AND LAND
GRANT EORfklIlKE.
Astorlan.


The bill presented by Mr.. George diff
fers materially from the bill drafted by
the Astorl, Ch tmber of ComIerce ana
forwarded to Mr.. George for introduc-
ton last November. The bill WAS word
ed AZ follows:
"Be il enacted by the Senate and House
9f HepreSehidtioes of he tHHsd STATES
| ct inaerica an Congress aSser,Ji.d. hat
all lands which we're granted by Con
gress In tho year 1870 to the Oregon
Central K ,ilroad Company To aid In
constructing n railro td and telegraph
line from Portland to Astoria, and from
a suitable point of junction uear Forest
Grove To the YtmhIli rlver near Nc
| Mlnnylile. in tn Safe of OreA on, md
which hive not been pttenitd 10y the
tnited States 10 said comp ptny under
sad grant. which has eXpr, Il by lIiui
tation, tre hereby d, clarei forfeited To
| tue United States and transferred {,
! the public duutlu, ana tins lucluies ali
sucn lands " thin tweEts five miles of
the proposed line OF SAID road. On q. her
sIde thereof. bntn III Washington ierrI-
| tory and IL Oregon, and tae>e lands
| st al hereafter be dlspu--d o. AS other
pub,lc lands f the United States
! Upon receipt Of that b.ii. Mr.. Il orSe
wrote III reply that the abuve bIil hau
been amended by hun and introduced.
! He SAYS:
| 1t seems to ME that the bill IS sent
VAS taking away what We already lad
without any EuHTt:tee rs to the future.
| Whether or not Congress will bo dis
| posed To continue any guarantee may
be- question but | thought II best to
! proviuc for the settlers Oh these lands.
aud tor the creation of fluid co'r
posed of the proceeds accruIng from
the sale of SAID lands, and the even
numbers also, during the next ten years,
the same to be set aside and gwen to
the first COMPANY that will build and
equip the III completed portion of the
railroad, etc.
As understood here, there were three
bills, the one that the Astoria Chamber
of Commerce sent and lutrusted To
George TO put before the House AS it
was; the one that judge Pay son intro
du ied and which was unanimously rec
ummended for adoption by the commit
tee to whom i, was referred. and the one
that Mr.. George drafted and introduced.
The one now before the House, and the
delay over which ''provokes" Mr.George.
Is top heavy with amendmt nts. There
is one III particular which .viuces Mr..
Georges kindly consideration for the
railroad conn anv) and which affords
interesting precedent for future ooneres-
sional action If successful. According
to this novel pleading All that a railroad
company need do when given condi-
tional grant Is to select the easiest part
of the route. that which l. most thlckly
settled. an where tue land Is of great
est present valu-, build tht and thus
earn" the con iguous land and let the
rest 60; If that be proper action 1t
greatly imp itie- milar legislation con
cerning other grants. However. the bItl
Is before thu House and may come up "A,
| any hour. Ii Is probably the best that
/ can be done under the circumstances.
ana In the absence of fuller Information
/ concerning the details of the bill ~ Ii
nally offered tor congressional action,
| further comment Is deferred.