Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-18
Re, Olutions for Continue.
ton Of the Cnearned
Grant kescinded.
The seattle Cham ber 0f Commerce.
Asks the President to withhold
Further Action Regarding the
Puy aiIup Coal koad untiI
the Forfeiture Bill Mas
Been Acted Ipoa.

President of the United States has ap-
pointed three commissioners to exam
Inc the road running from Tacoma
easterly % miles, or, in other words,
the Puyallup coal road, which has been
in operation for the past seven years.
The object of having this road inspect
I'd and accepted by the company Is,
first, to be able to issue $685., 600 addi-
iional bonds, and, secondly, to secure
$4,000 acres of land, every foot of
which is in King County, aud not one
foot of which has the company any
right to.
On the announcement of this new at
tempt on the part of the railroad CON-
pany to steal 100000 of coal and
timber lands from King County, a
meeting of the Seattle Chamber O.
Commerce was called gether, and last
evening the following
MEMORIAL
Was unanimously adopted, and will be
telegraphed to the President today:
To the Presdent. Your memorials s,
the Chamber of Commerce of the City
Of Seattle, Washington Territory, re-
Spectfully repreeent that they have just
learned of tue appointment by you- Elk
Gel iency Of Commissioners for the ex-
,minatIOh of - miles of the railroad
running easterly from the city of Ia
coma through the Puyallnp valley to the
Carbonate coal mines, and heretofore
known AS q Puyallup branch said ex-
animation being preliminary to the 40
oeptance of SAID % miles of road by
your Excellency rs part of the Cascade
branch of the Northern Pacific Rail
road; that said section of road was built
III 1877. wholly within the limits of the
grant of lands claimed to have been
earned by IKE Northern Pacific Rail
road Company for the building of that
portion of is chartered lines between
Portland and Tacoma; that said road
WAS built at that time as a local coal
road to reach certain mines upon the
company's then alleged earned lands.
and that 1t has ever since been usrd AS
such; that no effort HIS been made to
extend 1t or use 1t for any other pur-
pose, nor has any pretense been made
by the company that 1t was built for
any other purpose. The best evidence
that 1t was not built rs a part of the
Cascade branch authorized bv the Com
pany's charter, is the fact that, although
It has been built and III operation tor
the past seven years, no application has
been made to the President for its &C
ceptance, or has 1t ever been adopted
10y the Company as part of said
branch, nor "a map of definite location
thereof filed until the month of March,
1884.
ioIr memorialists further represent
that, under the practice and rulings of
the Interior Department. the company
conld, upon your Excellency's accept
ance OF said section of road, claim
patents to over 100000 acres of land
mostly in this (klngJ county, and Of
the most valuable character. belnu
principally timber and coal land that
sand lands are worth fully $l0,OOO,O0O,
and have been so rated by we'll known
organs of said company, being of far
greater value than any equal amount of
the company's land grant that your
memoriallstS believe that said com
pany has now only adopted said section
of road o~ + TT IF the definitely To-
cated ,il.o ;.uruas the Cascade range for
the purpose of anticipating, and if pos
sihle defeating By this divide, so fac as
these lands are concerned, any action
Congress may take on the qnest on of
forfeliing this company's land grant,
and they therefore respectfully request
your Excellency immediately to canoe,
the appointment of SAID Commission
ers and To refrain from accepting said
road until Congress shall have made
HIlnncrftnn Of h..
forfeiture now pending before it.
Your meIporialists further represent
| that any action on your Excellency's
part by which this vast body of valu
| able land shall be turned over to said
| corporation without consideration. or
any action by which legal advantage
| may be obtained i'll their possession by
| IT, would be II gross injustice upon the
people of this Territory and particu-
| iarly of this county, and they there
fore earnestly protest against oh &C
| ton, and your memorlalists will ever
pray.
After the adoption of the above me-
| mortal. some discussion WAS had over
the previous action taken by the Cham
Der regarding the land grant, which &C
ton had been condemned bv the press
| and people of the entire Territory (aI-
ways barring Tacoma !, and it was final
| ly agreed that the Chamber should
right the wrong, or correct the mistake
made IN passing the non forfeiture res
| nlutionS, SO far as it could be done.
committee was appointed and the fol-
| lowing
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS
Drawn up, and. after discussion, adopt
| ed and ordered spread upOn the ra.ords