Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-22
DlIlY poS1.INTEluGENCER
IN. ,eEsENT DIZZY OF CoSCREss.

raE PREsENT DTTY OF C0NGktss.
I,vas the intention of Congress when
it chartered the Northern Pacihc haii
road Company in 1894, and tnunificent
lv endowed it with the public domain,
tina. a main line Of railroad should be
bnilt across the continent and operated
bv that company. Ii was understood
and stipulated tina, such railroad SHOULD
be pushed forward swiftly year ~ year
20 co,n, Ietion. The comp4ny va gwen
AMPLE time in which to get fetaS ~ nc
din bu,iding the road. II was agreed
that = cert.in number IF miles sh"uia
he constructed annually. and rail con
nec.ion between Lake Superior ans ~
oct Sound established at the expiration
oftwelye wears from Jnly 2, lS'A- ne
COMPANY accepted the provisions OF tue
law in due form, and proceeded 10 DO
nothing. Nearly two years passed In
May, 1866, VS. find the company before
Congress asking that, as portion oi
the twelve. years given IN which 70 ouiio
the road had already expired, the time
for completion be extended TO coinpeh-
sate therefor. There WAS no shadow OF
legal claim for this extension, but Con-
oress wanted the railroad built and was
lenient. Therefore by resolution dated
NAV Z, 1866, the request was granted.
Over two years more passed by, and still
no railroad WAS begun. The time for
commencing work had long since
passed. Many miles should at that
time have been constructed. Realizing
this the company again appealed To
Congress-. The resolution OF May, 1870,
extending the time for completion two
wears gave it until July, 1878. IN which
TO fulfil the contract. A compromise
was made. Congress passed another
resolution, dated July | ls6s, pos,pon-
inp the date when work must be co"-
0.enced until July ., 1870, and shorten
inp by one wear the time allowed Tor Its
completion. This resolution provided
in terms rs follows That the sand
company shall commence the work on
said road within two years from and
after the I'd day Of July, 1853. and shall
complete not loss than one hundred
miles Dor year after the second veal
thereafter, and shall construct, equip
furnish and complete the whole road by
the 4th day of July, 1877. The language
of this resolution il plain. II WAS sub
seauent to that which extended the
time for completion to July. 1879. he
ing a later expression Of the will OF
Congress under all rules % legal con
struction it repealed previous enact
ments with which it conilicted. But a
plant Secretary ruled otherwise, anc
by a forced construction declared thai
this resolution extended the time fol
completing the road for two years aftel
July 4, 1877. Thus the twelve year.
within which the road was to have beer
completed, under the law OF 1864, wal
extended 10 fifteen years.
Two years later the company agair
haunted tn national capital. Ii want
cd something more. When has 1t no
been asking favors? The law of l6'
prescribed the building Of main lin'
to Puget Sound. II was desired by Con
press that along the northern limits o
the United States n railroad should b'
constructed which would c, meet Pa
cfio with Atlantic waters through tn,
great chain OF lakes which form on
northern boundary line. This WAS Il
be the main line of the road. IL was
with the single exception OF the time II
which tho work was to be done. thu
most important feature of the bill
With an audacity unparalleled, TIM
company in 1870 appeared before Con
gress and asked that the main line b,
chauged-be shifted from direct cours,
across the continent, swung down the
north l5O miles to Puget Sound.
coolly pe,itioned Congress to allow II Il
make its main line from 200 to 100 mile
longer than was contemplated or neoes
sary to connect the waters of Lake Su
perior and Puget Sound, and Congress
wearied with importantly and still anx
ious that some road should be built
succumbed again 10 the solicitations o
this company. The change of that mail
line was direct injury To this Terri
tory--was so intended. and must eve
be SO regarded by our people. II con
troverted and nullitied the most impor
tant ultimate object of the law of 1864
tO.wit: trunk line by the neares
practicable route to Puget Sound. l
prospectively switched off and side
tracked the major portion of Washing
ton Territory.
Up to this time this company Of rail
road builders had not laid y mile o
track at either end of its projected line
Its railroad had been for six years, an,
then existed only as paper road. From
that day to this there is absolutely moth
ing 10 show that the Northern Pacifi
Railroad Company intended or does in
tend to build and operate line by an,
practicable direct route across the Cas-
oade Mountains from Puget Sound. |
has filed maps. plenty Of them. but i
has not tr ed to build q railroad. fol
lowing any selected location. Up I,
this day no definite location map o
such route has been filed in the prope
office. Millions of acres OF the bees
lands Of this Territory have. a, the re
quest of this huge sloth. been labeles
by plant officers Of the Interior De
partment. withdrawn from sale"
We affirm then. that in the light OF
history AS made by this company. tina,
having reference To the facts connected
with its past and present management,
the Northern Pacific Railroad Comp.n,
has not intended. and does not now in