Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-29

in the relations which these tribe
sustain to the federal government
which denies to the latter ultimat
jurisdiction and sovereignty owe
them. This proposition is abundant,
established not only by the practice
of the yernment i'll thu
various instances cited. but alst
by an unbroken line of judicial con
struc,ions. Such Jurisdiction and
sovereignty embrace within theil
scope the right of eminent domain
So long as the government possesses
this jurisdiction and sovereignty, il
must have the right also. Ne depart
inent or departments could divest The
government of this right, save and ex
cept by an absolute cession of the ter
1 ritory to some foreign power
The committee are equally con
| WINGED that there is an occasion for
! the exercise of this power. The In
dian territory divides prosperous
states and territories. On the West is
New Mexico; OH the north is Colora-
do and Kansas; on the east Missouri
and Arkansas, and on the south
Texas. The rapidly increasing
productions Of these sections demand
corresponding facilities from mutual
exchanges. tits needless to add that
in this age railroads alone furnish such
facilities. There is now but one line
of railroad running north and south
across the indian Territory. This
line of road has therefore monopoly
of the transportation and travel in the
directions indicated. The commercial
and other material interests not only
of the adjacent states but of the whole
country demand competing lines.
Wherever private capital without gov
eminent aid proposes TO meet this de-
mand it should be allowed to do so.
The conclusion Of the committee on
the two main questions which the bill
presents may be clearly stated in one
sentence, namely: That con gress has
the power 10 grant rights of
way through the Indian Territory,
and that there is an occasion for the
exercise of this power whenever pri-
vate capital in good faith proposes to
build new road.
That the condition on which an oc-
casion for the exercise of this power
arises, exists in this case, has.been sat
isfactorily shown TO the committee.
The Gulf, Colorado d Santa Fe railway |
company has already built five hun
dred and thirty -four miles of road. Its |
main line extends and is now in act
ual operation, from Galveston 10 Fort |
Worth, the latter point being but sew
enty-five miles from the Indian Terri
tory.
The company has no floating liabili- !
ties of any consequence, while its
bonded debt does not exceed $1,000
per mile.
The needfulness of line across the |
Indian Territory TO complete its ulti-
mate connections between the gulf |
and the Northwest, together with its
sound financial condition, furnishes a
reasonable guarantee for the building I
of the road along the right of way this
bill grants.
Tie committee report the accoInpa.
nying as substitute for bill FL. II.
1870 and recommend its passage.
BILL
To grant the Gulf, Colorado and
Santa Fe Railway Company q right
of way through the Indian Territory,
md for other purposes.
BE 1t enacted by the senate and
house of representatives OF the United
States Of America in congress as
sembled, that the Gulf, Colorado and
santa Fe Railway company, a cor
poration created under and by virtue
)f the laws OF the state of Texas, be.
md the same Is hereby invested and
with the right Of locating,
owning, equipping,
operating, using and maintaining u
-ailway, telegraph and telephone line
through the Indian Territory, begin.
ming AT point to IL selected by said
railway company on Red river, north