Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-02
rus PEOPLES REPRE-.
Sentative.
,.c.te White RefOre Il
Committee Of
Congress.
~ the Armament made by
", u. White. before the
s...e Committee o" Public
...d.. on Monday. April
1lst. 1881.


to,f, h,nws what the public mind Ii
WI r,.at corporations are mere ~
Ihe'e s,,s and attorneys using tbeli
tn,n AGAINST the whole policy oil
saIs.,tures on the one hand WINE upon
To- o,ber are numerous s'ys'er7' si'cu
We and lobbyists IN the guls- OF pa
lAD and representatives, OF the ps pie
nons ~" Tanefess to forfei. the lands
uf0'.sd a. every railroad where there
Ws ,hs sliehtest prete1t for 1t.
y;sv of this de laration It IA prop
~ .honld state who ! all, who rep
q cit and why am mere. am an at
and for fourteen years have
tone' yasldent of the Territory Of
o .S. ;,,,on. and as such attorney ]
weren't directly III" interests OF 'he
, ,tp"ss, and wealthl.st city ara county
nat Territory: a city OF io.oo IN
~ ,;.ar.a with an assessed taxable
hso .s,,y NJ 100000 in the city and
E,onHGo 1O0 in the county. aid alsp IN
,.nc,Iv represent the present prevails &
ol0S M over 10000 Of our Terrific
nal population. ,.. ,;..
'' A. one of the largest pubic meetings
I'D in Western Washington, be
~ adjourned meeting convened In
'ns a,,v M Seattle on the 18th OF March
NO.. nresided over by the Mayor of the
"a, I was selected by COMMITTEE OF
svs citizens. the Chairman being ) osepii
" faw,s AN ex-Chief Justice OF tue
I.x,,,orv, and tnat selection WAS raii
a. nv that meeting, and thereby / WAS
t.,.J IN aoue here IA their sttpr
NV 10 represent to you Their opinions
.onoerninp the forfeiture OF the land
ran, OF the Northern Pacific Railroad
connanv. and to demand AZ your hands
,.eoonition Of their rights In the
o,e,oises. | arrived here one week ago,
and NV only regret - that ! had not
been PRESENT. at the tine the att"r-
ue,s and agents OF these great corppr-
.,,.n.- yers making their statements
I'D arourents before this committee.
Nyv,y has been paid here by the Tnsr
ebsn,s the farmers, the luDbermen, the
miners and the citizens OF Western
Washington. They think that they
have rights. az well ~ corporations. To
Le heard by attorney 10 the committee
rooms OF this capitol.
Mr. U0hlIttlhI, i ath hp'p W. nv
suss any OF the legal questions ut length
involved in this matter. That has been
already well performed in the reports
Of the majority and minority Of this
committee. 1t rs proper. however. that
should say that prior To reading The
very able report OF the majority, my
. op,pion WAS, that 40 far AS the road had
been constructed, the company had
earned the land adjacent thereto and
ro.,srminous theresIth, and ! may say
that that was the prevailing opinion OF
our own pcople and that | wds sent here
sith that understanding; tut l must
ssy, that since reading that report, NV
opjniop has been changed, and IA |
gather from our newspapers, so also the
opinion of our people. However the
law may be. AZ to the lands claimed To-
have been earned since July fth, 1879. !
think there can be no doubt, that under
the bill reported by the majority, the
courts would at least hold. that ~ to the
lands along the unconstTucted portions
OF the main line and branch line ut the
date Of the passage OF the biil, thai a.
to those lands, the bill would AT least
work forfeiture. This will satisfy Us,
and the other question ~ left for the
courts 10 decide. Left too IN the proper
shape: for the company will be oouu-
PEELED to prosecute for titlc anu posses
sion. and not the settler.
The III ,jority of the committee. AZ IN
duty bound. has construed the charter
act and resolutions Ill favor of the Gov
ernInent and people whom Congress IL
Supposed to represent. Ele burden al.
first esta blishlng by tedious litigation
the right Of the oitilen 10 set up \ home
on the public and Lnoultivated domain,
has been removed. aud upon the great
corporation IL cast the burden of con
testing this right.
Mr.. Chairman, for u few inmates
desire 10 call yonr attention To some
facts touching the lard grant IN our
own Territory, that through you may
be intelligently presented our cause to
the committee OF the whole House.
Washington Territory IL more deeply
Interested In this question Than any
other State or Territory III the Union.
because. according tn her area, more
than double the land is claimed than IN
any other State or lorritory. In place
Of the claim being on single line Of
road. II IS on three lines. The main
llne enters Washington Territory near
spokane Falls, about tn. center of the
EASTERN boundary, runs thence In n
s'atowestefly direction about 10 mile
70 Waiiula junction. This part of the
foad IL already built WAS CONSTRUCTED
IN Inn Nl.ll,tl..
direction almost due west, on tue tx
IRENE southern boundary line vi the
territory. the main hLe IL To extend "a
ms eiiy OF Portland. Or, son. "A distance
OF about go miles. Tnis part has no,
oeea built. At Wallulu Junction. what
called tho Case lde branch. com
'pcucvs anG runs III a uurthGrsterly Ill
.scuoh through the heart of the Terri
ncty, distance of over 40 miles, g.
i"coma. Twenty or twenty i've miles
" 'ais line on the eastern eud. over a
level and unobsiructed countr !. almost
much 90 rs Peunsylv ma avenue. was
oai'' IN lSs3-A At Tacoma another In,
mmenoes. and luas due south. para.
"a WIZ anu about fifty miles from, tht
ss'uc ocean, midway between that
NY ct water and the Cascade
cakc "i mountains. To kalama ON I'll,
Tu"oia rvef, distance of 100 miles
,sN, put WAS huiit IN 1871, 1872 and
10 isete WAS also built by this com
s.uy III 1876 -, thirty one miles If raj
~" IRON tacpm, westerly along til,
rrasallnp river tp c~rt.in coal mines
Ts taev now O., um - part OF then
,hs, tissue branch. bat | expect Ia show
~, IL hot, aud that they have moi
Nc,ernlhed that II snail Ice a part oI
,an ofanch. Farther, that II the'
r,oS HE line OF road by the Cow
PISS AZ Claimed bv their withdrawa
Eau a"" on HE with the COMMISSIONS
~ Me uenersl Land Office. II is Al i'm
In, i's 10 make such line "A part ~
., otahch line. lLat this 81 mile
no,,s iuhs alihln few miles of til,
on ,.h Boundary Of the withdrawal
~ n "e halama branch. and On this 3
a''es Withdrawals for 10 miles still fur
v,,s ho''h have been made. That thes,
l,,n" iAw ls embrace valuable coal land
raa. 10 hine county. which alone ar,
u al least *,,0to,uco.
., hsf-' Mr. Chairman. We have a striI
10 s0aa'ry lJ mIivs Wild. counting tn
w. "'ui's, and over 800 miles long. i.
49,. the Company claims every cd.
Nss'on Of land.
ia wye IL OF the minority report /,
P,,,,'nt iao miles oY the road frun
s,na 1u 10 Puget Sound has been con
,b,a ny this comp.ny. How abou
IN ~. rory miles OF this road lies II
\ Poy,,otas e OF Oregon, runs north FROM
VS. hu 10 the Columbia River, and
ks;s,e intention To Connect II with III
h.aa branch by bridging the river
aeonn, t daring the Year 1855, throng